Umbria Culinaria with Chef Kevin O’Donnell of Giusto Restaurant
October 2-9, 2022

Discover Umbria, known as the Green Heart of Italy, with Chef Kevin O’Donnell. In addition to historic and cultural sites, experience food producers, cooking classes, and fantastic restaurants during this unforgettable tour.

Download Full Itinerary

How to Register for this Culinary Tour

Please download and complete the registration form below, which includes instructions for how to submit the form and deposit to Oldways.

If this trip must be cancelled due to Covid-19, refunds will be issued.

Download Registration Form

What You’ll Love About Your Week in Umbria

Spend 7 days immersed in the food, history, and culture of Umbria with Chef Kevin O’Donnell and Oldways.  

Learn about the foods, wines and ingredients that make the food of Umbria so special. The week will also feature cooking demonstrations with Chef Kevin O’Donnell, guided visits to the spectacular hill towns of Umbria (Assisi, Todi, Deruta, Norcia), and special tastings of wine, truffles, cheese and more!  We’ll be based in the gorgeous city of Perugia, a walkable city with plenty of history.   

On our trips, you don’t just get to taste a fabulous meal—you get the recipes and knowledge to bring these ”old ways” home with you. And in between all the excitement, you’ll have time to shop or take a siesta, and then relax in luxurious hotels at the end of the day!

Day-by-Day in Umbria

Sunday, October 2 Arrive in Perugia and check in at the Brufani Hotel. Take time to unpack and wander around the beautiful city of Perugia. In the evening, meet Chef Kevin O’Donnell, along with our food and wine guide, Alice Rossi, the Oldways staff, and your fellow travelers at a welcome reception, wine tasting, and dinner.
	Monday, October 3 After a breakfast buffet, we’ll leave Perugia for Trevi and a day of truffles. We’ll enjoy a truffle hunt and cooking class, followed by an all-truffle lunch. You’ll have time in the afternoon for free time or an optional walking tour of Perugia, before walking to dinner at Osteria a Priori.
Tuesday, October 4 This is our day in Orvieto, first with a guided tour of the hill town, including the amazingly beautiful Duomo. After some free time for shopping or exploring on your own, we’ll have a cooking class by Chef Kevin, followed by lunch. We’ll return to Perugia after lunch, and you’ll be free to rest, explore, and have dinner on your own, perhaps sharing a meal with new and old friends.
	Wednesday, October 5 Today we’ll drive to nearby Todi, which has been called the most livable town in the world. We’ll have a guided tour of the medieval hill town, and then enjoy lunch at a restaurant with traditional food and spectacular views. We’ll then stop in Deruta, famous for its ceramics, and then return to Perugia. Later in the evening, we’ll walk as a group to dinner at Civico 25.
Thursday, October 6 We’ll head up into the mountains and spend most of the day in the spectacular medieval hill town, Norcia, famous for curing meats. We’ll have a tour and learn about the history of the town, followed by an elegant lunch. We’ll end our time in Norcia with a chocolate stop. Your evening is on your own.
	Friday, October 7 We’ll start the day at the Lungarotti Wine Museum, and then continue to the Lungarotti Winery for a tour and a wine tasting, followed by a cooking class with Chef Kevin and lunch.  After a long day, you will be on your own for dinner.
Saturday, October 8 We’ll visit one of the most famous hill towns of Umbria—Assisi—and have a guided tour of the town and the churches.  The afternoon is free time for exploring and shopping in Perugia, or perhaps packing, before our final dinner in Perugia.
	Sunday, October 9 Arrivederci! Today you will check out, and we’ll help you arrange your transportation to the airport—or, perhaps you will choose to continue your stay in Italy on your own!

See Your Luxury Accomodations

Meet the Chef and Guide You’ll Be Traveling With

Chef Kevin O’Donnell

Our tour is led with Chef Kevin O’Donnell, Chef and Owner of Giusto restaurant in Newport, Rhode Island.

Born and raised in North Kingstown, Kevin got his feet wet in hospitality early on. Starting as a cabana boy at Bonnet Shores Beach Club at just 15, he then worked at a variety of mom and pop spots throughout high school, gaining experience from dishwasher to pizza cook. It wasn’t until he graduated, however, that he truly stepped into the restaurant industry.  

Under the mentorship of Chef Walter Slater at Junction Pizzeria in Wickford, Kevin truly fell in love with cooking and the undeniable adrenaline of the kitchen. While there, Kevin was inspired to enroll in Johnson & Wales’ Continuing Education program which afforded him the chance to intern in Italy—an exciting opportunity to connect with his heritage and explore its cuisine. After four months, he returned home where he met his next mentor—and now-collaborator/Giusto General Manager—Aaron Edwards, and joined him at his new restaurant, Trattoria del Corso, as Chef de Cuisine. Here, Kevin’s love for Italian food blossomed, but after a year was pulled back to Italy. 

For two and a half years, Kevin fully immersed himself in Italian culture and cuisine under Chef Lorenzo Polegri at Ristorante Zeppelin in Orvieto. It’s here that he first experienced the creativity of freestyle, non-traditional Italian cooking, and Kevin credits this time and Polegri’s tutelage with inspiring him to think outside the box while inside the kitchen. 

Back in the States, Kevin cooked at the famed Castle Hill Inn in Newport and then the Michelin-starred Del Posto in New York City. Opportunity again came knocking, and he headed back across the pond, this time to Paris. As Executive Chef, Kevin opened L’Office, a tiny bistro that garnered rave reviews and recognition both locally and internationally for its melding of French and Italian cuisine. 

In 2012, Kevin joined forces with the owners of The Salty Pig in Boston and developed its pasta program. Three years later, the team collaborated on a brand new restaurant concept, and in June 2016 opened SRV with co-chef Michael Lombardi. The Venetian-style Bacaro and wine bar was an immediate success, earning a 4-star review from Boston magazine, James Beard Award nomination, and continued critical acclaim since. 

Now, Kevin returns home with his high school sweetheart, Sarah, and young son to open his first independent restaurant concept in Newport. Giusto is a labor of love where familiar flavors come together in creative ways for a fun dining experience. 

Guide Alice Rossi

My passion is food, and my dream is to share my passion!

I love getting its magic across, whether to experts or to other interested people. I did a degree in Food & Wine Science so that I could turn my passion into a job. After university, I worked for a year (2012-2013) at Barilla Academy, where I was in charge of Gourmet Touring and Taste Education. I organized and publicized tours about Food & Wine and special tastes. My various jobs made me realize how much I love working in close contact with people, so I decided to become a tourist guide and tour leader. This gives me the chance to show off our Food & Wine specialties to Italian and foreign tourists, and to share my emotion and passion!