‘Tucci in Italy' Review: A Gastronomic Grand Tour
Actor Stanley Tucci and his favorite co-star—Italy—are back with the succinctly titled 'Tucci in Italy,' which more than resembles the late, lamented 'Searching for Italy,' the food-centric series canceled by CNN in 2022 in an effort to alienate as many viewers as possible. Give credit to Mr. Tucci: You can't keep a gourmand down.
The new show, in which the actor eats his way across the country of his ancestors while still managing to wear a European-tailored wardrobe, is quite similar to the earlier series (which lasted two seasons). But the perspective, and the menu, has been broadened. Rather than simply exploring the regional distinctions and historical echoes to be found in various strains of Italian cuisine, Mr. Tucci connects Italian technology and industry to the quality of the food (which is really the star of the show). In episode 1 of the five-part series, Mr. Tucci travels to Calvisano, south of Brescia in Lombardy where warm-water runoff from a steel mill is being used to farm-raise sturgeon. Its roe, i.e. caviar, which is illegal if taken in the wild, is harvested in such luxurious quantities it might make one gag. It does not have that effect on Mr. Tucci, who seems inclined to slip out of sight with a tureen-ful of black gold.
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