Verona — Where We Ate & Drank

Verona in September meant opera in a Roman arena—an experience no acoustics snob should skip—and Casa Perbellini's two-star counter as the food peak. The Juliet balcony is a scrum; the wine bars around Piazza Erbe are the actual romance.

Valpolicella and Soave are a twenty-minute drive for the full Veneto day. We ate at 10 restaurants across the city, from white-tablecloth splurges to neighborhood osterias where locals still outnumber tourists.