Half the fun of visiting a country is discovering its cuisine -- especially in a land where half the wineries are housed in castles or abbies, and most of the farms are centuries old.

Restaurant Reviews
Being a wine/food/travel writer means eating out often. These are places in Italy that I have especially liked.

Il Baladin
You wouldn't expect Italy's best beer to come from the heart of wine country, but it does. Well worth a trip, too.

Winefests 2002
All sorts of interesting things to see and do!

Massa Marittima
A beautiful town in southern Tuscany that's perfect for a day trip.

La Lizzatura
Bringing marble down from the quarries of the Apuans, the old way -- by sled.

Maureen Fant's New Restaurant Guide is Out
An excellent selection of palces to dine in Rome, Florence and Venice.

A Hundred Tuscan Tables
A handy book I translated for Leonardo Romanelli, leader of Florence's chapter of the Slowfood movement, which lists his favorite Tuscan restaurants.

Florence's Certosa
An excellent place to get away from the summer heat if you're in Florence.

Orvieto's Pozzo della Cava
A nice restaurant, with an Etruscan and medieval museum in the cellars.

Restaurants Abroad - Good Eating Outside the Peninsula

Stendhal's Syndrome: Where it Strikes
Places whose beauty overwhelms those who visit Florence.

L'Abbazia di Santa Giustina
A spectacular Pre-Romanesque abbey in the plains of Alessandia.

Should I rent Car in Italy?
If you want to explore the countryside, the answer is yes.

Staying in Northern Italy
Cynthia's hotel suggestions for Garda, Venice, and Rome's airport.

Things to Do
More summer festivals in Umbria and Tuscany.

Neapolitan Restaurants
Suggestions based on published reviews. From Cosa Bolle in Pentola, the Italian Cuisine Newsletter.

Roman Restaurants
Suggestions based on published reviews. From Cosa Bolle in Pentola, the Italian Cuisine Newsletter.

Venetian Restaurants
Suggestions based on published reviews. From Cosa Bolle in Pentola, the Italian Cuisine Newsletter.

La Sagra Del...
If you're visiting Italy, have a car, and see a poster for a town fair, by all means go eat dinner -- you'll see a side of life most do not, and the food will be well worth it.

Livorno
Tuscany's major port, and a standard cruise ship stop. They don't do much to welcome tourists, but there are lots of things to see, and wandering about will be much more fun than braving the crowds in Florence.

Le Dolomiti
Thoughts, photos, and links to some excellent trip-planning resources.

Distillerie
Going to be in Italy in late fall? A grappa distillery under full steam is a sight you'll never forget.

Fontanafredda
Where the King once went to get away from it all (and see his love) is now a superb winery, exciting to visit and with wines worth seeking out.

San Gimignano: La Cittá delle Belle Torri
A beautiful town, with wonderful wines.

Montepulciano
An absolutely beautiful town an hour from Siena, which is also a perfect stopping point on the drive from Florence to Rome.

Exploring Chianti Rufina
It's hard to believe that an area just a half-hour's drive from downtown Florence could be so wild. Exploring castles, villas, and cellars, in an itinerary that will be wonderful in the fall, when the vineyards turn russet and gold.

Il Vino Nobile
Montepulciano has some extraordinary wines, and its Pecorino is renowned.
It's beautiful, too.

Esplorazioni Lunigiane:
A perfect itinerary for the summer months, to a wild and relatively unknown part of Tuscany with some fine wines.

Grinzane Cavour
You'll think you've stumbled into a story, but the castle is real, and belonged to one of the first Barolo producers -- Count Cavour, Father of Italy.

Montalcino
Beautiful, and with magnificent wines....

Il Carnevale
A Carnevale ogni scherzo vale! cry the children as they squirt each other with colored shaving cream; indeed, no prank's out of bounds. Carnevale is a time for adults to have fun too, with parades like the one in Viareggio, and costume balls, the best of which are in Venice.
Also, if you have children, don't forget the Befana!

Le Cinque Terre
Le Cinque Terre are both a region in Liguria and the wine that comes from it: A monument (successful, I might add) to people's determination to eke something from the soil.

Il Museo Dell'Annunziata di La Morra
Renato Ratti began assembling this collection in the 60s, and Massimo Martinelli is still adding to it. It's fascinating, and if you visit the Terre del Barolo you should definitely go. Also, the Ristorante da Pietro, a superb dining experience in Novello.

San Gaetano
One of Florence's few Baroque churches, a beautiful oasis where few tourists go.

Rimini
A detour to a town that began life as an Etruscan settlement, and is now a mecca for fun-lovers of all kinds. But that's not all: There are some spectacular artworks to see!

Growing Pains: San Piero in Lamosa over the Centuries
San Piero in Lamosa is a monastery near Lake Iseo, not far from Brescia (east of Milano, in Lombardia). Very pretty, and well worth a visit.

Verona, The Florence of the North?
Many people say Verona is the Florence of the north... Is it? Also, Pastissada de Ceval, a delicious Veronese stew.

San Galgano
San Galgano the saint renounced wealth and power. The abbey named after him now has one of Italy's most beautiful lawns -- in the nave.

Dagli Etruschi a Sodoma
A day in the Sienese countryside, on the path of the Etruscans and one of the Masters of the Renaissance.

Tuscan Distilleries
A day trip to grappa distilleries around Florence (this is especailly interesting in the fall).

Le Murge
A number of years ago, Elisabetta and I went to Puglia for a vacation. It's a beautiful area, and virtually unknown to those living in the rest of Italy.

Villas and Fortifications in Chianti
Explore one of the finest and most beautiful wine-producing regions in the world, stopping at several top wineries.

On the Truffle Trail
Though dedicated to Alba and San Miniato's truffle fairs, which are worth a journey, this article will also give you a good idea of what you can expect to find if you visit Alba, which is at the heart of one of Piedmont's prettiest regions.

L'Arte dei Vinattieri
Every year Florence's Wine Makers hold a procession to present the new Vintage to the Masters of the City. It's fun to watch, and after the official presentation there's merrymaking in Piazza della Signoria.

Quattro Stagioni means... Pizza?
(Some of) the mysteries of Italian pizzeria menus explained.

Getting out of Town: An Overview of Tuscany's Beaches
Where to seek relief when you've come to Florence and the asphalt starts to melt.

If you haven't found what you're looking for, please ask!

Back to the main index

Subscribe to the Newsletter
Name	Email