I was that kid who said she’d move to Italy one day …
20 years later, here I am, a Rome-based food and beverage writer, culinary guide, and cookbook author.
Growing up in Italy's unofficial 21st region (New Jersey) with parents who met in the restaurant business, I always felt like food was written deep in my DNA.
I worked at restaurants in college, studied wine after graduation, and even earned a Master's in Italian gastronomic culture (sounds made up, but it's totally a thing).
Why Rome?
It’s the place that’s always had my heart (and my stomach). But my tours, books, and travel writing take me all over Italy, telling the stories of the farmers, bakers, winemakers, chefs, and home cooks at the center of it all.
To date, I’ve written, edited, or contributed to more than 35 books (7 of them cookbooks), including Food of the Italian South, the New York Times bestseller The Joy of Pizza, and Food of the Italian Islands (pre-order now).
Find Me Writing About Food In:
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Katie Parla is without peer when it comes to cataloguing, eating, writing, and cooking about the foods of Italy. I’m biased. She’s my friend and colleague, and for years she has shown me the Italy of my dreams, in her books and just hopping in the car and taking off on the autostrada. As Katie says, ‘this is a calling,’ a duty for her to make sure these little culinary corners of her beloved Italy are revealed to us.
Andrew Zimmern
In Rome? Let's grab a bite!
Discover tucked away wine bars, bakeries, markets, and gelato shops you can't find in a guidebook, and graze through Roma with me. One delicious bite at a time.
300+ 5-star reviews on tripadvisor
"We had the pleasure of being guided on a special culinary experience by Katie. The market, the pizza shop and the fabulous food and breads made me want to move to Rome and dine with Katie every day."