Fred Plotkin’s book, Italy for the Gourmet Traveler, was first published by Little, Brown in 1996. It was, and remains, the most complete guide to Italy’s nonpareil gastronomic and enological heritage. It received a British edition in 2000 by Kyle Cathie, which now has worldwide publishing rights. The 4th edition was published (in the USA the publisher is called Kyle Books) in 2007 and an updated and fully revised 5th edition appeared in the UK and USA in May 2010.

To coincide with the publication of the 5th edition, Fred was a guest blogger for the New York Times in June 2010. Here are links to his posts, which are full of the flavor of this peerless book:

Intro: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/q-and-a-with-fred-plotkin/

1st batch: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/21/q-and-a-with-fred-plotkin-2/

2nd batch: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/23/q-and-a-with-fred-plotkin-round-two/

3rd batch: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/q-and-a-with-fred-plotkin-round-3/

Here is a program I recorded with Rick Steves, broadcast on October 9, 2010, that delves into the special pleasures of Italian regional food and wine: http://www.ricksteves.com/radio/streaming/program221.asx

Most books of this type limit themselves to major Italian cities and famous food destinations. They are inherently restaurant guides intended to direct the tourist to places to eat that are either trendy or economical.  By contrast, Italy for the Gourmet Traveler’s mission is to introduce the reader to the food and wine heritage in all of Italy by identifying places to eat in more than 500 cities and towns in all 20 Italian regions where particular recipes, wines or customs hold forth.

This is a book for the person who wants to learn about the cultural patrimony that is Italian food and wine and not merely a directory indicating where to eat if you happen to be in Rome, Florence or Venice. It is written for the person who lives to eat rather than one who eats to live. It also has listings for cooking schools, local festivals, museums dedicated to subjects such as pasta, olive oil, wine and even wine labels. Plotkin’s wide-ranging interests are reflected in his commentaries about politics, opera, medicine, agriculture, history, painting, sculpture, architecture, cinema, and more.

What some readers have never realized is that Fred Plotkin writes and updates this book all by himself. Unlike guidebooks produced by groups of researchers who have greater or lesser competence in their subject, Plotkin brings 35 years of experience living, eating, traveling, studying and working in Italy to create a very personal book that reflects his taste and knowledge. He returns to Italy several times each year, checking on places listed in his book and unearthing new ones. Some readers have asked why certain restaurants, enotecas and cooking schools have remained in the book since the first edition. Fred Plotkin has always responded that to delete a listing where high standards have been maintained would be punishment for people who seriously devote themselves to what they do. Fred’s Italy is not about “the next big thing” but rather about that which is classic, timeless and peerless.

As any experienced traveler knows, things change. A restaurant may change the day it is closed, a chef may move to another restaurant, a popular dish may be removed from a menu. While such change happens less often in Italy than it does in New York or London, it does happen.  Readers who have found discrepancies are kindly asked to send them to igt@fredplotkin.com.   These will be reported on this Web page. Similarly, if there is a place recommended in the book that pleases or displeases you, please write to Fred with your input.

In addition, Fred will make occasional postings on this page when he has found something notable that is not in Italy for the Gourmet Traveler.  Please consider this page a forum for those who are seriously interested in discovering the incredible variety of Italian foods and wines while they are traveling in the big towns and hidden gems found throughout the passionate peninsula.

                        HERE ARE SOME RECENT FINDS

             AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM FRED

                      (arranged alphabetically by region):

ALTO ADIGE

Merano/Meran (Bolzano)

Dining

Restaurant Sissi. Via Galilei 44, tel 0473/231062, www.sissi.andreafenoglio.com, moderate to moderately expensive.

Chef Andrea Fenoglio’s restaurant, with its Jugendstil design, tips its hat to Merano’s former status as an Austrian vacation spot, but his cooking stays solidly Italian. His fresh pasta, in whatever form, is not to miss. Every dish is fresh and light, making a meal feel like a visit to a spa.

Hotel/Restaurant

Castel Fragsburg. Fragsburgerstraße 3; tel 0473/244071; www.fragsburg.com; moderately expensive

This comfortable, luxurious hotel above Merano offers pleasures for body and mind, including an excellent restaurant that sources ingredients from local farmers. A good choice for planning a wedding and perhaps a honeymoon.

Market/Store

Pur Südtirol. Freiheitsstraße 35; tel 0473/12140; www.pursuedtirol.com. Open Mon-Sat 9:30 am to 8 pm.  Wines, speck, cheeses from the Alto Adige, all delicious

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EMILIA-ROMAGNA

BOLOGNA

Language School

ARCA

Vicolo Posterla 15

tel 051/227523; fax 051/225314; info@arca-bologna.com

www.arcaitalianschool.com; http://www.arca-bologna.com/

I am asked all the time for recommendations for language schools as part of your vacation. Many of them promise a lot but deliver little. But this one is serious of purpose and structures its schedule so that you get worthy instruction but also have time to explore this delicious and friendly city. They can also help arrange housing for you, at a cost. If you opt for an apartment instead of a hotel, you will have access to a kitchen, so that you can have the supreme pleasure of shopping and then cooking food in Bologna.

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LAZIO

ROMA

Bakery

Pasticceria “Boccione” Limentani. Via Portico d’Ottavia 1; tel 06/687-8637.

In the heart of Roma’s Jewish ghetto is this bakery whose fragrances will lure you in case you did not spot it from the street. Italian and Jewish traditions merge here, with felicitous results. The crostate are more like American pies than the fruit tarts of Italy. I would travel far for their cherry and almond paste crostata. Others include ricotta and cherry and chocolate and ricotta. The pizze are heavy with candied fruit, raisins, almonds and pine nuts and seem the right thing for every Jewish holiday, except Passover. Enjoy!

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LOMBARDIA

Milano

Dining

Trattoria al Bacco, Via Marcona 1, tel 02/54121637, open for dinner Mon-Sat, closed for 3 weeks in August. All credit cards. Moderate to moderately expensive.

When the company is good, sometimes you don’t notice the food, wine or service. I met up with my dear friend Margherita, whom I have known since 1978 and is a point of reference for me in this city. It was a hot Saturday night in late July and most of Milano had already gone on vacation. There was not too much choice in where to eat, but this place was highly recommended and proved to have many merits. Service was kind and attentive. The room is sober and not noisy, so one could enjoy one’s food and conversation. There is a smartly chosen, well-priced wine list and a blackboard with wines by the glass. We each had Lagrein, an excellent food-friendly red from the Alto Adige. Margherita had gazpacho, not an Italian soup but it might as well be with its vibrant vegetables puréed and served cool with a few drops of olive oil. Perfect on a hot evening. Her coniglio arrosto was some of the best rabbit I have tasted lately. It was hot, tender, peppery and succulent accompanied by perfect roasted potatoes. I opted for Milanese classics: the riso al salto (risotto alla milanese pan-cooked in butter) was both chewy and crunchy as it should be and seldom is. My cotoletta alla milanese came in a summery version in that it was pounded thin and lightly breaded. It was accompanied by fresh greens and tomatoes, so the whole effect was light but tasty. After all of this good food, the desserts were disappointing: a housemade tarte tatin of apricots would have been great had it not been covered in powdered sugar, which dried out and sweetened the cake and fruit. The sorbetto al pompelmo rosa with Moscato d’Asti is not made there. It sounded better than it was in that the wine blunted the taste of the pink grapefruit. Coffee was also poorly prepared. These glitches at the end of the meal were not consequential enough to erase the memory of primi and secondi prepared with unusual skill and care.

Some recommendations compiled in September 2011:

L'Osteria del Treno

Via San Gregorio 46-48

open Mon-Fri for lunch, nightly for dinner

tel 02/6700479

Casual place near train station. 

Sauris & Borc da Bria

Via Toselli 2 (corner of Via Padova)

open Wed-Sun for dinner only

tel 02/26825943

For something different, food from the Friulian alps. Hearty and tasty salumi, polenta and gubana (a delicious yeast cake with nuts, raisins and grappa)

Ponte Rosso

Ripa di Porta Ticinese 23 (in the Navigli district)

Closed Sunday lunch

Tel 02/8373132

Dishes from a bit all over Italy, but with good versions of Milanese classics

Piero e Pia

Piazza Aspari 2 (at Via Vanvitelli)

tel 02/718541

In the Città Studi in the eastern part of town, an old reliable I go to for food from the Po Valley, particularly Piacenza

Ice Cream

Gelateria Sartori, Piazza Luigi di Savoia, www.gelateriasartori.it

Since 1937, Sartori has had a kiosk on one of the most unattractive corners in Milano. If you walk the length of the railway station on the east side of the building (Piazza Luigi di Savoia), passing the buses that go to Malpensa and Bergamo airports, you will reach a tunnel above which trains rumble. Just before entering the tunnel you will spot Sartori tucked into the corner on your left. They cannot make the ice cream here, so it must arrive from somewhere else. Whatever their method, I always take the time for a cup of gelato when I am in this part of town. And if I am arriving from the airport, I drag over --bags and all-- for that first taste of gelato in my jet-lagged mouth. The cream ice creams (chocolate, vanilla, nuts, egg) are good to very good but the fruit ice creams (and granitas) are generally superb. On a recent visit, mandorla (almond) was a big disappointment, crema (egg yolk, milk and cream) was quite pleasing and pompelmo (grapefruit) was amazing. The few other grapefruit gelati I know in Italy (such as Giolitti in Roma) are pink or red and have a higher level of natural sugar. But Sartori used yellow or white grapefruit and added little or no sugar. The result was sparkling in mouth feel and flavor and even had a grapefruit pit. I like pairing grapefruit gelato with cherry, but Sartori had none. There was very good strawberry and, though the flavor match was not ideal, it was excellent too.

VOLTA MANTOVANA (Mantova)

Cooking School:

Residenza Paulonia Cooking School; Via Boselli 3/A; tel/fax 0376/838458;info@residenzapaulonia.com; http://www.residenzapaulonia.com/home/home.html

Claudio Pelladoni and Adriano Ansaldi run this school with great passion. It is a good place to learn the fundamentals of the cookery of Lombardia and Veneto. Claudio is the chef and Adriano is in charge of all of the aesthetic questions that attend creating and serving a meal. Though in the province of Mantova, the school is quite close to Valeggio sul Mincio, Verona and Brescia. Sunday afternoon and Monday evenings are the times for set events, but it is possible, with a group, to organize lessons at other times or even to host events such as weddings and receptions.

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PIEMONTE

Barolo (Cuneo)

Museum

Museo dei Cavatappi

Piazza Castello 4, tel 0173/560539; http://www.museodeicavatappi.it

Paolo Annoni is an inveterate collector of corkscrews. In fact, he is a member of  the AICC (Associazione Collezionisti Cavatappi Italiana -- the Italian Association of Corkscrew Collectors). He has about 1300 corkscrews in his collect and, in fact, shows about 500 at any given time.

BRA (Cuneo)

Bra is the crucible of the Slow Food movement that has changed the way Italians and people in many countries regard agriculture and the food they eat. Founded by the visionary and charismatic Carlo Petrini in 1989 in response to a branch of McDonald’s opening in Rome, the movement says that we can eat better by choosing food that is local, seasonal and produced in ways that respects the environment. In Pollenzo, just outside of Bra, is the Università degli Studi delle Scienze Gastronomiche (University of Gastronomic Sciences), which attracts students from Italy and nearly 50 other nations. There is a comfortable hotel on campus called the Albergo dell’Agenzia (Via Fossano 21; tel 0172/458600; fax 0172/458645; www.albergoagenzia.it; info@albergoageniza.it

Bakery/Bar

In addition to the Antico Caffè Boglione, there are other gems. Be sure to go to the Bar-Pasticceria Converso, which has delicious gelati and coffee as well as splendid, soft amaretti as opposed to the crunchy but tender biscuits found elsewhere.

Bread

Panetteria Fagnola, Viale Madonna dei Fiori 44, tel 0172/412566. Since 1923, this bakery at the edge of town has made excellent crisp light grissini and wonderful breads.

Culture

The Teatro Politeama is a beautiful building that opened in 1902. It has always hosted performances of opera and classical music as well as prose theater. After failing the more recent stringent safety codes adopted in Italy, it reopened in 2004 with only 366 seats (it had more than 500 earlier) and a full program. Information on presentations can be found at www.turismoinbra.it.

Note that every August 1 an opera is given in the public square, in part of honor tradition and in part to sell more tickets.

Dining

Antico Caffè Boglione, Via Cavour 92, tel 0172/413623; www.caffeboglione.it. Moderately inexpensive.

This is the oldest caffè in the province of Cuneo. Founded in 1947, it has always been a gathering place for intellectuals and political figures. It was the first place in Bra where films were shown and has been the site of art exhibitions and musical and theater performances. Since 2008 it has been run by Alessandro Monchiero, a passionate Slow Food disciple. One can come by for a coffee or a meal, which will be based on local seasonal products, including excellent bread, vegetables, meat and cheeses. They continue the tradition of art and debate. Consult the Web site for details. The coffee machine, from the 1950s, is entirely manual in an era when almost all coffee is made automatically.

Osteria del Boccondivino, Via della Mendicità Istruita 14; tel 0172/425674. Moderately inexpensive to moderate.

This serene restaurant is next to the Slow Food offices and might be considered the official dining place of the movement. Many of the foods on offer are part of the “presidia,” or products from around Italy that have been identified as meriting special attention and, by connection, preservation. But the menu is not studied or self-conscious. A recent visit enabled me to sample various dishes, including acciughe al verde (fresh anchovy fillers with herbs); frittata rognosa (a flat omelette made with local sausage and herbs); tajarin col sugo di Salsiccia di Bra (thin fresh noodles with local sausage made of veal, pork, white wine, salt and pepper); coniglio con l’Arneis (delicate rabbit cooked in Arneis white wine). For dessert there was an outstanding panna cotta and sorbetto di mandarine tardive (sorbet of late harvest mandarin oranges).

Knives

Coltelleria Collini, Via della Mendicità Istruita 16. Open 9 am-12:15 pm; 3:30 pm-7:30 pm. Closed Monday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday. An excellent source for knives, scissors and other metal supplies in this old shop that began as a place to get your knives sharpened, and one still can.

Market

The market on Bra takes place on Friday mornings on the streets around the Piazza Carlo Alberto. It includes clothing, kitchenware, and food.

Torino

In addition to the extensive listings in Italy for the Gourmet Traveler, consider visiting some of these places.

Caffès

Caffè Bar Università, Via Po 4, tel 011/837918.  Delicious bicerin and granitas made of fruit.

Caffè Gelateria Fiorio, Via Po 6, tel 011/817-1226.

Opened in 1780, Fiorio has had illustrious clients including Cavour, Melville and Twain. It was redone in 1845 in the current style of marble and a glass chandelier. There is excellent gelato and a nice sense of history.

Caffè Gelateria Pepino, Piazza Carignano 8, tel 011/542009.

Since 1884, torinesi of all stations come here for famously good gelati and strong coffee. The room is beautiful because it is decorated with books and small wood furniture that is quite old. They also sell decent prepared foods for a light lunch. This location is perfect for visitors to the Egyptian museum

Chocolate

Chocolate-obsessed torinesi avidly chart the ups and downs of the great producers in the city that claims to have invented the chocolate bar. At the moment, Guido Gobino (Via Lagrange 1, at Via Maria Vittoria) is number one. http://www.guidogobino.it/#/en/who-we-are/history/1/  it is in an old store that once belonged to a stamp-maker. One feels that the food on display is like a collection of jewels in glamorous glass cases.

Dining

Ristorante Sotto La Mole. Via Montebello, 9. tel 011/817-9398. Closed Wednesdays and Sunday in the summer. Also, 3 weeks in June and 10 days between late December and early January.  Open only in the evenings, though groups can inquire about reserving for lunch. info@sottolamole.eu.  Moderate to moderately expensive.It is not easy to find any place to eat in Torino on a Sunday, let alone one that would be worthy of a gourmet traveler. This fine restaurant is in the city center, and is a place I favor before or after an opera at the nearby Teatro Regio. I might have one or two courses or, if I plan to devote myself to gastronomy rather than Verdi, will go for the menu degustazione, which offers seasonal Piedmontese specialties. The tiny agnolotti del plin or the delicate tajarin pasta are above reproach, especially when truffles are in season. Risotto is also impeccable. This is also a place where one can sample the increasingly hard to find finanziera, a specialty of Torino. Lamb, rabbit, beef and veal are delicious here and sourced locally. While the giandujot with its gorgeous Piedmontese chocolate and hazelnuts is very tasty for dessert, I favor pesche ripiene (fresh peaches filled with amaretti) in season and pere cotte (Martino pears cooked in wine) in the colder months because fruit-based desserts are more in the spirit of local tradition.

EXKi, Via Pietro Micca 214 (corner of Via XX Settembre). Tel 011/19700819. www.exki.com;  Inexpensive

In the beautiful building that housed the old Alleanza Cooperativa Torinese is this excellent choice for a lighter lunch just near the Piazza Castello. It is geared to mostly young people who want to eat healthfully but with some speed. There are always different versions of torta rustica, a savory pie that might include beetroot with ricotta or some other vegetable filling. There are salads, yogurt, cut fruit and appealing homemade cakes. I like to get a centrifugato, freshly made juice. Most recently I had a combination of carrot, apple and pineapple that was cleansing to the palate and system.

Agnolotti & Friends, Piazza Corpus Domini 18 b (on Via San Tommaso), tel 011/433-8792. Closed Monday. Moderate.

As you might expect, agnolotti are the star item here. They are very good but you might find that tonnarelli, the Roman pasta, are more accomplished. Another highlight is fassone, the delicate Piedmontese ground beef that is much-admired in these parts. It can be served ground and raw (carne cruda) or cooked in Beef Wellington style. If you want to accompany a glass of wine, you might condsider the platter of salumi and cheeses. What I will not soon forget is the outstanding budino di bicerin, a silken combination of milk, coffee and cream. It is nice to sit outside here  in the warm weather. This is one of the most atmospheric squares in Torino, and the small fountain in front of the restaurant attracts pigeons, dogs and people to stop by for some cool, fresh water.

Focaccia

Focacceria Riviera Ligure, Via Po 10, tel 011/839-1212. Open Sun-Thu 9 am to 8:30 pm; Fri-Sat 9 am-1 am. The inimitable focaccia from Liguria can not be matched elsewhere, but if a trip to the Riviera is not in your plans, here is a good substitution. The formaggio focaccia is not like the sensational crepe of Recco, but more of a soft bread with fresh cow’s milk cheese. It is certainly tasty, if not classic. Other focaccias include the traditional rosemary or onion, as well as the less common sausage, prosciutto or cherry tomatoes.

Via San Tommaso and the Contrada dei Guardinfanti

In Italy for the Gourmet Traveler readers can tour this characteristic district that is thought to be the oldest in Torino. Streets such as the Via Barbaroux and Via San Tommaso no longer have the colorful elderly prostitutes who were part of the local fauna. Things were gussied up for the 2006 Winter Olympics and several new businesses have joined the venerable old ones. The Via dei Mercanti has a few outstanding purveyors.

Via Barbaroux now has some excellent antique shops. At #5L is a lovely fruit shop that sells basil plants during the warm months. At #10L is a snug but appealing salumeria. At the corner of Via Barbaroux and Via San Tommaso is the wonderful Perruquet, which has supplied the neighborhood with butter and eggs since 1882. There are also cheeses, milk, a few salumi and biscuits, all delicious. Open Mon, Tue, Th, Fri, Sat 9:30 am-1:30 pm; 4-7:30 pm. Wed 9:30 am-1:30 pm. There are other locations around town (www.perruquet.it).

A few doors down Via San Tommaso is Sapori dei Tassinari (Tu, We 9:30-1:30; 3:30-7:30; Thu, Fri, Sat 9 am-7:30 pm) which features fresh pasta but also features exquisite foods to make a meal of, including sformati (flans) of cheese and vegetables. There is also prepared fish, vegetables, melon and prosciutto.

In the other direction, at Via San Tommaso 4a, is the Goffreria Piemontese, which opened in February 2006 for the Olympics. Gofri are alpine wafers/waffles made of various grains and seeds. They are remarkable light and fat-free, though some of the fillings you can get contain fat. The San Sicario gofri has Gorgonzola, prosciutto cotto and watercress. The Subalpino has a local ham called prosciutello Val di Susa with soft crescenza cheese and arugula. They are very inexpensive, especially for this quality. In the colder months you can also have miassa, sort of  a crust or firm piece of polenta made of ancient late harvest Piemontese corn varieties such as yellow and red Pignoletti; Ostengo; Nostrano dell’Isola and white, yellow or red Ottofile. The miassa is served with cheeses, pork or vegetables.

Close by on Via San Tommaso is Più Che Gelato, in which superb and milk are combined with incredible local ingredients such as hazelnuts and chocolate to yield some of the best gelato I have tasted in a long time. There are many fruit flavors in limited use due to seasonal availablity. Their apple and pear gelato is delicate and aromatic.

The panetteria at Via dei Mercanti #2 has a large collection of Italian rolls and breads, including the classic rosette (for panini); fogliette (folded-over shoe-shaped breads, often flavored with herbs); Pan Arabo (soft ovals) and, especially the bastoncini, little club-shaped breads flavored with vegetables, onions, cheese or walnuts. They are almost a foot long and have the scrumptious flavor of good olive oil.

Il Ristoro dei Mercanti, Via dei Mercanti 6, tel/fax 011/5613970. Closed Monday. A moderately inexpensive option for a good buffet during the day that is also open for dinner late, so you can eat here are opera or theater. They have a tasty vitello tonnato.

Torteria Dolce e Salato, Via dei Mercanti 8/b, tel 011/517-5087. open Mon-Sat 9am-2 pm, 3:30 pm-7:30 pm. In December the shop is open Monday through Sat 9 am-7:30 pm.

A very inviting window display has the changing daily offerings. Quiche comes in different flavors, including baby tomotoes/basil; zucchini/arugula; Asparagus with chives. Or pick from cakes flavored with lemon, orange or strawberry. Muffins are starting to catch on in Italy. The chocolate/Campari muffin might appeal to you, or perhaps the less exotic peach/strawberry.

Gastronomia Bottega del Gusto, Via Mercanti 8 at the corner of Via Barbaroux. They make their own Salsiccia (or salciccia) di Bra with 80% veal, 20% pork, dry white wine, salt and a little pepper. There are many small delights (aka sfiziosi) such as an aspic of frutti di mare (small seafood) or a peperoni aspic. There is often a bright salad of baby shrimp with celery, parsley as well as tomini (soft cheeses) with kiwi, olive oil and parsley.

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SICILIA

PALERMO

Sweets and Liqueurs

I Peccatucci di Mamma Andrea, Via Principe di Scordia 67, tel 091/334835; www.mammaadrea.it; closed Sunday

Andrea Cesare became a mother at the age of 16 and says she feels she has been a mother for her whole life. It will not surprise you, when you meet her, to learn that she has worked in theater and cinema. She brings similar flair to the sweets she has made in her shop since 1989. I love the agrumelli, little gelatin pastries made with exquisite Sicilian citrus fruits such as mandarino, orange and lemon. You may like the chocolate-covered bocconcini, containing almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts. “Peccatucci,” the signature sweet of the house, are soft balls of deliciousness made with flavors such as pistachio (my favorite), hazelnut, almond, chocolate, coconut or cane sugar. Mamma Andrea makes several delicious liqueurs. The fico d’India (prickly pear) is worth discovering as are the cannella (cinnamon) and rose. More traditional, and good, are liqueurs of coffee or citrus fruits. My favorite product in the store are the sensational jams and preserves.

TOSCANA

FIRENZE

Dining

Trattoria al Tranvai. Piazza Torquato Tasso 14; tel/fax 055/225197.

www.altranvai.it.  Closed Sunday plus Monday lunch. Moderately inexpensive to moderate.   This is a good option in the San Frediano quarter, not far from the Ponte Vecchio. It will not win prizes but offers good value for money on homey Tuscan specialties such as ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, a very good cacciucco (the fish stew from Livorno), trippa (Florentine tripe) and lesso con le cipolle (boiled beef with onions). There is also lampredotto, a meat that is delicious until you find out what part of the cow (not bull) that it comes from. Just enjoy it. What makes the difference in this restaurant is that very good local olive oil is the common denominator in most of the preparations and I, for one, can tell the difference. Try for yourself. It is also possible to have meals here without gluten. The torta di fichi e noci (figs and walnuts) is a good option to end the meal.

Da i’ Conte Diladdarno, Via De’ Serragli 108/r; tel/fax 055/22501; www.contediladdarno.it. Closed Mon-Fri at lunch and Mon at dinner. Moderate to moderately expensive.

The menu is full of lusty and savory things to eat. You could do a lot worse than getting a tagliera (cutting board) with salumi toscani and Tuscan pecorinos of different ages.  Ask for some marmellata di peperoncino, a piquant marmalade that heightens the sensation on the palate. If there is lardo di Colonnata, have some with warm bread and rosemary. Try pasta with sugo strascicato, a rich meat sauce. I also like the chitarra del Barsanti, strand pasta with tomato, garlic, hot red pepper, parsley, cream, and a hint of anchovy. There is zuppa carabaccia, a favorite of the Medicis, that is a soup with onions, raisins and pine nuts. Tuscan beef is available in many forms, but don’t overlook the scamerita di maiale, a tender cut of pork often served with artichokes. If you have had too much meat already, one can choose from many delicious contorni. I like the luscious purè ricco, whipped potatoes flavored with pancetta. It makes a good foil to combine with cooked greens and Tuscan beans.

In November 2010 a reader wrote from Firenze that the Ristorante La Baraonda on Via Ghibellina seemed closed for good. It is/was an excellent place, so that is a loss. I would appreciate hearing from other visitors if they can confirm this. He wrote that he had an excellent meal at the nearby Ristorante Enoteca Natalino (Borgo degli Albizi 17-r; tel 055/289404. If you go there, let me know your impressions.

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VENETO

MESTRE (Venezia)

Mestre is the mainland city that does all the heavy lifting so that the old city of Venezia can manage to work her charms on visitors. Mestre is more like modern Italy, with industry that attracts workers from Asia (especially South Asia), Africa and the Americas. The town is a railway hub for northeastern Italy and most people never think to stay there. I often spend the first or last night of an Italian journey there, at the Hotel Bologna (Via Piave 214, tel 041/931000; info@hotelbologna.com), which offers a decent breakfast and comfortable rooms that are ideal for getting a good night’s sleep as long as you ask for one that is on the quiet side of the building. The Mestre railway station is right across the street, as are buses and taxis to go to Marco Polo airport or the stazione marittima from which cruise ships set sail.

Dining

Osteria La Pergola. Via Fiume 42, tel 041/974932. Closed Sundays, and Saturday at lunch. Moderate.

La Pergola is in a residential neighborhood and with not a tourist in sight. It is a 20 minute walk from the train station. Service is good, food is tasty and the outdoor tables are pleasant to linger at. On a recent visit, while battling jet lag, I had tagliatelle with fresh tomatoes, followed by a good salad. Stick to simple dishes here and savor the friendly atmosphere. I had two glasses of sauvignon blanc, both produced by my friend Alvaro Pecorari of Lis Neris in Friuli. The first, simply named for the grape, was fresh and bracing. The second, called Picol and gently aged in oak, was more complex but not obsessive. The winemaker worked in service of the grapes, and not the other way around. This is an important distinction and it requires knowledge, taste and humility to bring it about. The owner of La Pergola admired my selections and said to me that the first wine “should be consumed with your friends” while the second one “should be consumed with your woman.” I like how Italians do wine pairings.

Ristorante Moro, Via Piave 192, tel 041/926456; closed Sundays. Moderate to moderately expensive.

Lino Moro and his family show great pride and care in their restaurant, just 5 minutes walk from the Mestre station. There are unusual salumi and cheeses as well as ingredients not often found elsewhere. Among the top dishes I tasted were a frothy baccala mantecato served with polenta; gallina padovana in saor (a rare breed of hen from Padova whose rich flavor provided ballast for the sauce of vinegar, pine nuts and raisins) and oca con cren, goose with horseradish. Save room for a cheese course, with selections from one of the best carts I have found in Italy; each cheese can be accompanied by a suitable jam or preserve. I had a cherry preserve with runny Taleggio and a pear/ginger jam with Stilton.  A bottle of 2005 Teroldego Rotoliano by Elisabetta Foradori, one of Trentino’s top winemakers, was a steal at 20 euros. Teroldego is one of the most undervalued grapes in Italy and unknown abroad. I believe this is due, in part, to the fact that people cannot pronounce it (teh-ROLL-de-go) and because people in northeastern Italy jealously keep most of it for themselves.

VENEZIA

Dining

Anice Stellato. Fondamenta della Sensa 3272 in Cannaregio; tel 041/720744. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays, plus some days in February and August. Always call ahead. Moderate (for Venezia).

This restaurant is a few minutes walk from the Jewish Ghetto in a part of Venezia that sees very few tourists. A few doors down is Tintoretto’s house, certainly worth a look. Anice Stellato (Star Anise) is mentioned in the print version of my book, but I want to report that two visits in 2009 found the food better than ever. It is in the Venetian tradition, but with personal touches. Seafood is the specialty here and I can recommend everything. The seafood risotto is superb, as are every fish “in saor,” especially the gamberi. I enjoyed pansoti (pot-bellied ravioli) filled with scallops and shrimp. Two excellent desserts are the frozen zabaglione and the grapes preserved in grappa. While the notion of “house wine” served in a carafe is no longer the assured proposition in Italy it once was, the house white here was a delicious pinot bianco, one of my favorite grapes.