|
 My
own recommendation for Siena is just the opposite
of that: sadly, I had a rather disappointing
meal at Ristorante Guido there. After a good
bit of luck throughout Tuscany asking locals,
especially those manning the tourist office
desks, for dining recommendations, I had a vague
feeling that we were being led astray when the
young woman at the Siena tourist office, whom
we asked to recommend a spot to eat lunch, looked
a bit confused and startled by our request.
This was the first time our
method of seeking tips really didn't work for
us. Time after time, most notably in San Miniato,
we were steered to the most delicious, wonderful
places. I should stop and make it clear that
Ristorante Guido wasn't horrible; on the contrary,
the food was perfectly acceptable. However,
this was a business person's dining spot, and
not one for folks like us, wanting a comforting,
authentic and affordable meal. We were looking
for a respite from our hectic day of sightseeing,
and found ourselves inside a quite formal and
not at all relaxing establishment.
I recommend that anyone looking
for good dining tips for Siena check out our
last issue of the Dining Guide, from September,
2004. There is a link at the top of this newsletter
to Part One of our dining guide which includes
great tips for Siena.
From the newsletter:
Among Siena's most popular
places to try her traditional foods is the Trattoria
La Torre, located at 32 Via Casato di Sotto.
This small trattoria has excellent food, and
is quite popular with visitors and locals alike;
the risotto here comes highly recommended. I
suggest reserving :
Tel.: 0577.41.16.5
Closed Wednesday (Market Day!)
Other good choices are listed
below:
* Antica Trattoria Botteganova
Strada per Montevarchi, 29
* Ristorante Trattoria Fori Porta Tolomei Claudio
(Via), 1
* Trattoria Da Dino Via Casato di Sopra, 71
* Trattoria di Fonte Nuova Ovile (piazza d'),
9
* Trattoria Garibaldi Via Duprè, 18
* Trattoria Il Giuggiolo Massetana (strada),
30
* Trattoria La Tellina Via delle Terme, 52
* Trattoria Papei Piazza del Mercato, 6
And finally, we close with
a letter from one of our readers that is both
charming and informative. There is a dining
recommendation hidden in there, so read on,
please.
From Robin Dobson of Australia:
Responding to the request for
dining experiences in Tuscany, I cannot go past
our memorable visit to the region, a few years
ago now, when traveling with our daughters,
then 18 and 14.
One day trip was to Siena;
we parked and walked into the town via an ancient
gateway. A nearby restaurant was chosen, and
as was our custom we ordered a few dishes to
share; Italian is certainly not a language we
are too familiar with; we recognized a few words
in the menu and largely trusted to luck.
The entree remains a source
of family amusement to this day; pieces of toasted
bread topped with a pate-type of spread; two
pieces of each type. Each of us took the one
closest; two were very good, but the other two
were something quite peculiar; to this day we
occasionally wonder what it was!! Very strong,
earthy....hmm!
And an amazing experience at
Marina di Cecina.
Traveling in a camper van, and by this stage
early November, after a very hot summer, we
found that some of the campgrounds that our
guide indicated were open year-round, most definitely
were not, resulting in some late-evening searches
for alternative accommodation.
We drove through town, and
I remember seeing the lit neon sign for Hotel
Massimo, and thinking that if we couldn't find
a campsite at least a hotel was open! No camping
was available, so we headed back there; it turned
out that we were the only guests! We didn't
expect them to open the kitchen just for us,
so asked the owner if he could suggest somewhere
to eat; he replied that if we were happy with
a fairly simple meal they could serve us, so
we gladly
agreed, and were asked to be back downstairs
half an hour or so later.
The dining room was adjacent
to the kitchen, which obviously was family run;
grandma's voice could be heard, along with that
of a young child. The tones of the usual family
banter came clearly through.
We started with slices of melon,
accompanied by prosciutto and salami; very good.
Then a lasagna dish; large shells of pasta,
filled with a ricotta and spinach mixture, covered
in meat sauce with a béchamel sauce over
that. Then a trolley was wheeled out, with a
huge pan on top. The spaghetti and sauce were
tossed together; a rich tuna-based sauce that
also had meat, and full of tomato flavour.
By this stage we were replete, and delighted,
compared with our initial expectations of a
simple meal.
However, then our host re-appeared,
this time with plates of tiny roasted potatoes,
with mushrooms cooked in red wine, then came
a pan of scaloppini! Delicious, but a what a
struggle!
Dessert was offered, and upon
our bemused refusal, Magnum ice-creams were
brought out!
Waddled upstairs after that!!
To this day an utterly memorable
meal: I have often produced my own impression
of the lasagna dish, which we always refer to
as the Massimo pasta.
And I recall that the cost
was quite reasonable!!
Cheers,
Robin Dobson
Torquay, Vic, Australia
|
Welcome
to the second issue of our Tuscan Life Dining
Guide. Last years Dining Guide was quite a
success, appearing in late September. Since
then, many of our readers have offered their
tips on favorite restaurants throughout Tuscany,
and it is our pleasure to compile them and
present them to you, along with some recommendations
that have appeared in the newsletter since
the last guide was published. 
Located
in the centro. Very busy little restaurant and
filled with many locals. The first night we
were there their was a TV Production Crew planning
for a concert the following day. The crew passed
on a bottle of wine that they had not finished
and it was not until the second night that we
returned that we realized that it was a one
price meal including liquor. On the 2nd night
one of the bands in the concert ate there: "Tears
For Fears" so they must have a good reputation
as a fun place to eat by visitors to the city.
They specialize in roasted meats. Limited menu
and you get your pick of vegetables and dessert.
They even dropped off a bottle of Vin Santo
and a basket of biscotti which I am embarrassed
to say that two of us polished it off.
I
just had the most wonderful bruschetta of my
life at Cafe degli Artisti in Cortona. It's
on Via Nazionale, the main drag, but I cannot
recall the address. They had several different
types of bruschetta; I just stuck with classico.
Fabulous. They also had a sensational prosciutto/melone
appetizer that also included figs and black
olives.
Two
of our favorite places to stop to eat in Fiesole
are both on the Piazza Mino. Ristorante Perseus,
at number 9, has a lovely back garden where,
in the warmer months, diners can enjoy lunch
or dinner just across from the Roman amphitheater.
I had a terrific porchetta with roast potatoes
here, and my husband enjoyed a Pizza al Quatro
Stagione. We followed our meal up with a terrific
cafe machiato, beautifully prepared. The bruschetta,
crostini, and gnochetti are also recommended.
We
often return to Osteria de' Pazzi in Florence,
as much for the fun we always have with jovial
host/owner Paolo as for the hearty and authentic
cuisine. The gnocchi a la gorgonzola that we
had there on our first visit, several years
ago is still the standard for all we've sampled
since. Truly memorable!
On
Thursday nights a free tour of the winery is
conducted for visitors staying at the winery.
This is followed by an optional six-course meal
with wines. When we stayed there two years ago
the dinner was 30 euro per person. It was magnificent.
A
friend, as well as the major guidebooks, recommends
the Ristorante di Poggio Antico as a superb
place to have a meal in Montalcino. We chose
a more casual place and can highly recommend
the Taverna Grappolo Blu. A terrific lunch for
four came to about 50 Euro. Among the dishes
I loved were the Insalata Marzolina of marinated
vegetables, and the Ravioli Pomodoro. Taverna
Grappolo Blu is located at Scale di via Moglio,
Number 1.