Someone wrote: > Looking for recommendations in Florence, Lucca, and general Tuscany. Also > any tips on great places in Rome and Venice. Price range: moderate-expensive, > but genuine (not just tourist-trade) food. An Italian guide published by Gambero Rosso evaluates restaurants in three ways: points (food, wine, ambience, service) out of 100 possible, forks (like stars) -- max = 3, and quality-price relationship (-, 0, +). The guide evaluates trattoria only on the quality-price relationship. Firenze: Oliviero (81 points, 2 forks), Cibreo (79 points, 1 fork); (BTW, we ate at Cibreo twice last September and loved it -- bustling place with inventive food and excellent service) Roma: Al Ceppo (80 points, 2 forks), Myosotis (75 points, 1 fork), Papa Baccus (76 points, 1 fork). Venezia: Vini da Gigio (76,+), Da Fiore (78,0 ) [I've eaten there twice; excellent seafood, formal-professional service], Fiaschetteria Toscana (76, 0), Al Covo (77, 0), La Corte Sconta (76,0). The trattoria given a quality-price rating of + include: L'Incontro, Al Milion, and La Zucca. -- Bill Rohwer
Italy