Read the entire Bologna Food & Travel Guide
Foodie Bologna
The region of Emilia-Romagna is filled with some of the most iconic foods of Italy; Ragu alla Bolognese, Tortellini en brodo, Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, and Balsamico di Modena. Many of these are native to Bologna with terrific examples served up in local trattorias, osterias, and ristorantes.
Crescentine
When we lived in Rhode Island there was an amazing Italian restaurant called Nonna Cerubina (Angel Mother). Don’t look for it, Seffi and Luigi moved to Spain decades ago.
But, in a state filled with incredible Italian food, this was my all-time favorite. Steffi and Luigi became friends and even taught us how to make limoncello.
When I first visited their restaurant, a converted house with maybe a half dozen tables and their apartment upstairs, I asked about an appetizer on the menu called Crescentine. Luigi, who is from Bologna, was aghast that I had never heard of it. Everyone in Bologna loves Crescentine, he assured me. So, I ordered it.
What was placed in front of me was one of the dishes that got me into foodie culture so many years ago. Lightly fried dough topped with simply dressed salad. Perched on top of the lettuce leaves was a radish, cut lengthwise and dotted with peppercorns to resemble a ladybug. Little bits of chives were added to mimic the insect’s antennae. Charming and delicious.
When we made our first trip to Bologna a few years later, we found Crescentine was quite different that what we had at Nonna Cherubina. Rather than an elevated dish served at a white tablecloth restaurant, Crescentine in Bologna is a street food, served from kiosks and tiny kitchens.
The Crescentine of Bologna is a hand food, offered up on a paper plate or in a cone, stuffed with Squacquerone (cheese) or Prosciutto or Mortadella. Other fancier options with Pistachio pesto or fig jam or dozens of other combinations are also available. You can even find vegetarian versions of Crescentine.
My favorite place to get Crescentine is…
Read the entire Bologna Food & Travel Guide
About the Author
Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides on Destination Eat Drink, including several in Italy,. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms and is distributed by the Radio Misfits Podcast Network.