Trattorias of Rome, Florence and Venice [Paperback]

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!

Just before leaving for Rome, I searched Amazon for books that might be useful, and came across this book. I was able to get it just before my wife and I left on our trip, and it made a wonderful addition to our trip. Rome abounds with restaurants of every price range, and many are very good, and yet many can be quite mediocre. Thus, picking restaurants can be somewhat of a gamble. So, we decided to make selections from Ms. Fant's book and this turned out to be a wise decision. Every restaurant we tried that was listed in the book turned out to be every bit as good as described. The reviews are honest, and point out the very good and the less good in each restaurant reviewed. The recommendations about various dishes to try were always accurate. Moreover, we are certain that the reviews were written without the knowledge of the restaurants since at one restaurant we happened to show the book to the owner and his shock and delght was clear. Indeed, he ran off to the kitchen to show the book to the chef. In addition to providing well good restaurant reviews, Ms. Fant also provides a very useful introduction that talks about restaurants in general, Italien food, etiquette of eating Italien food, and lots of other information that would be useful even for people who don't follow the reviews. Our only 'complaint' is that the book does not have a map of restaurant locations and so it takes a bit of detective work to discover which restaurants are near one's hotel. However, each review does give major sights near the restaurants, and after getting to know Rome just a bit it is relatively easy to find places that are within walking distance or a short cab ride from most anywhere. In summary, this book is really wonderful, and helps guide one to some very fine eating in Rome. While we were not in the other cities covered in the book, our guess is that it would be every bit as useful in those cities. The book is well worth the price since it adds measurably to ones pleasure in a great city.

I really wanted this to be The Book that has been missing from my ever-growing collection of books and articles about Italy. Maureen Fant comes with seemingly good credentials, and as a resident of Rome, I hoped she would be able to provide real, first-hand information about the trattorias of Rome, Florence, and Venice. --- To a certain extent, she has, but for those familiar with the literature (e.g. Sandra Gustafson's "Cheap Eats," Faith Heller Willinger's "Eating in Italy," Gambero Rosso's "Rome," and more general guides, this book adds very little that is new or indispensible.--- One gets the feeling that the author had the beginnings of a very good book based on her dining experiences in Rome (roughly 80 pages), but once she ventured to Florence and Venice, she was just another tourist looking for a good meal. Her listings for Venice run about twenty pages and Florence is given about thirty-two. Included in this count are several listings that deserve attention, but they are definitely not trattorias, including several wine bars, bacaros, enotecas, pizzerias, and gelaterias. Granted, these are important stops in my daily food consumption itinerary while in Italy, but they are NOT trattorias.--- What is especially galling is one entry from Florence that begins, "I haven't eaten here-- though I've looked through the window-- but local friends swear its the genuine article." And then she continues to review the cuisine!! --- I'm only a tourist from New Jersey, but I've eaten at this same Florentine trattoria three times, yet I certainly wouldn't contemplate publishing what amounts to a full review based on so few visits. But Fant offers a full page..based on hearsay!(What HERESY!) --- Which also casts other entries under some suspicion, especially one that runs a mere thirty-three words. Did she eat here, or hear about it from one of those "local friends"?--- There are no rules for dining guidebooks-- but one would hope that the reviewer would make several visits, and wander all over the menu to get a sense of kitchen's strengths and weaknesses. On good nights and bad. Reading between the lines, it certainly appears that Fant has not applied these standards to this book. It is ironic that in her "Aknowledgements and Apologia" she mentions her submissions to the New York Times, noting that the editors, "have---through a passion for detail ("What were the chairs covered with?") and a relentess search for truth ("But what did it taste like?")-- taught me what the read has a right to ask and know." ---- Then Fant continues, "This book may not live up to their standards, but I hope they will enjoy it anyway." --- So I guess that is my review too-- not up to the standards I expect from the New York Times, but enjoyable. Even if it won't make the trip with me this summer.-- Mangia!