Our Family Style feast was incredible. We ordered nothing, and ate everything. Pasta, vegetables, meats, cheeses, tomatoes -- each simple dish was more sumptuous than the last, the ingredients fresh and colorful as a box of crayons.

Sandro's Italian comfort food echo the calming effects of the island's Eastern trade winds after a day of manatee-watching, scuba-diving, kitesurfing, paddleboarding or snorkeling.

Manhattan's Little Italy may be the best known, but old-world enclaves bursting with Italian culture can be found across the country.

Peasant recipes focus on simple, fresh ingredients. Key staples in Umbrian cuisine are olive oil, truffles, pasta and meat from lamb, pigeon and pigs.