Restaurants in Italy

Carla V. wrote:
>Hi - I'll be visiting Florence, Rome and CApri in June, traveling on a tight
>budget! Any good recommendations for restaurants in any of those cities?

In Florence, try the "back room" part of IL CIBREO.  You'll sit at a table with strangers in a very friendly environment where natives go for outstanding regional dishes.  They didn't even have a written menu, as I recall--the server recites the offerings.  (That in itself was pretty funny because I couldn't understand some of the dishes.  Finally the waitress pointed to her tongue.  Aha!  A tongue custard!  Anything that wierd I've GOT to try. And ooooooooh, was it ever wonderful.)  Anyway, IL CIBREO has a very expensive front room that serves the same wonderful dishes but in a much more elegant setting.  And don't get me wrong, we like elegant settings, but we'll go to the back room instead, thank you very much.

BTW--this was back in '90 or so.  I'd LOVE to heard an update...

Sandy Grossmann        [email removed]

Carla V. wrote:
>X-Posting-Software: UnixBBS 1.02a S/N 095921
>
>Hi - I'll be visiting Florence, Rome and CApri in June, traveling on a tight
>budget! Any good recommendations for restaurants in any of those cities?
>Don't mind if they are little dives, as long as they serve great food - the
>other consideration is places that will be fun for a single traveler, I
>don't mean ``singles scene'' I mean places where a single girl can sit,
>watch the crowds go by and not seem too out of place. (A pinch or two
>doesn't matter). Ciao...
>
        Hi.  Well.  I lived in Italy for 3 years, in the South (Puglia) and
travelled extensively.  I am not trying to be critical of the Italians, I am merely stating fact, but: YOU WILL NOT get the best service in ANY Italian restaurant as a lone woman.  [Unless of course you have three months of dinners at one place to build a relationship!].  We are talking about a country in which they REFUSE to bring the bill to a husband and wife team if the wife asks for the bill.  The man must pay, and the man must ask.
        NEVERTHELESS.  My first suggestion is, that when you get tempted--and
you will be tempted--to go out for an expensive meal to find a hotel mate or another travelling friend [of either sex] to accompany you.  Otherwise, I do not remember Florence well.  In Rome eat on the "Trastevere" or in the Jewish section.  Capri: well, you tend to get touristy here, and prices are almost consistently high. However,it is difficult to get bad food anywhere in Italy.
        AND, don't forget:  a meal in Italy is usually at least 3 courses.
Antipasto, pasta, main course.  The meat comes without a side dish, which is ordered spearately.  Fixed price meals are usually a great deal.  There is a cover charge for sitting down (coperto) and all restaurants and outdoor cafes. To a European--and they're right!--good service is a knowledgeable waiter who comes around when he needs to bring food, but otherwise does not bother you. This means you are allowed to sit and savor as long as you wish; the bill will not be brought unless it is asked for.  No "hello my name is Lucia and I'll be your server/best buddy/confidant garbage here!"
        MANGIA BENE.  You are going to the land of figs and wine. I envy you,
even if--just sometimes--cultural differences can make a meal kind of unpleasant. And, for heaven's sake: do not embarass yourself by asking for parmesan when it is not automatically brought to you with your pasta: this means that the Italians do not use it on that particular dish: they will "flame" you for doing so!!!  NEVER put parmesan on a fish based pasta.  For this, they will throw you out of the city!!! What fun!!! (If we cooked like they do, we'd get picky about things, too!) Ciao. Elizabeth

>>Hi - I'll be visiting Florence, Rome and CApri in June, traveling on a tight
>>budget! Any good recommendations for restaurants in any of those cities?
>>Don't mind if they are little dives, as long as they serve great food - the
>>other consideration is places that will be fun for a single traveler, I
>>don't mean ``singles scene'' I mean places where a single girl can sit,
>>watch the crowds go by and not seem too out of place. (A pinch or two
>>doesn't matter). Ciao...

I can recommend without reservation (and without reservations!) Trattoria Buzzino, near the Bargello. Two local Florentine dishes you shouldn't miss: "arista di maiale" or just "arista", a pork roast which is delicious with the local bean recipe, "fagioli alla fiasco"; and the most wonderful pasta dish I have ever had, "paglia e fieno" (literally "straw and hay").

The best paglia e fieno I had was at an open-air pizzeria near Santa Croce which serves German beer, draft (email me and I'll get the name).

My wife's favorite spot was another small casual trattoria, near Santa Maria Novella (the main rail station), by the name of "Enzo e Piero".

And if cost is the primary driver (or even if it isn't), there's a fellow named Virgilio Pagliai under whose auspices a *huge* noon meal is served in the southwest corner of the Piazza Santississima Annunziata, next to the entrance to the Loggiato dei Serviti (a rather upscale hotel). You should be hungry when you go; you will NOT be hungry when you leave; you will have been set back no more than $10 (unless things have *really* changed); and you will have had a delightfully dignified meal among the street people of Florence, graciously served by a smiling, happy waitstaff. My tourist Italian was sufficient here.

I don't know whether she'll be there in June, but inquire at the American church (Sunday morning is your best bet; at other times, ironically, it may be hard to find someone who speaks English) as to whether Nancy Radke is in town. For some years she has been running a cooking school in the basement of the church, officially as part of Syracuse University's summer-in-Italy program, but also admitting visitors who are willing to roll up their sleeves and help. Another wonderful meal for moderate outlay.

Don't worry about being pinched in Florence, but learn this phrase to repeat to German tourists asking directions: "Ich spreche kein Deutsch" (unless, of course, you do).

And be sure to stop by the Caffe San Marco for espresso, gelato, and local color.

In article , [email removed] (Jill
M. M. writes:
|> Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
|> Lines: 8
|> Message-ID:
|> NNTP-Posting-Host: firefly.prairienet.org
|>
|>
|> We are going to Italy in October.  Can anyone recommend good,
|> inexpensive restaurants in Rome, Florence, Venice, or Milan?

When travelling in Italy four years ago, I made use of the Rough Guide, and found that there restaurant recommendations were quite good and definately inexpensive.  They tend to direct you at inexpensive places that cater to the locals.

Also, I fear that this may not be helpful, but I had one of my most memorable, inexpensive meal at a trattoria in Fiesole (a town in the hills overlooking Florence).

I was staying at the IYH hostel in Florence (an attractive villa, slightly up in the hills), and as one of the people working there to recommend a place to eat.  They sent me (and a friend) about .5 miles up a road into the hills in search of a trattoria.  When we arrived, we found everything in the very little town closed on Wednesdays.  So, we hopped a local bus (actually one that passed just near the hostel) that was going from Florence to Fiesole.  At the last stop of the bus, we got out and starting looking around.  To our left side, was somewhat of a view overlooking Florence.  There were a number of expensive looking, view oriented restaurants.  We kept searching, and on the opposite side of the street found a trattoria, actually slightly below street level.  This was only a couple of blocks (at most) from the bus stop.  Inside, we found a lively place with long wooden tables.  We also found a helpful (maybe slightly tipsy) middle aged local couple who decided to help us order our mean.  Making sure to hit some of the local specialties.

I especially enjoyed the calimari wrapped in spinach and a pasta dish that esentially break crumbs in a tomato sauce.  My friend ordered the tripe. A full meal here (pasta, main course, wine, dessert, coffee) was about $20  Fiesole (a town in the hills overlooking Florence).

I was staying at the IYH hostel in Florence (an attractive villa, slightly up in the hills), and as one of the people working there to recommend a place to eat.  They sent me (and a friend) about .5 miles up a road into the hills in search of a trattoria.  When we arrived, we found everything in the very little town closed on Wednesdays.  So, we hopped a local bus (actually one that passed just near the hostel) that was going from Florence to Fiesole.  At the last stop of the bus, we got out and starting looking around.  To our left side, was somewhat of a view overlooking Florence.  There were a number of expensive looking, view oriented restaurants.  We kept searching, and on the opposite side of the street found a trattoria, actually slightly below street level.  This was only a couple of blocks (at most) from the bus stop.  Inside, we found a lively place with long wooden tables.  We also found a helpful (maybe slightly tipsy) middle aged local couple who decided to help us order our mean.  Making sure to hit some of the local specialties.

I especially enjoyed the calimari wrapped in spinach and a pasta dish that esentially break crumbs in a tomato sauce.  My friend ordered the tripe. A full meal here (pasta, main course, wine, dessert, coffee) was about $20(US).  This was similar to the price range of the places listed in the Rough Guide.

-john

|>
|> Please reply to [email removed]
|>
|> Thanks!
|> --

Jill:  While in Rome we ate at a small family run restaurant called il Varesino directly accross the street from Hotel Venezia on via Varese 16. This is 3 blocks east of Stazione Termini in a nice neighborhood.  The food is Abbruzzese style and is the restaurant is frequented by native Italians.  Try the penne arrabiata and wash it down with a grappa.

Larry