References: Siena (Where we lived and based our travels for 9 months).=20 The best two restaurants in town are undoubtedly Guido and Nello, both around L35,000-L40,000. Guido has the most stunning setting, a set rooms with vaulted ceilings in a 15th-century palazzo in the banking district.=20 Nello, via del Porrione, 28 (across the street from the once hip, but now culinarily defunct Le Logge), is under new management (since Winter 1993-4)= .=20 The son-in-law of the old owner has renovated one of the dining rooms and the entire menu. Here one can taste the specialties of the Cucina Senese a= t the best: ravioli ai fiori di zucca; roast rabbit; an unbelievable tagliat= a di manzo alla rucola, pecorino, ed olio aromatico (my favorite version the fam= ous bistecca fiorentina); the most delicate pasta in Tuscany (made daily on the premises); and an excellent wine list highlighting the best of the Chianti = and Montalcino regions. Nello also features the rare Italian desert wines prod= uced from grapes affected by the Muffa Nobile (known to English speakers as the "Noble Rot") and to enologists as Botrytis, this mold imparts amazing aroma= s, often of rose, to the wine. To accompany it they offer a seasonally varyin= g collection of goat and sheep's milk cheeses, notably a pecorino with little pieces of black truffles inside. The Sienese owner worked abroad for many years and speaks English, a rarity in this town, and can thus advise even Anglophone golosi the best route to culinary bliss. Reservations suggested= .=20 0577/289043 (voice and fax). Guido, though the most traditional in appearance and manner (with cigar smoking still permitted and service by waiters in dinner jackets), has the most daring kitchen. Starting with a foundation of rustic dishes, many bas= ed on game, from the Sienese contado, the chefs at Guido add the spark of international nouvelle cuisine. Sometimes the results are a little strange= , but it generally works. Not a great place for vegetarians; there seems to be a= t least one veggie pasta on the menu each night. The house red is a Chianti Colli Senese from the Chigi Saracini estate. Reservations and coat and tie suggested. Vicolo Pier Pettinaio, 7 (off Banchi di Sopra near the Palazzo = di Tolomei) 0577/280042. For a younger, hipper crowd, and lighter, more innovative food, the newly opened (Fall 1993) Osteria del Fico Mezzo, Via del Termini 71, offers the b= est meals in town for under L20,000. They have prix fixe lunches for L15,000- 17,000 and have abolished that annoying charge for "pane e coperto."=20 Although everything on the menu has ranged from good to very good, don't miss the panna cotta dessert. Half a flight up from the street, the client= ele is dominated by twenty- and thirty-something Senese, a rarity in this town where tourists have overrun most places to eat (with deleterious effects on the kitchen). Handicapped accessible. 0577/222384. We beg to differ with you on several _Rough Guide_ recommendations. La Nuo= va Grotta del Gallo Nero (p. 440) is a tourist trap. The pizza toppings mostl= y come out of a can, and perhaps the wine does, too. Though not terribly expensive, it offers poor value, especially if one is seated in the dank ce= llar.=20 For what you get you might as well take a table on the Campo and at least enjoy the view and fresh air, if not the food. (Another tourist trap to avoid is Trattoria Divo, near the Duomo.) Also, one of my most disappointing meals in Siena was at Osteria Le Logge.= =20 The affable owners are unfortunately resting on their laurels and have give= n up all thought of cooking. The underpaid, untrained kitchen staff turns ou= t the haphazard results you would expect under the circumstances, but the menu prices are as high as the best restaurants in town. The house wine, a big Rosso di Montalcino from the owner's estate, is L18,000 a bottle. It i= s served carelessly, often too cold, and only decanted upon request. If it doesn't "breath" for an hour or two you will taste only tannins; once it do= es breath it is great. The owners, basking in their success, are running more= of a salon for Siena's self-appointed intelligentsia, not a serious restaurant= . We completely agree with you re: La Torre, (p. 440) but will add that a me= nu is posted immediately outside the door, where one can study it before entering. It has the added advantage of being open Sunday nights when most other restaurants are closed. We found Mugolone (p. 440) an altogether pleasant dining experience. The staff are amazingly gracious. The cooking was traditional almost to a faul= t, a little stuck in time. Worth trying if you have more than a couple days in town, but start with Nello and Guido. Another trattoria that is in the same league as Torre is Da Gano via Pantan= eto 146 near the edge of the walled city. Not quite as charming, but the home cooking is sound and well-priced. 0577/221242. About L20,000. The Mensa now costs L11,000 (spring of 1994), and at that price represents poor value.=20 For pizza (a weak point everywhere in Siena) we prefer the friendly staff a= nd student clientele of Videopizzeria on Pantaneto, to the slightly more tacit= urn Carlo e Franca. Besides pizza by the slice, they offer individual pizzas a= nd various pasta dishes for L5,000-7,000. "Babo" Nannini, (father of Gianna and Alessandro) the long-time proprietor = and empire builder behind the Nannini success story retired in the spring of 19= 94.=20 The small chain of cafes, though still owned by the family, is now under outside management. The best place to drink espresso or a cocktail remains the Conca d'Oro branch of Nannini, Banchi di Sopra 24. We noticed no changes except for new livery for Siena's virtuoso baristi, but there was s= ome mumbling in town about a "decline." =20 The Chianti While wandering through the Chianti we were lucky enough to stumble upon Ristorante La Taverna, Enoteca Castello di Vagliagli, via del Sergenete 4/6= , Vagliagli, about 12km north of Siena. A restaurant designed in Heaven, wit= h its German owner and Italian cooks, we had some of the best food in Tuscany matched with the best wines at a great price, about L40,000. In season, we tasted superior cinghiale (wild boar) and a gorgeous array of grilled vegetables and various incarnations of the famed porcini mushroom. The owner can advise in English and German and is to be trusted completely. = =20 Reservations suggested. 0577/322532. Florence. I Fratellini (not Vini I Panini I Fratelli as you have p. 408) is, we agre= e, a superb example of the vinaio. =20 La Mescita (p. 440) is still great. Follow it up with an aromatic espresso= from Robiglio, around the corner at via dei Servi 112r. Alessandro Nannini Coffee Shop, yes the former Formula 1 driver, and scion = of the Siena Nannini has opened his own Caff=8A. Strangely, the ambiance is m= ore like a branch of the Seattle-based Starbucks chain than any cafe in Italy, = but the service is top notch: a little piece of dark chocolate comes with each= cup of espresso. Borgo San Lorenzo 7r. [email removed]
Italy