Recently returned from a serious dining tour of Venice, Florence, Coastal Tuscany (Punta Ala, near Elba), Umbria, and Rome. THOUGHTS IN GENERAL Eating in Europe is no longer a bargain but Italy is cheap compared to other EC countries Europeans are flocking to Italy, and many places are as busy as they've been in years Italian politics and bureaucracy are still chaotic but seemingly improving HIGHLIGHTS (ROME) RISTORANTE GIRARROSTO TOSCANA One of our best meals was in this Tuscan-oriented restaurant in Rome. It also had the most surely service. IT WAS SO GOOD, THEY COULD BE OBNOXIOUS. Great bread, perfect bistecca Fiorentina, and a huge wine list where the waiters retrieve your selection with long giant pincers; the entire restaurant is lined with several wine shelves about two feet above your head. I don't think they'd allow that here in earthquake country, but it's an impressive sight. (ROME) EDEN HOTEL I wouldn't spring for a meal here, but the view from the rooftop piano bar is worth a $10 bellini. (FLORENCE) TRATTORIA LA GARGA The most innovative food we had. Pasta with citrus-based sauces; room temp soups with ovoli, Tuscany's version of white truffles. While the menu itself was a blurry photocopy, the helpful, informed service by long-haired, t-shirted multi-lingual waiters made our meal a delight. Excellent, unusual Tuscan food in a unique interior setting. (FLORENCE) TRATTORIA SOSTANZA The ne plus ultra (for us) of Tuscan trattorias. Group-table seating, so expect to meet some new dining companions. Best tomato soup (pappa pomodoro), sizzling chicken in butter, and meringue cake in the world. Only downside is choices are slim - but who would go here to have anything other than what Sostanza's putting out of the minuscule kitchen ? Check it out, it's in the back. You won't believe how small it is. (PUNTA ALA) LO SCOLINO Best Italian seafood restaurant I've ever been to. Since it's all fresh, the actual fish you order depends on how much you want. Got questions ? The owner - a dead ringer for Gene Hackman -- will bring a couple of still-flopping choices out for you to choose. Watch out tho -- for seafood in Italy they generally charge by weight so a big fish = big $. (VENICE) MONACO HOTEL AND GRAND CANAL A block from the Piazza San Marco, this was the lodging find of the trip. We didn't eat at the restaurant that faced the Canal San Marco (very popular among Venetians and reputedly excellent for authentic regional food), but this beautiful old hotel is a bargain compared to the nearby Danieli or Cipriani -- with better service and nicer rooms. (UMBRIA) LE TRE VASELLE Owned by Lungarotti, the region's dominant winery, this quiet, understated ristorante in Torgiano was the consensus favorite. Remarkable, fresh Umbrian food featuring wild vegetation and game. Paired with a vast array Lungarotti's wine offerings (20 (!) Rubesco Riservas to choose from), this meal alone was worth the trip. (My recommendation would be to stay the night at the hotel that houses the restaurant, and the next day visit the town of Deruta, the ceramic capital of Italy, which is no more than 10 kilometers away.)
Italy