Eating in Italy

I'm going to Italy next week (Rome, Sienna, Florence, and Milan). I've been told the food is great in general, but by chance does anyone have some favorites to recommend?

Also, any wineries you like would be great.

Thanks!

Have you tried searching for the names of the cities you're visiting. There are a number of Italy travelogues on this site and a ton of little bits of italy food-travel info.

I did a lot of research on this site before my trip there last year. I know that I dug up quite a bit of info not only about where to eat but what dishes to look for in particular cities from posters like Seth Zurer, Antonius, Bill/SFNM, Dmnkly, Choey and Mike G.

Best,
Michael

*including one I wrote that has some Florence and Rome recs.

There are a number of LTH posters who have done excellent trip reports that you can search. Indeed, that's what I did before a November 2007 trip, so here are some recommendations I can share:

Rome:

Ristorante Sant' Eustachio
Piazza Sant' Eustachio
Close to the Pantheon, we had a nice dinner here. Highly recommend the Carcioffi alla Giudea (artichoke roasted under a brick)

Ristorante dal Toscano
Via Germanico
I remember the excellent prosciutto - I must have eaten a pound of it - and every entree we had was very good. Not too pricey, comparatively speaking, for Rome and a nice atmosphere.

Cave di Sant Ignazio
Piazza S'Ignazio
Close to Pantheon - we found out about this place from an LTH post and loved the antipasti. In fact, that's all we had, with a bottle of their house wine and it was a delicious lunch!

Florence:

Leo in Santa Croce
near the Piazza San Croce and San Croce church
(I think near Borgo di Greci, but could be mistaken)
Veyr nice atmosphere and good wine selection. I was a little put off by the prices for the quality of the food, though.

Trattoria dei Tredici Gobbi (13 Gobbi)
Via del Porcellana, 9R
Based on another LTH-er recommendation, we had dinner here and it was our absolute favorite in Florence. No overly expensive but not inexpensive iether.ot super pricey, either. I had a pasta dish with slices of steak that I still dream about. They didn't have paper copies of the menu for us to take with us and I didn't have a pen to write with, so...

Trattoria Buzzino
Via dei Leoni
We went to see the Palazzo Vecchio and this is very near to it. Based on another LTH-er recommendation we went here for lunch. Very good bruschetta and crostini. Bride had the Penne alla Arrabiatta and it was spot on - a creamy sauce version like we'd only had in Lucca before.


Siena:

You MUST try the panforte di Siena when in town. I tried to find the receipt from the place I bought a slice so I could share name and address, but I can't find it. This honey-nut concotion is dense like a fruitcake and tastes delicious! I bought a big slice (they sell it by the slice - like fromageries in Paris) and enjoyed it with my breakfast espresso for three days!

San Gimignano:

If you're going to Siena and Florence, San Gimignano is a wonderful day-trip if you can squeeze it in. It's a medieval city filled with towers and makes for a very enjoyable walking, people-watching and shopping experience. There is an upstairs restaurant on the Piazza di Cisterna that offers excellent local fare and wonderful views of the rooftops of the town and coutnryside beyond. Also - I had the absolute best pistachio gelato in a little place on the opposite side of the Piazza di Cisterna. Cannot recall the name but it had a sign above the door proclaiming "Voted the best gelato in 2006" - and in truth it was the best I had - even better than the little place near The Vatican that boasts having the best gelato in all of Italy.

Sorry I can't be more specific. Have a great trip!

Davooda

I posted here on our week in Rome last November.

We were in Italy last year and had great meals in Florence.

Aqua al Due is know for their Bistecca. Don't order separate dishes. Get a tasting menu for 2. Make sure to have the balsamic sauce with your steak.

Antico Noe is a tiny place serving whatever is fresh for the day. Great grilled artichokes, pasta with porcinis, and bistecca of course!

Il Giostra has very good fish and a great atmosphere. The owner wanders around and is quite a character.

Osteria di Benci had wonderful pasta with ricotta.

Some casual places for lunch are Caruso's, for great pizza, and Mario's. I had an excellent tagliatelle with boar.

Thanks everyone, both for your recommendations and the pointers to the previous posts. I'll be sure to post pics once I get back.

Italy is actually the tip of the iceberg as from there I go to Zurich, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and Athens.

JohnnyConatus

If you check my post on Bohemian Europe from 2 years ago, I have suggestions for Vienna, Prague, and Budapest. You will have a great time.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=9628&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=bohemian+europe&start=0