Giuliano likes Tre Marchetti for the food, too, of course. The cuisine, he says with a fond sigh, epitomizes the Veronese style. The menu is seasonal, with an emphasis on local ingredients as well as local tradition, which makes it typically Italian, too. One dish he mentions is pasta stuffed with celery root, but his students might also be tempted on a given evening by such traditional dishes as baby squid with tomatoes, or clove-and-nutmeg-seasoned Cotechino sausage with polenta, or maybe just something the kitchen whips up with local mushrooms and truffles.

Back at his home in Sarasota, I’m taking one last look around before saying goodbye to my quietly charming host. Giuliano has graciously allowed me more than an hour of his time, even though he’s trying to get himself and his family ready to leave for Verona in a few days. He’s also on deadline for a magazine article he’s writing, and he’s been besieged with interview requests following announcement of his selection as IACP Cooking Teacher of the Year.

I’m invited to enjoy a cool drink before going, but I don’t want to wear out my welcome. On my way to the front door, my eye is caught by the serenely traditional straight-line chandelier over the minimalist glass and steel dining table. (The center glass expansion leaf is no more, he says, having exploded one day for no good reason, fortunately at a time when no one was in the room.) I can’t resist asking him about the fixture, even though I know he must be eager to check another chore off his list.

He shows no sign of impatience, instead joining me in my enthusiasm for the delicate painted silk shades suspended from a long, subtly multicolored, worked-iron bar. It’s from Venice, a city he’s fond of, from the studio of Fortuny, who designed the original in the early 20th century. This one is a reproduction, of course, he says in his self-effacing way. Still, he clearly enjoys taking the time to appreciate it, even if he does have a million other things to do.

I thank Giuliano for his hospitality and finally get out the door. As I walk to my car, parked in the shade of a towering oak, three bite-size nuggets of advice from the maestro revolve in my mind like a mantra for chronically overscheduled Americans: Simplify. Savor. Slow down.

Bradenton’s John Bancroft, food and wine editor of Sarasota Magazine, is a former food and wine editor for Arizona Trend and has reviewed restaurants, books, movies and music for many other magazines and newspapers, most recently the St. Petersburg Times.

Hazan’s Favorite Italian Restaurants

Cavallino Bianco, Polesine Parmense (PR), tel: +39 0524-96136. This is the spot to savor Italy's most prestigious ham, Culatello di Zibello, made by the great-grandson of the man who used to make it for Giuseppe Verdi.  At Cavallino Bianco almost everything served has been raised or grown at their adjacent farm the same way it has been for over 600 years.

Groto de Corgnan, Sant'Ambrogio, (VR), tel: +39 045-7731372. At Giorgio Soave's restaurant you will experience the typical cuisine of Valpolicella at its finest. Accompany it with a bottle of local wine producer Allegrini's luscious Amarone.

Da Fiore, Venice, tel: +39 041-7211308. The fish that owner Maurizio Martin selects each day at the market is always incredibly fresh. His wife, Mara, then expertly and innovatively prepares it for you.

Fiaschetteria Toscana, Venice, tel: +39 041-5285281. Don't be confused by the name. This is where to go for the best authentic Venetian cuisine. The fritto misto is poetic, and owner Mariuccia's desserts are not to be missed.

Ristorante Gallura, Olbia, Sardinia, tel: +39 0789-24648. For an exquisite meal in Sardinia, let the very talented Rita d'Enza guide you through an unforgettable series of Sardinian delicacies.

U Giancu, San Massimo outside Rapallo (GE), tel: +39 0185-260505. This unique restaurant will not only delight your palate with its fantastic genuine Ligurian cuisine, but your eyes as well with an extraordinary collection of original cartoons. If you look carefully you will find Sarasota resident Chris Browne's Hagar the Horrible.