Magnar ben
Culinary traditions from the Alps to the Adriatic
Everything from the depths of the sea to the highest mountaintop is encompassed in the region consisting of Central Europe and the Mediterranean, better known as the Alps-Adriatic region. Through the centuries this unique territory has connected various nations - Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia as well as some parts of Germany and Hungary. Also unique are the different cuisines and the wining and dining influences of each of those nations. Despite engaging innumerable times in war throughout the ages, they have always managed to reconcile their differences, usually with the help of good food and wine. A true example is Istrian cuisine, whose traditional form has been shaped by many influences.
Good food and wine are the main focus of the prestigious Italian food and wine guide Magnar Ben, first published in 1994. Year after year it recommends eating establishments and wines from the Italian regions of Lombardia, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Trentino Alto Adige, as well as from parts of Austria and Slovenia, and from Istria.
The guide’s 750 pages recommend some 400 eating establishments where gourmets can experience not only the traditional and authentic flavours of the region in which they are staying, but can also discover how their own country has influenced the cuisine of their host. The best of the best is chosen by a team of Italian wine and food journalists and tasters. Full of practical tips and advice, the guide mainly targets readers and gourmets from Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia and Croatia.
In this extensive gourmet guide that has flourished under the guidance of its main editor Maurizio Potočnik, readers can find descriptions of restaurants, konobas and enoteche along with a list of their specialties. Each restaurant is graded for the quality of its cuisine and wine list, and approximate menu prices are listed. Restaurant descriptions focus on the type of cuisine offered: traditional, modern or perhaps “designer” cuisine. Providing a list of over two hundred wine labels that are worth trying, Mangar Ben only confirms the fact that you can't have good food without good wine.
» Istria in gourmet guides
» His Majesty the Truffle of Istria
