During the festivities, be sure to munch on many of the local delicacies. Veneto was the birthplace of tiramisu (below). It's a dessert created by dipping savoiardi (ladyfingers) into espresso and layering them with mascarpone cheese and zabaglione. Another option is dunking freshly-made biscuits (bussolai or baicoli) in Malvasia wine.

For lunch, consider a few resident favorites including slices of Sopressa Vincenina with Asiago or Grana Padano cheese. Wash it down with the regional Soave wine. Dinner options are numerous as the city is filled with some of the best Northern Italian restaurants. Grand Canal Restaurant or Al Covo are the right choices for those looking for the best of the best.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO WITH LEEKS

2 pounds butternut squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cups chicken broth

2 leeks thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine (or the white wine you are serving)

1 tablespoon fresh sage - chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Grana Padano

Crisp, crumbled bacon as a garnish

There is much more to Italian food that pizza and pasta. Traveling with a guide means that you don't end up in the touristy restaurants that never represent real Cucina Italiana anyway. North of Rome a traditional dish may be pork, sausage packed in a pig's leg, smothered in lentils, or turkey stuffed with chestnuts. Northern Italian cuisine (other than on the coast) favors butter, cream, polenta, Mascarpone, Grana Padano, and Parmigiano cheeses, risotto and fresh egg pasta. Southern Italian cuisine also makes greater use of the ubiquitous tomato.