Buon Italia

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For anyone who has ever lugged a carry-on bag full of exotic-looking cans and jars back from a trip to Italy, Buonitalia will be a back-saving godsend. You'll want to take your time weaving through the stacked crates packed with more than a dozen imported olive oils, 20 vinegars ranging from balsamic to ten-year-old sherry and more tinned fish than you can shake a sardine key at. Pastas are sold three ways: frozen homemade ravioli as simple as pumpkin and complex as smoked trout and ricotta; fresh egg pappardelle and fettuccini; and the most interesting: imported dried artisanal pastas in regional shapes you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. The dairy case boasts three different sizes of fresh buffalo mozzarellas, a divinely aged robiola so ripe it's secured to a block of wood for stability and an organic spring milk Parmigiano, all at prices even your Uncle Vinnie would like. The deli has all the usual salami, imported and domestic, as well as succulent fresh roasted porchetta. More prepared food can be had at the front of the store, where cases hold vegetable antipasti, pasta dishes and more roast meats. The only problem? Getting that seven-pound jar of Nutella home without needing a visit to the chiropractor.

Extra

A traditional Italian coffee bar is attached to the store, for nostalgic travelers looking to replicate the macchiato they had in Cortona's main piazza.

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