There’s no shortage of food travel shows, but few have found their groove quite like Stanley Tucci. The actor-turned-cultural translator has become a kind of internet-approved food dad: stylish, unbothered, and genuinely interested in what’s on the plate—and who put it there.
In Tucci in Italy, premiering May 18 on National Geographic, he digs deeper than ever into the relationship between food, place, and identity. It’s not about chasing viral dishes or dressing dinner up with overly curated aesthetics. In a moment when a lot of food content leans into soft-focus aspiration—perfect pantries, slow-pour olive oil, and Nara Smith-style serenity—Tucci’s approach is refreshingly direct. He’s not selling a lifestyle. He’s honoring a lineage.
At a time when food shows either lean into chaos (cue the competitions) or aspirational living, Tucci in Italy lands in a quieter, more grounded space. It’s not about spectacle—it’s about story. And in 2025, that feels like the reset we didn’t know we needed. Tucci doesn’t just visit cities—he traces the emotional and historical imprint of each dish, anchoring it in lived experience. It’s the rare show that satisfies our craving for context as much as our appetite for pasta.
With over 1.3 million Instagram followers and a top 20 ranking on YouGov’s list of America’s most popular actors, Tucci brings more than charm to the table—he brings trust, taste, and an audience ready to follow him anywhere.
Tucci In Italy
The five-episode series follows Tucci across Tuscany, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Abruzzo, and Lazio. Produced by Tucci’s SALT Productions alongside BBC Studios, the series skips the surface-level foodie tour and opts for something more personal.
In Tuscany, where Tucci once lived as a teenager, he samples an unexpected local breakfast, rides out with traditional cowboys, and joins a grand Sienese feast that captures the spirit of the region.
In Lombardy, he explores Italy’s industrial engine through a culinary lens—tasting futuristic farm-to-table menus, investigating one of the world’s most expensive ingredients, and dining at a rest stop that’s anything but average.
Trentino-Alto Adige takes Tucci into new territory: skiing down Alpine slopes, fly fishing glacial rivers, and eating slope-side polenta in a region where Italian and German identities blend in the kitchen.
Abruzzo is rugged and surprising. It’s Tucci’s first time there, and he leans into the wildness—grilling mutton in sheep country, sharing Sunday lunch with a French twist, and tracing the sugary roots of Italy’s iconic confetti almonds.
Finally, in Lazio, Tucci steps outside of Rome to explore the region’s rural soul. He tries porchetta from Ariccia, rustic fish soup, and a springtime lamb dish that speaks to a deeper connection between simplicity and seasonality.
Executive producers Stanley Tucci and Lottie Birmingham (SALT Productions), Amanda Lyon and Ben Jessop (BBC Studios), and the National Geographic team back a show that doesn’t just travel—it listens.
Tucci in Italy isn’t food TV to escape with; it’s food TV that brings you home. The series premieres May 18 at 8/7c on National Geographic, with episodes streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.