Guided Italy culinary vacation on sale now

Do you want to experience the “real Italy”? The popular Free Press Top 10 Takeover dining series is going global, building on culture and memories being shared at the dinner table among family and friends. This spring, the Detroit Free Press is looking to capture that feeling and is taking its popular Top 10 Takeover dining series global, heading to Abruzzo, Italy.

Details of Takeover Goes Global: Italy 2023 were announced and the culinary vacation tour package is on sale at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

More:Dinner in Abruzzo

This Italian culinary vacation is based on “the real Italy” as seen in the short documentary “Dinner in Abruzzo: A Journey Home with My Culinary Godfather,” created by former Free Press restaurant critic Mark Kurlyandchik.

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Discover Abruzzo, Italy, is led by metro Detroit celebrity chefs James Rigato of Mabel Gray and Luciano Del Signore of Bacco Ristorante, Bigalora and Pernoi restaurants.

In May, the two chefs will lead the eight-day adventure to central Italy, the place that chef Del Signore’s family calls home.

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There are two dates to choose from: May 7-16 and May 14-23.

Abruzzo is about 31 miles from Rome and is known for its diverse cuisine built on hearty flavors that come from surrounding areas, from the beaches to the mountains. The area features the Adriatic coastline, national parks, mountain ranges, UNESCO heritage sites, medieval towns and more.

Highlights of this culinary adventure include:

• A visit to the home of Chef Luciano’s Uncle Tony and Aunt Lecia for a private tour of their garden, traditional home and private cellar.

• Sunset dinner at Taverna de li Caldora, in the gorgeous village of Pacentro.

• A visit to the ancient town of Scanno, including a hearty lunch in this village surrounded by mountains

• Explore Barrea, a village located in Abruzzo’s National Park overlooking River Sangro.

• Tour of breathtaking Marramierro along with wine tasting, dinner plus a private screening of Mark Kurlyandchik’s film “Dinner in Abruzzo.”

• Experience artisanal beer tasting and dinner at one of Italy’s most respected breweries, Almond 22.

• Walking tour of the town of Chieti, which predates the Romans.

• City tour of Rome, visiting some of the most famous sites, including the Forum and the Coliseum.

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For trip details and to reserve a space for this culinary adventure, go to:  skyvacations.net/dinnerinabruzzo

Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: [email protected]. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Free Press Top 10 Takeover goes global with a culinary vacation to Italy