Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese are another
essential, which customers buy in hefty
chunks to be grated later (though with Par-
mesan this fresh, it's hard to resist paring
off little slices to pop straight into your
mouth).
Salumeria Garibaldi supplements those
basics with bountiful glass cases full of
prepared foods, from stuffed artichokes to
stuffed rabbit, ham wrapped in cabbage to
roasted chicken, fritto misto and torta
fritta (deep-fried yeast wafers), and a table
laden with cakes and flaky pastries.
Upscale as the shop looks, it has a friendly
staff, happy to share their appreciation of
their hometown's gustatory delights. Con-
sider it Parma's equivalent of a takeout
fast-food joint—and wish you lived in
Parma full time.
Via Garibaldi 42 (
&
39/521/235606;
www.specialitadiparma.it/default2.asp).
0
Parma (1 hr. from Bologna, 1
1
/
2
hr.
from Milan, 2 hr. from Florence).
L
$$$
Palace Hotel Maria Luigia,
Viale Mentana 140 (
&
39/521/281032;
www.sinahotels.it). $$
Hotel Button,
Strada San Vitale Borgo Salina 7 (
&
39/521/
208039
).
Gourmet Emporiums &
Specialty Shops
27
Yeliseyevsky Gastronom
Temple of the Gluttons
Moscow, Russia
Its nickname was once “Temple of the
Gluttons,” a cutting reference to the czars
who used to patronize this landmark 1901
emporium. But in the new capitalist Rus-
sia, gluttony is no longer frowned upon—
in fact, Russians spend more of their
income on food than any other European
nation. And $3 million has been lavished
on restoring the original crystal chande-
liers, neobaroque carved ceilings, and Art
Nouveau stained glass of this 19th-century
Moscow mansion, with a sister store in St.
Petersburg, at 56 Nevsky Prospect.
Taken over by the Bolsheviks in 1917
and converted to an employee-owned
enterprise in the early 1990s, Yeliseyevsky
Gastronom stocks a mix of Russian delica-
cies and imported luxury foods, catering
to the culinary whims of newly affluent
Muscovites. The centerpiece of the ornate
ground floor is a stunning array of perish-
ables in glass cases—fresh seafood and
meat, cheeses, produce, and prepared
foods (including regional specialties like
Siberian meat dumplings and Georgia
cheese pies). There's also a large section
in the back for wines and liquors, including
flavored vodkas and Armenian brandies.
As you'd expect, the caviar section dis-
plays more varieties of caviar than you'd
think possible. It's certainly not a place
where locals do their shopping unless
they're out to make a splash with a special
dinner party. But despite the high prices,
Russians come here for imported novel-
ties like Italian wines and American soda,
while tourists lay down rubles for souvenir
items like wooden boxes of chocolates,
charmingly lacquered and painted in folk-
art style.
Yeliseyevsky Gastronom has been get-
ting some competition lately from
Gas-
tronom No. 1,
which enjoys the advantage
of a choice location in the GUM shopping
center on Red Square. A re-creation of a
historic market, with marble floors and Art
Deco fixtures, Gastronom No. 1 certainly
offers the expected gourmet treats such
