The Trattorias of Rome, Florence, and Venice

Finding a good restaurant that is also a good value isperhaps more difficult in Venice than any other major Italiancity. Over the years we have come to grief with Michelin andwith Gambero Rosso more often in Venezia than anywhere elsein Italy. It is thus with real delight that we can report agastronomically flawless stay in La Serenissima, thanks toMaureen Fant's recent guide, which combines a wealth of practicaldining advice with engaging gossip about one's hosts. If youfeel you need a friend in Venice to dine there with confidence- look no further!

We tried a number of recommended places and all were great. The recommended dishes were also great. A must have if you love to eat!

Last year, my husband and I went to Italy on our honeymoon and half of the meals we ate were good using Frommer's and Eyewitness so when we went this year, September 2001 I was determined to make all the meals GREAT. With the help of this book I did. In Rome, we went to four restaurants, all were excellent, Trattoria Claudio al Pantheon (twice), Cul de Sac (a wine bar with light meals) around the corner from the Piazza Navona, a restaurant on the Campo dei Fiori Plaza, Nino's by the Spanish steps and an Enoteca by the Italian Parliment. In Florence, we went to Da Guido's and Trattoria Antellesi (sp.?) by the train station. This book was a MUCH more reliable source than any of our guide books and a fun read, Fant is rather opinionated, but so am I. If you are a foodie like me you won't pass this up, I just wish she'd do a book on more cities, Milan, parts of Tuscany etc. My only advice is to call the restaurants in Rome first, if you want to go for lunch. Even in Septmeber, we found that some Roman restaurants around the Pantheon listed in the book were closed for lunch. Fant does include a list of restaurants open on Sunday and Monday, which is very useful because lots of restaurants are closed on those days.Regardless, everywhere we went was excellent and Fant gives you tips on what to order, which were very helpful. ...Bon Appetit!

This book is terrific! I frequently travel to Italy and have tried a number of the trattorias reviewed in this book. I find Ms. Fant's reviews not only dead on target, but full of details that greatly enrich my appreciation of places I thought I knew. With this book as a new guide I am more eager than ever to try many restaurants in Italy that I had never heard of, or had never made it to on previous visits. The book is really much more than the usual restaurant guide. It provides so much more information about the people, the culture, and the history of specific restaurants and of the cuisines of the regions it covers! Ms. Fant obviously loves her subject, and she combines her passion with a scholar's eye for detail and -- a real bonus -- with a lively, engaging, often amusing style of writing that makes her passions infectious. She gives us rare insights into the heart of what many of us consider the world's greatest cuisine, how it got that way, and how it may now be evolving. This book can serve many kinds of readers: For those planning a visit to Italy, it provides an entertaining and informative introduction to regional eating customs and specialties. On the road in Italy, it should be an invaluable companion, providing not only detailed restaurant reviews but English-language glossaries of the dishes one is most likely to find on local menus. And for armchair travelers who enjoy good food and its culture, it is simply a great read!