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February 23, 2012

…Among my favorite new friends is Wanda Radetti, an enthusiastic advocate of travel to her homeland, the 1,185 islands that make up Croatia. Her New York-based company, Tasteful Croatian Journeys, is deliberately small and clearly focused. She will have your clients meet the lamplighter in Zagreb’s Old Town and she can score tickets for the Grand Masked Ball in Rijeka held each year during Carnival…

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October 2011

With the same Mediterranean climate as parts of Italy and France—but relatively less developed and more wallet-friendly—Croatia’s Istria peninsula is attracting winemakers and chefs who aren’t afraid of taking chances. Base yourself at a vineyard like that of upscale producer Meneghetti, and set out to try lush red Terans and fruity Malvasia whites and indulge in everything from pasta to ice cream topped with shaved truffles. NYC-based Wanda Radetti ofTasteful Croatian Journeys plans itineraries that might include meetings with winemakers, a slow-food meal in a converted olive press, visits to hilltop towns, and a personal driver and guide…

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June 23, 2010

Like many destinations in transition, Croatia inspires plenty of misconceptions in the minds of would-be visitors. According to Wanda Radetti, owner of Tasteful Croatian Journeys in New York, clients often express anxiety about the safety of the destination, the quality of food and accommodations and the ability of locals to speak English. The good news, Radetti said, is that agents can give an unequivocal thumbs-up on all counts.

“The level of sophistication [in terms of the tourism infrastructure] is misconstrued,” said Radetti, whose boutique company operates as a tour operator and supplier specializing in Croatia…

…An ideal 10-day itinerary for first-timers could start in Dubrovnik, for example, with an overnight in a hotel overlooking the Dubrovnik Riviera; a private, guided three-hour tour of the walled old city; and a day trip to neighboring country Montenegro, which Radetti said is fascinating but not quite ready for its close-up in terms of overnight stays…

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July 14, 2007

…Visit Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast after August’s tourist onslaught. As native Wanda Radetti, Condé Nast Traveler’s 2006 top destination specialist for the country, urges, “You want to hear your own footsteps reverberate on the cobblestones.” Ms. Radetti’s New York-based agency, Tasteful Croatian Journeys, provides customized itineraries, chauffeurs and guides for trips through one of the most pristine areas of the continent, where the luxury travel market is still growing…

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January 22, 2006

Ms. Bastianich and her daughter Tanya, an art historian, offer custom trips to the region through their travel company Esperienze Italiane. But she also recommends Tasteful Journeys, a boutique luxury tour company founded by friend and fellow Istrian, Wanda Radetti.

Istria, Ms. Radetti says, is a rich “mosaic of Roman, Germanic and Slavic heritage, history and ingredients which produces exciting culinary results.” In 2006 she plans to organize at least one trip to Istria with Milan Licul, a native of Labin who is the owner of two New York restaurants, Arno and Delmonico’s. “Much of what you’ll eat in Istria is produced within a 10-mile radius”, says Ms. Radetti. “There’s a man with a restaurant called Kukuriku in Kastav. Everything he cooks is from the area: the honey, the cheese, the mushrooms — and the lamb is from a nearby island where they feed on fresh herbs and the saltiness of the sea”…

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October 2, 2002

…When we arrived one night, we walked through a private party and made our way downstairs to the cozy cellar dining room. There we met Wanda Radetti, who leads tours of Istria. Ms. Radetti, who said she was in the same refugee camp as Mrs. Bastianich after World War II, lives around the corner from the club and is a regular.
The clubs, she said, are “our reaction to adversity.” She continued: “We party, eat, drink and dance. When we come here, it’s like coming home. It’s the family some people don’t have here.”

…Ms. Radetti asked one of the chefs, Jasna Pusec, whether she had made any strudel that night. Alas, she had not, but we were more than content with the palacinka.

…Ms. Radetti was dancing up a storm. She looked as if she did not have a care in the world. “Here, somebody will always care how you are”, she said…