Le Gramole, Genova

I asked Francesca if she might write something about the beautiful shop, Le Gramole, the shop that she owns with her friend, Norma, in Genova It's a delicious little shop, little in that special way that ancient Italian city does little ... and it is packed full of the most delicious Italian food I've ever seen.  And she did: 

If someone asked to Norma and I to describe our shop, I think the first thing we might say is that, “This is not a normal shop”.

We started this adventure in July 2006, opening our shop in Macelli di Soziglia, a little street in the middle of Genova's historical centre.

You should know ...if you really want to be a Genoese, you must call the little streets “caruggi” or, more elegantly, “vicoli”. This is the name for the narrow streets that criss-cross other streets, like a maze, until you become lost in a feeling of traveling back in time via them.

You have to give Genova more than one day because it is not like all the other historical cities, where history is immediately in front of you. Genova is reserved, discreet, it's not showy. It needs to be discovered slowly, You have to wander without worrying about time (better still, leave your watch at home) and walk without looking only in front of you…please turn your face to the sky and discover the magnificent old palaces and their paintings.  The old city really is an outdoor museum.

And it is deep in the heart of this special city that Norma and I have chosen to open our shop.

Why do we say that this is an adventure ? When we started we were leaving our jobs for something unknown.  We knew we wanted to build something that made us happy. And it is this search for happiness, this passion for our products, that we would like to share with all the people who visit our shop.

Each product, be it pasta, olive oil, pesto, cheese, sauces or wine, has been tasted by us. This is the only way we be sure of truly advising you. We travel around Italy searching for the local products that bring excellence to your table. This is our passion !!!!

We have one inflexible rule : Quality Without Chemistry !!  We are proud of the fact that our products never contain preservatives or anything unnatural.

At this point if you may be thinking that I have explained everything however ... not quite.  We don't just want a shop full of the best products, a place where people can find that particular food they are searching for ... we also want to welcome people, to encourage them to stay awhile to discuss recipes, to chat, to network, to meet other like-minded souls.

You see, our dream is that our shop is something more than just a place to buy products, that it is a place where people meet people, then stay awhile.  And it's happening already ... so often, while people are talking, I look at Norma and I say “This is not a normal shop”!!

You can find them at: Via dei Macelli di Soziglia al 69 rosso, Genova.