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It is always a real treat to read Maureen Fant's comments. Maureen, you've given me good advice over the years in your old New York Times articles and in your wonderful 2000 paperback "Trattorias of Rome, Florence, and Venice"! Many of your suggestions are still great. I'm glad to hear that Il Convivio is still excellent, as that has been my favorite restaurant in Rome. For quite some time I've been meaning to post my impressions of several restaurants from a visit to Rome last February. So better late than never: I was taken by friends for lunch to Tram Tram, in the San Lorenzo area near the Sapienza University department I was visiting. A wonderful meal: Puntarelle alla Romana (unfortunately, kyeblu, I think this delicious salad vegetable is already out of season for your visit), Minestra di Broccoli e Arzilla (a fish soup with broccoli and skate), and Involtini di Spada (little roulades of swordfish with some sort of vegetable filling). All delicious, served in a very friendly, completely informal manner. Three of my companions at this meal live in Rome and this is one of their favorite places. Another meal I enjoyed on that visit was dinner at la Campana, just near the Tevere north of Piazza Navona: more puntarelle (when in season, I can't get enough of these delicious greens with anchovy dressing), and for a main course, Gallina alla diavolo (pressed chicken with crispy tasty skin). Diners at the next table over were relishing their crispy artichokes and the pastas looked great. As it was a February evening, there were few tourists, but the place was packed and many diners seemed to be regulars welcomed in a familiar way by the waitstaff. This is the trattoria I love -- unpretentious, yet with nice white tablecloths, very local, but with high quality food, good bread, and inexpensive quartinos of house wine. (Both of these places are in Maureen's book, and I liked them very much. What's your opinion now Maureen?) I can also recommend Monte Caruso Cicilardone, near Santa Maria Maggiore, not far from the Termini station. The food here is not Roman, but is of Basilicata. For lunch I had a simple but delicious zuppa di verdura, followed by involtini di vitello basilicata, which were tightly rolled very thin slices of veal filled with prosciutto and mozzarella with a rich sauce of fresh green peas. I enjoyed the excellent bread with peppercorns and glasses of a greco di tufo from Basilicata. I'd like to try more things here on my next trip to Rome. Osteria Nerone, in the Monti district on the Oppio hill near San Pietro in Vincoli, was a bit disappointing. The minestrone seemed too pasta-rich, and devoid of flavorful vegetables. The abbacchio was tasty, but perhaps a bit drier than it should have been. Service was very friendly. A surprise for me was Corte del Grillo, located on the little street that runs behind Trajan's Market. I had walked there at lunchtime expecting to find Papak, an old favorite, but Papak was gone, replaced by this somewhat trendy (and more expensive) place devoted entirely to fish. I decided to try it out, and ordered quite unconventionally the "grande degustazione di antipasti caldi e freddi" followed by spaghetti alle vonglole. The antipasti turned out to be a formidable succession of insalata di mare, skate (warm) in olive oil, eggplant stuffed with fish, grilled breaded fish, and warm octopus, all very tasty and a meal in itself (25 Euros). I almost couldn't finish the spaghetti alle vongole that followed, but in any case, the pasta did not impress me particularly, and was expensive. I'd like to try this place again and order other dishes from the menu. Finally, a good word for 'Gusto, at least for the branch on the north side of the Piazza Augusto Imperiale in the building with the interesting (if annoying) fascist freeze on the facade. The buffet lunch in the front part of the restaurant at 10 Euros was a great deal. For this price one can take portions of six different dishes, mostly cold, but including a pasta choice, and the price also includes mineral water. The main restaurant, which I've not tried, is much more expensive and features fish. I'd be interested if anyone has tried these places within the last year and if so, what your opinion is. I'll be in Italy (but not in Rome) in June and will post again when I return.

Re gfweb's comment on Le Bec Fin: If my incredibly delicious meal at Le Bar Lyonnais this Monday is any indication, the food turned out by the Le Bec Fin kitchen is still among the best, perhaps the very best, in Philadelphia. The adjustments in style of these restaurants should not be taken as an indication of decreased quality of their food. Spectacular dishes such as old-time favorites like their escargot casserole, mushroom ravioli, and succulent roast chicken indicate a consistency of excellence over many years, despite the turnover in kitchen staff. We also tried new dishes such as the wonderful roasted fennel soup and the spectacular hamburger that was mentioned in Rick Nichols piece in the Inquirer last week. The new decor in Le Bar Lyonnais and also upstairs makes the mood less formal, but the food is still wonderful.

I had dinner at Munich's Schubeck's (in die Südtiroler Stube) this past June and was not particularly impressed. The food was decent but not that memorable and the atmosphere was impersonal and not particularly cordial. A number of set price dinners was available and I chose the three course menu at 73 Euros (four courses were offered at 88 Euros, five courses at 95 Euros; according to their website, these prices are now 78, 98, and 103 Euros), so this is a fairly expensive place. I opted for an appetizer, a soup, and a main course for my three courses. To start, a potato based spread with toast was placed on the table and a smoked trout amuse bouche (two little pieces, one with green sauce and potato, the other with quail egg) was served. For my first course, I chose marinated Wolfbarsch (a type of seabass) with sliced fennel and lobster tail. The best part of the dish was the fennel -- the fish was just OK and the lobster was tasty but was a very very small piece. My soup course (Fischsuppe) was much more satisfying -- a foamy creamy broth (almost liike an oyster stew stock) loaded with pieces of salmon, shrimp, and some sort of white fish. This was a very good, rich, filling dish. The third course was "Kalbsmilchferkel", which was actually served in two courses. I have to admit that I was confused by this dish, thinking initially that it was a veal version of the german specialty "Spannferkel" (roast piglet). The second of the two plates did seem to fit this description, being two small chops with a very crispy skin served with cucumbers marinated in a mustard sauce, a potato croquette with bacon flavor, and raddishes. One of the chops was very tender, the other was dry and chewy. The first of the two plates, to my initial surprise, had small pieces of what were almost certainly sweetbreads ('Kalbsmilch' can mean 'sweetbreads' as well as 'calf's milk'), served on round thin bread with pesto sauce. Each of the two dishes was good, if not really outstanding. (Perhaps another eGullet reader can confirm or correct my description of what this Kalbsmilchferkel menu item was really all about.) I ordered two glasses of wine -- an excellent Red Portugieser rosé from Weingut Lützkendorf (from the Saale/Unstrut region of Sachsen, a new discovery for me), and a delicious 2005 Zeder Cabernet/Merlot cuvée from Kornell (Bolzano, Alto Adige/Südtirol). The wines (along with the fish soup) were the highlights of the meal (7.50 Euros each glass, but small pours). 9 Euros for mineral water was outrageous (compared to much lower charges at a number of Michelin three star restaurants!) Does Schubeck's deserve it's Michelin star? In its favor, it is not the typical French style restaurant that Michelin oftern rewards with stars in Germany. Much of the food is inspired by German cooking traditions. That said, it could not compare to a number of other German Michelin one star restaurants I've tried fairly recently -- Schlossberg Sackmann (Baiersbronn), Schwarzer Hahn (Deidesheim), and VAU (Berlin) but considerably better than the one star Villino (Lindau/Bad Schachen). [i hope soon to post my experiences this past summer at five fantastic German restaurants -- Bareiss, Schwarzwaldstube, Vendôme, La Vie, and Schloss Berg.]

Casta Diva serves a terrific espresso creme brulee. The food is always delicious at this BYO on 20th street!

Finally got to Chick's to dine at Katie's new venue. A great place to try the small plate offerings and drink wine! I ordered (on Katie's recommendation) the bacon wrapped dates -- delicious. Also had salad with anchovies and the shrimp and chorizo skewers. The three plates made a nice supper which I complemented with a glass of Lurton Viognier. There is a nice neighborhood atmosphere here and I look forward to trying the many enticing menu items while enjoying the ambience of the bar.

I had a very disappointing lunch at Vissani in July 2006. I had their set menu for 100 Euros and there wasn't much of a choice. Here's what my notes say about the meal: I liked the amuse of slices of raws corfano (scorpion fish) with a yellow tomato sauce and the offering of nice little rolls and grissini. The first course was a bouillabaise with three kinds of fish, anchovy tasting croutons, and bean sprouts. The types of fish were difficult to distinguish from one another. A good but not particularly distinctive dish. Next I had toretlloni alla Modena -- a substantial portion of the pasta with a very green spinach/ricotta filling. I liked this dish. The main course was coniglio (rabbit) -- slices of rib and a roulade with a rich puree of orange scented potato. The rabbit was dry and overcooked and even a bit tough. The taste wasn't bad, but quite disappointing for what is supposed to be one of Italy's best restaurants. I then had four pieces of cheese from the cheese cart. Not a particularly great selection, if I recall. (I had substituted the cheese course for the Baverese dessert that was listed on the menu). Coffee was then served with little pastries, good but not as good as other top restaurants in Italy. I had two glasses of wine with the meal -- a Roero Arneis and a Tuscan Merlot (not sure of the label) for a total of 30 Euros. Aqua minerale was 5 Euros and I was not charged for coffee for a second (unrequested) bottle of aqua minerale. The disappointing aspects of this meal were 1) the poor main course, 2) the lack of any real character or personality to the food, 3) the formal and somewhat indifferent service, even though there were only a few tables occupied, 4) the lack of choices. This was not a bad experience, just a disappointing one, very much in contrast say with a really fantastic meal several days prior at Osteria Francescana in Modena [leak tart, three great pasta dishes, their famous pamegiana five ways, suckling pig, great warm attention from the staff and chef], or a very good meal at Rosselinnis in Ravello some days later [caposante/blini appetizer, spaghetti with squid and tiny octopus, turbot with yellow split pea gazpacho, lamb with lavender]. All three of these are rated by Michelin as 'two stars' but Vissani was not at all at this standard the day I ate there.

I think Holly has been right on the mark throughout this thread. It seems to me that the main issue is that the Market Board is retaliating against a merchant who had challenged them over the years as a forceful head of the Merchants Assoication. From what I've heard from other merchants in the Market, they are now completely intimidated. The Amish, an exception, are protesting because they see this as an ethical issue and they are principled folks. Others merchants must be wondering whether a similar lease non-renewal will be the fate of anyone else who rocks the boat. The Amish are probably immune from retaliation, but not other individual merchants. And who is this Board anyway? Political hacks and hangers on. I wonder whether the charter of the Board can be challenged. Glad to see that Tony Luke has stated that he wants no part of this conflict. If he were to open in the Market, I would have no confidence that his operation would be a success. The Tony Luke operation on Spruce Street near Penn was truly awful. There were long lines the first days after opening, but the surly service and poor food quickly became known around campus. I would guess the place closed because of scant business, not because of a lease issue.

Renka, use the Deutsche Bahn site (http://bahn.hafas.de/) to look up the schedule. Choose English from the list of langages in the little box at the upper right, if needed. If you need to get to Canneto sul'Oglio for lunch, the schedule is not that convenient unless you use the nearby Piadena station, which is the next station south on the Brescia route, only four minutes away by train. Since you have to take a taxi anyhow, this might be a solution. There is a train leaving Brescia at 10:20 that gets to Piadena at 11:04. This train actually goes through Canneto without stopping there. If you want to go to the Canneto station, you then have to take the local going in the reverse direction at 11:50, which gets to Canneto at 11:54. The next train from Brescia does stop at Canneto without a change. It leaves at 13:26 but does not get to Canneto until 14:19, really too late for lunch. An alternative is the east-west route Mantova-Cremona train, which stops at Piadena. To make the 11:50 connection to Canneto, you would have to leave Cremona at 9:26 or Mantova at 10:22. These trains appear to run daily, but you should check. However, if you can get a taxi from Piadena, then you can leave Mantova at 11:43, arriving in Piadena at 12:12, or leave Cremona at 12:05, arriving at Piadena at 12:33. (These trains do not connect with trains to Canneto.) You can figure out the return posibilities on the website. You might try calling the restaurant to arrange a ride. Who knows, they may even offer to pick you up. As the originator of this thread, I am very happy if I can help get anyone to this great restaurant. I have not been back since my post, but I've since eaten at quite a few outstanding restaurants in Italy, France and Germany over the past three years and Dal Pescatore remains one of my favorites. (I just returned from Germany, eating at Schwarzwaldstube [second visit], Bareiss, Vendome, Schloss Berg, and La Vie [a recent two star in Osnabrück]. All were terrific, but comparing them to Dal Pescatore is really apples and oranges, as the cooking styles are so different. Within the past two years in Italy, I ate at a number of highly rated retaurants (in descending order of satisfaction): Osteria Francescana [Modena], outstanding; Il Postale [Citta del Castello], wonderful -- and a great value; Il Convivio [Rome], excellent; Rossellinis [Ravello], excellent -- and with a stupendous view; San Domenico [imola], unexpectedly rather boring; Quatro Passi [Massa Lubrense], very disappointing; Vissani [baschi, east of Orvieto], astoundingly mediocre. For what it's worth, Dal Pescatore and Le Calandre remain my two favorites in Italy, followed by Arnolfo, Cracco-Peck, Don Alfonso, and now Osteria Francescana.

Sorry to hear this. Just checking eGullet for the latest Philly news (I am on Crete) and was disappointed to learn about M, which I had the pleasure of enjoying twice -- once at the bar and once at a table. Great food (awesome scallop appetizer), and nice ambience (great bar service); and I live just a block away. Wish I had dined here more.

Here's some information on caves based on my visit in May, 2003: Cougnac: just outside of Gourdon, about 23 km SE of Sarlat, in May 2003 it was open from 10-11:30 AM and 2:30-5:00 PM; tours with small groups (6 on the tour I was on) take about 1 hour and start periodically during these opening times. A wonderful cave with small stalagtites and stalagmites, and eventually, one gets to an area with flat surfaces with paintings of signs (274 such signs are in the cave), several human representations (sylized, amazing), and 22 animals in red and black: deer, ibex. These are some of the earliest dated paintings in Europe (19,000-25,000 years ago), contemporary with some of the paintings at Peche Merle (see below). Peche Merle: located near Cabrerets, 43 km SE of Gourdon (so about 70 km from Sarlat) in wonderful countryside. Open A.M starting at 9:45, in the afternoon starting at 2 PM. Limited to 700 visitors per day. Call in advance (0565312705?) to make sure to get a place on one of the tours. Very good museum near site, which is good to see first -- has information relevant to Peche Merle and Cougnac. Cave paintings are thought to be from 20,000 to 25,000 years ago. Different atmosphere than Cougnac. stalactites are large and set in spectacular halls. Remarkable animals -- horse, bisons, mammouths, aurochs, great use of curves in wall to give perspecive to animals, one animal is superimposed on another and another. Great spotted horse painting. Huge mammoth with red spltches, dots. Ceiling carvings, etched marks. Footprints of an adolescent boy (at least 10,000 years old). Splayed human figure. Red pike. To visit these two caves, you could drive from Sarlat, first visiting Cougnac and then Peche Merle (a half day trip would probably have to start with Peche-Merle, because it opens earlier). The return trip, if Cougnac is done first, can be made via a drive on the north bank of the Lot river to Cahors (which is an interesting town) and then northwards back to Sarlat. These two caves are really great. Font de Gaume: in outskirts of Les-Eyzies-de-Tayac, 21 km west of Sarlat. open in early May from 9:30-12:30 AM and 2:00-5:30 PM, reservations a must (0553068600?), book at least a day or two in advance. Groups of 10 only. This is a very different style cave -- a very narrow passageway with few stalagmites and stalactites, so you get very close to the paintings. Lots of animals, polychrome like Lascaux, in black, brown, and red. Figures are mostly filled in with pigment, not merely outlined. Amazing reindeer, lots of bisons here, even a rhino, great use of countours of walls. Some carvings, some signs including a sort of house diagram, some black dots. Rouffinach: 18 km north of Les-Eyzies. Open 9:00-11:00 AM, 2:00-6:00 PM. No need to reserve, as they take large groups onto a train (sort of like an amusement ride). Tour lasts about an hour. Again, the cave is very different from the others, at first it's a broad limestone cavern, later you get to lower leves where the paintings are, about 1 km from the entrance. Amazing collection of supeerimposed outlined animals on ceiling. Unique, but not quite as "artistic" as the animals in the other caves in my view. A fifth cave is Cambrelle, also near Les-Eysies, about 2 km from the Font de Gaume. Tickets are obtained at the Font de Gaume. Tours with very small groups (7 in my group). Here, the outside part of the cave was a habitation. Paintings are dated from 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Interesting paintings: anthropomorhic figures, human figure in front of horse, horses, a reindeer nuzzling a bull, head of mountain goat; also carved bear, mammoths. Cave walls are wet and paintings are not as well preserved as in the other caves because of dampness. Another interesting site is Abris Cap Blanc, 7 km from Les-Eyzies. Open 10-12 AM, 2-6 PM. This is an overhang of a cliff (now enclosed for exhibition), that has a frieze of sculptures of about 10,000-16,000 years ago. These are reliefs of horses, a bullock, a deer or reindeer, and a small bison. A skeleton of a woman in a fetal position was found in a grave directly in front of the frieze (a princess? the artist?) It was breathtaking to see that art of this quality could be produced at this period of human history. Finally, there is Lascaux, north of Les-Eyzies. The original would be the most impressive of all the caves because of the polychrome paintings (only Altamira in Northern Spain is comparable, and I could only see that one in reproduction, as well). The tour is rather crowded, with 30-40 people in my group. Very different from the small groups that I experienced the other caves with. Lots of horses, bulls, but suprisingly no mammoths (painted during a warmer period??). Some things were not reporduced in the new cave, including wall carvings. I enjoyed seeing this reproduction, but it was far far less exciting than seeing the "real" caves. A very nice modest restaurant, with outdoor dining, is Du Chateau, located in Campagne, about 5 km SW of Les-Eyzies. I stayed in the rather expensive Hotel du Centenaire in Les-Eyzies, which was somewhat disappointing, although it did have a nice outdoor pool. I believe their restaurant was a Michelin two star place (which was not really that great). I now note that the restaurant is no longer listed in the Guide and is not mentioned on the website. I wonder what happened?

Had a really great meal at James earlier this week. The decor is striking, the staff very accommodating. But the most important thing is that the food is truly excellent. Three of us shared three starter portions of 1) tortelloni stuffed with porcini mushrooms and blueberries, 2) the parpadelle with duck ragu (as in the photo in philidining's post), and 3) risi e bisi. The parpadelle dish was awesome -- a rich very tasty ragu, lots of meat, and really wonderful pasta. The tortelloni were also delicious, with the unconventional blueberry sweetness offsetting the porcini flavor -- again, very fine pasta. The risi e bisi was less successful, a bit more watery than this dish is served in Venezia and elsewhere in northern Italy; but it was still tasty. My main course was lamb served three ways. This was a real winner, with the highlight being the roulade. All three cuts were tender, and they were accompanied by a nice array of little vegetables (carrots, beans, tiny jerusalem artichokes (if I am remembering correctly)). My companions had the halibut entree (see photo in philidining's post) and a veal tenderloin entree, which they both liked. I had the cheese dessert, with two cheeses -- excellent. We each indulged in one of their very imaginative house cocktails, and then split a bottle of a Pinot Noir from Languedoc that was fine. I will definitely go back and probably try one of the tasting menus. This was one of my most satisfying dinners of the year (much much better, for example than my third visit to Osteria).

I had a light meal at the Osteria bar last night. The Tortellini in Brodo was delicious (probably they should be called Tortelloni, as the pasta pockets were quite large) with a very intense chicken broth (as mentioned and illuastrated above in Philadining's post) and a nice filling with a subtle (nutmeg?) flavor. But not inexpensive at $16. The Fritto Misto appetizer (see Philadining's nice photo above) was very good, especially the deep fried Arancino (rice ball), the best one I've ever had including a year living in Palermo where this is a specialty, usuually available from street vendors and snack bars. The other items on the plate, tuna fritter, fried mozzarella, and poached tomatoes were good, but not as special. Bread was delicious, with excellent virgin olive oil for dipping. The final wine list is not available yet, but for now, there was a very good selection of Italian bottles with fair prices. Wines by the glass were temporarily limited, with only two reds (a Barberesco and a Barolo at $15 and $18 a glass and several whites at $6 - $7 a glass offered. The Argiolas Vermentino from Sardegna was a great wine at $6 per glass! Service was a bit rough (perhaps to be expected at this point), with one mixed-up order, but was quite friendly, and I was nicely comped a second glass of wine while waiting for the correct plate to arrive. I definitely will be back to work myself through the menu. But although the high quality of food probably justifies the cost in most cases, main courses do seem to be priced fairly high, and there are really no inexpensive appetizers (except for the tripe).

When I lived in Tübingen, there was a good bakery on the ground floor of the shopping center at the Parkhaus at Am Lustnauer Tor. I think this was Bäckerei Schmid. Great Laugenbrötchen and Bretzeln, etc.

Budapest (2nd Ave around 75th St.) Dardanelles (5th Ave just N. of Wash. Sq.) Lüchow's ZumZum Top of the Sixes (for the view and drinks) Georges Rey Ratners

Gayle is a great restaurant! I've had four excellent meals there already, two were three course dinners, and two were ordered a la carte. Everything was interesting and very tasty. Particular favorties -- the foie gras, the cassino chowder, salad, lamb. The names of the dishes may be a bit too cute, but this adds a sense of humor and adventure to the menu. A very nice meal can be made of several of the smaller dishes (not Thurs., Fri., Sat., when only the 3 or 5 course dinner options are available). I particularly like sitting at the 3-4 seat bar not far from the kitchen. There is a very good selection of wines by the glass. Service has been excellent and very friendly. I haven't seen the Philadelphia Magazine review, but I have totally unimpressed with their restaurant section, an ongoing disgrace in my opinion. Gayle definitely deserves an A for food. This little corner of Philadelphia has one of the highest concentrations of outstanding small restaurants. Recent meals at Ansill and Southwark were also excellent (but I do think Gayle is the best of these three).

Too late for your trip, jg488, but for anyone else going to Umbria, I can suggest Il Postale di Marco e Barbara in somewhat out of the way Cittá di Castello. I had lunch their last July (my second visit to the restaurant) and it was one of the best meals of my 3 weeks in Italy. Barbara is the hostess, her husband Marco, the chef, and her brother is the wine steward; all three are very very friendly and set a wonderful mood. What is very special here is that an amazing tasting menu ("La Terre e li Mare di, Degustazione di Antipasti") can be had for only 45 Euros, the biggest dining bargain I've found in Italy, perhaps anywhere. A gift of the chef, a little ball of liver paté with candied red onions, started the meal. The first course was supposed to be a Miso broth with raw tuna and egg, but I mentioned I don't like egg in soup and was offered a dish of fois gras prepared two ways with homemade marmalade and other sauces (not a bad substitution!). Then, a dish of scallops on a bed of spinach with passion fruit and rasberry sauces (yum!). Then, a broth with shrimp and triglie (red mullet), with a timbale of a tomato puree mixed with bread and vegetables (something like a ribbollita). Then, a sort of joke: two oysters placed on a bed of mozzarella di buffala with green lima beans, made to look a bit like a terrine of pig's feet, but delicious. Then (!), a dish of rana pescatrice (angler fish) with porcini mushrooms and asparagi di mare (a delicious sea alga). And then (!!!), a small portion of guancia di vitello (sort of a rich pot roast) with puree of root vegetables. This was followed by several small desserts. I had glasses of wine to match some of the courses: a great sparkling Riesling from Umbria (La Palazola), a Grecchetto (Palazzone, 2003) from near Orvieto, and a Montefalco Rosso (they poured me two glasses of this one). Wines were only a total of 13 Euros! Not only was this a fantastic bargain, but this is really a great restaurant -- very inventive and everything I had was delicious.

I agree with Vinobiondo that Don Alfonso is an exceptional restaurant. My lunch there in June '05 was spectacular. Highlights were a duck breast appetizer with star anise and apple puree, a broth with little riccota cheese morsels and fresh fish, great short thick maccheroni pasta (paccheri) with a type of blue fish and green pepper sauce, and a goat dish with herbs, little potato balls, thin slices of zucchini, and little onions. And there were several other delicious small courses and great desserts. Glasses of wines were paired with the meal (including sparkling Falanghino from Benevento, Bigaró from Piemonte, a great Greco di Tufo from Benito Ferrara, a rich fruity Terre del Principe from Caserta, and a sweet dessert wine from Benevento -- sorry if I misspelled some of these). Service was extremely friendly. After the meal, I was given a tour of their impressive wine cellar, which is said to date from Roman times. The total cost for the gastronomic menu and all wines (not including tip) was 152 Euros, which is a blowout expense for me, but was worth every Euro. This was my second time at Don Alfonso and it is one of my very favorite restaurants in Italy (To put this in perspective, I'd put it right below my two favorites: Le Calandre and Dal Pescatore, but in my opinion well above Al Soriso, Da Caino, La Tenda Rossa, and far superior to my meals at Gambero Rosso and San Domenico.) Far less costly (but still not inexpensive) is another great place, La Caravella, in Amalfi. I first ate there over 30 years ago. It had a Michelin star then, and it has retained it to this day. Ownership has passed from father to son, and the place has a much fancier aura now, but it is still a very comfortable friendly place to dine. I ate supper there last June, a few days before my meal at Don Alfonso. A 70 euro tasting menu included a pate of crustaceans with cream of pumpkin, pesce spada with fennel in olive oil, pasta with shrimp, red pumpkin sauce, and saffron, a version of zuppa di pesce, and a nice piece of very fresh boiled spigola. Again, I had glasses of wine (sparkling Asperina di Aversa, a Falanghino from Sannio, a nice red wine from Salina from Hauser, and a Greco di Tufa from Avellino, and a dessert wine from Sicily). Wines were 28 Euros. This was an outstanding meal, and well worth the cost. Both of these restaurants make an effort to feature local fresh seafood. Don Alfonso also has good meat courses. And both serve a nice selection of wines from Campagna and seem to enjoy having their customers discover new wines. In contrast, I did not particularly enjoy my meal at Quattro Passi. A very nice appetizer of a spring roll filled with triglia (red mullet), tomatoes, basil and capers, was followed by a good dish of cannelloni made of eggplant filled with ricotta and mozzarella, then a very very undercooked plate of paccheri with a mix of seafood [i do like pasta al dente, but this was an error of the kitchen I am sure], then a very rich thin pasta with thin sliced vegetables, which I didn't care for -- too buttery, and finally a plate of 3 types of fish, which was good. Rolls and dessert were unexceptional. Wine was not served by the glass -- I had a half bottle of Greco di Tufo from Feudi S. G... at a reasonable 15 Euros). Annoying was an overcharge for an unasked for second they large bottle of mineral water opened while I was eating dessert. The cost of the food was about 90 Euros. (They do have a nice garden, but dining there on a hot night was not that comfortable.)

A nice place to stay right on Lago d'Orta is Hotel San Rocco. It has very nice but not fancy rooms with views of the lake and there is a great lakeside outdoor pool. Villa Crespi is about 1 km away, so you could dine there and easily return to the San Rocco afterwards.

From my post of April 28, 2004: Also near Schwäbisch Hall is the Prince of Hohenlohe estate, which contains the Wald und Schloss Hotel Friedrichsrühe and its Michelin starred restaurant: I spent one night in this elegant hotel, with an elegant room in the Schloss (chateau) at an off season rate of 135 Euros. The hotel has indoor and outdoor swimming pools and nice woodsy grounds for walks. The restaurant is a very formal room with red fabric walls and green upholstered arm chairs. Tasting menus are offered at 108 and 82 Euros, but they did not seem that interesting so I ordered a la carte. Two amuse gueles were brought to the table -- a little medalion of tuna with asparagus in aspic, and a very small piece of turbot on a bed of wild rice and yellow peppers. My first course was a seafood soup (Krustentierkraftbrühe) with sweet/sour cherry tomatoes. This turned out to be close to a Provençal fish soup without the garlic, aoili, etc., but with delicious cherry tomatoes that had been pickled in some way -- a very delicious and interesting dish (12.50 Euros). My second course was Seeteufel (lotte) with an olive crust served with a lemon flan and broad beans and peas (17 Euros). I found this course to be a bit boring despite the excellent ingredients. Third, I had a lamb course, which consisted of lamb cooked in two ways -- a rare piece of loin wrapped in a thick piece of lamb fat, and a well done piece of leg (I think), served with diced red and yellow peppers, white beans, and a pureé of what might have been kohlrabi. Although the components of the dish were of good quality, the dish did not have that much character and was the least interesting of the courses. I ordered three wines, all from the Hohenlohe estate, by the glass. The Riesling was dry, mildly fruity, but not particularly destinctive. A Sylvaner was very dry and astringent, but went well with the Seeteufel dish. A Pinot Noir was quite ordinary (and in fact the waiter had suggested a Bordeaux, but I wanted to see what they could do with red wine here). Service was formal but efficient. This was certainly the least successful of the four restaurants, but one could see flashes of excellence from the kitchen. Of the four restaurants I am writing about, the Friedrichsrühe was the only one where there were smokers and it was quite annoying. (The other restaurants were Schwarzer Hahn, Deidesheim; Erno's Bistro, Frankfurt; and Wolf's, Schwäbisch Hall-Hessental). Since then, I did get to eat at the Schwarzwaldstube, and had one of my best meals, ever! Definitely at the same level as a number of other three star Michelin restaruants that I've enjoyed in the past two years: Bras, Arzak, L'Arnsbourg, Gordon Ramsey (but perhaps not equal to my very favorites at this level, Le Calandre and Dal Pescatore). I haven't yet been to Bareiss. I found the food at Schwarzwaldstube to be inventive in incorporating a number of German food traditions into the generally French style, making it quite unique. The service was friendly and very attentive, without being uncomfortably intrusive. The wine by the glass suggestions were great, and included not particularly expensive excellent German white wines.

Stimulated by Craig LeBan's three bell review in this Sunday's Inquirer, I stopped by Southwark last night for a bar supper. As expected, the place was almost full, but there were a few seats at the beautiful wooden bar. I had two courses: a wonderful asparagus bisque with smoked salmon, and the "farmhouse plate," a great assortment of paté, cheeses, sliced meats, olives, and sliced fruit. The soup was a substantial bowl, rich and creamy, with delicious bits of the salmon ($6.00). the farmhouse plate (from the appetizer selections) had small pieces of four cheeses (an artisinal machengo, a double cream brie-like cheese, and two other nice cheeses whose names I don't recall), a slice of paté made with chicken and pistachios, slices of boar carpaccio, prosciutto, perhaps 15 olives of different varieties, hazlenut pieces, thinly sliced pears and apples, slices of toasted bread, and slices of spicy homemade bread. (I think this plate was $14.00). Really good! (The only negative for me: the very acidic large green olives.) Equally satisfying was the list of wines by the glass -- many selections from Sussex (the supplier associated with Moore Brothers). I had a glass of delicioius Ratzenberger riesling, followed by a glass of Patrick Rion pinot noir. Both priced under $7.00 per glass, if I remember correctly. All the wines by the glass looked interesting and were priced very fairly. Total bill without tip, but with tax, was $33.00, a very good deal for this level of food. I can't wait to try other items on the menu. The woman eating next to me had a luscious roasted half-chicken main course and her companion was raving about an oysters-on-the-half-shell appetizer. I was happy (at first) that no one was smoking at the bar, but unfortunately for me, a group of three smokers plopped down right next to me halfway through my meal. I think this place will be a food destination, and the owners should really consider a non-smoking policy (this may be a controversial idea in Philadelphia -- but is the law in New York!) Except for the smoke (and the resultant smoky smell on my clothing for the rest of the evening), I thought this was an outstanding place. And fond memories of Alouette, which used to be at this spot long ago, only enhanced my enjoyment. I'd be interested in the opinions of other Egulletiers on Southwark. Did LeBan get this right? I rarely think he does, but so far, I agree with him on this one.

I haven't read the review yet. But I can report on a quick meal/snack I had about two weeks ago at the smoke-free bar (there are two bars, one for smokers, and thankfully, one in the main non-smoking room). The crab bisque was excellent and so were the clams on the half shell (somewhat bigger than little necks; not sure what they were listed as on the menu). Main courses seemed outrageously expensive, but the soup and raw bar items were priced fairly. Wines by the glass were a big big disappointment -- an unimaginative list, and hugely overpriced. I had a nice draft Stella Artois, as it would upset me to pay $9.00 plus for very ordinary wines. Oyster crackers were quite standard and went well with the soup and clams. Bar service was good. On the basis of this very limited experience, I intend to go back and try other items (but I would probably not eat a full meal there).

I also can highly recommend I Setti Consoli in Orvieto, which has excellent food and very gracious service. I cannot understand why they lost their Michelin star. This is a very fine place. My absolute favorite (so-far) in Umbria is Il Postale di Marco e Barbara in Cittá di Castello. The tasting menus are superb -- very fresh ingrediants and innovative, and is a very good value for what is offered (a well deserved Michelin one star). If the weather is nice, you can eat in their pleasant garden. On the outskirts of Perugia, I can recommend the restaurant Gîo Arte e Vini, which is in a modern hotel. They offer regional menus and also great wine pairings, also a good value. In Assisi, I had a very nice meal at San Francesco, located just across the piazza from the Basilica di S. Francesco. What I remember most about this place is having a wonderful antipasto plate. (All the above suggestions are based on meals I've had in the past 20 months.)

Amost all restaurants in Italy have fax connections. In the past few weeks, I've used fax to make reservations for an upcoming trip to Italy in June. I got quick responses from Il Convivio, Quattro Passi, Alle Testiere, Il Postale (Cittá di Castello). Only La Caravella (Amalfi) has thus far not replied. I also used websites to reserve at Don Alfonso and San Dominico, and got quick positive replies. I did write in Italian, which might have helped, but as Il Convivio, Don Alfonso, and San Dominico responded in English, I would guess that an English request would have been equally good (and also indicates that my Italian leaves something to be desired!). I've been using fax for making reservations in leading European restaurants for several years, and it works well.

I was intrigued with all the attention that Tommy Gunn's has been receiving on the site and decided to try out the South Street location. I had the combination BBQ plate and found it extremely disappointing. I fully agree with Holly's assessment of the brisket. The ribs (both kinds) were extremely dry and burned. The pulled pork was good, as was the sauce. The beans were very soupy but I liked the cole slaw, which had an unusual tang. Service was very poor and it was uncomfortable to eat on site because of the loud music. I tried the same combination plate at the Manyunk place a week later (as take out) and there was little difference -- most strikingly, the ribs were really dried out. I much prefer The Smoked Joint, where I've had 4-5 really nice meals, served in a friendly manner (plus one can get good beer). The best BBQ in the past year for me was on the group visit that many of us made to two places in the Northeast (names now forgotten), especially the first place on State Road(?), which had fantastic food including barbecued salmon. Big question for me: why all the attention here for Tommy Gunn's, which I found to be very mediocre.

Noting a post of your's on Dal Pescatore where you mentioned Schwarzwaldstube, how would the two restaurants you mentioned compare? I've been to both Schwarzwaldstube and Bareiss, several times for the former. It is one of my favortie restaurants anywhere in Europe (along with Le Calandre). On Thursday night of this trip I'll be in Paris and will have dinner at Le Cinq. Friday and Saturday are not, for me, considered on the same level. I tried to return to Schwarzwaldstube but couldn't get in. Same result wiht Bareiss. But I'm open to a serious dinner either night. Would either of these approach the two restaurants in the Black Forest? ← The Schwarzer Hahn is not in the same league as The Schwarzwldstube. (I haven't been to Bareiss.) However, the Schwarzer Hahn is definitely worth a trip. Luther is good, but not as interesting as the Schwarzer Hahn. If you go to the S.H., definitely have one of the tasting menus and put yourself in the hands of the sommelier for paired wines. The Pfalzer wines are really interesting and surprisingly good and varied. Because it is fairly south (for Germany), they can grow many varietals here that just cannot be grown in other regions of this country. Here is an excerpt from my comments on the Schwarzer Hahn, written in April, 2004, shortly after my return from a trip to Germany: The Schwarzer Hahn gained some fame internationally when it was said to be the favorite restaurant of former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, a place where he took his foreign guests to impress them with such local specialties as Saumagen (pig's belly). Actually, the restaurant has had a very high culinary standard, consistently receiving a Michelin star and high ratings in the Gault Millau guide (17, down to 16 this year). There's been some change of personnel, with a relatively new chef de cuisine, Stefan Neugebauer. The Deidesheimer Hof also has a second restaurant, the St. Urban, which specializes in the regional food of the Pfalz. I've eaten at the St. Urban before -- it's much more informal and less expensive than the Schwarzer Hahn and does have very tasty Saumagen! Both restaurants were filled to capacity on a recent mid-April Saturday. Options at the Schwarzer Hahn include two 7 course gourmet tasting menus offered at 100 Euros for the "French" menu and 85 Euros for the "regional" menu. One can trim down these to 6 and 5 courses at a reduced cost. I chose a 5 course regional menu at 72 Euros and also chose the 5 course wine service for an additional 35 Euros. One of the highlights of the meal was to have local Pfalz wines paired appropriately with each of the courses. There are many a la carte courses that were enticing as well, including a Saumagen dish with fois gras, but considering the quality of both the food and the wine served on the tasting menu, I was glad I chose that option. Soon after I arrived, I was served an amuse-guele of three little glass jars, filled respectively with a dill cream, chopped matjes herring and apples, and cold spicy asiatic vegetables. Another amuse-guele trio followed: a piece of salmon in thin crispy dough, rice topped with caviar and a quail egg, and a strong consommé with vegetables. All six of these little extras were interesting, the consommé and herring were delicious. Served along with these was a Weisse Burgunder (Pinot Blanc) from near Deidesheim -- dry, spicy, and crisp. Excellent breads (walnut, bacon, and whole wheat) were brought to the table. My first real course was a strudel of spicy rabbit (Kaninchen) served with cold red beets and coconut foam, a stunning combination that was really tasty. The accompanying wine was a Rosé from Schneider, a local vintner, dry with a touch of berries. The second course was a large raviolo stuffed with fois gras, over which was ladeled a broth made from green lentils. This was another interesting and delicious dish. The wine (surprisingly) was a steel fermented Chardonnay (I didn't note down the vintner). I learned from the sommelier that local vintners are experimenting with some non-traditional grapes (Riesling is generally King in the Pfalz, Chardonnay is relatively new in this region) and producing some very interesting wines. This Chardonnay was a bit fruity but was also unusually light and crispy. Next, a risotto with chicken and shrimps was served along with another Chardonnay, this time barrique-aged, fuller and fruitier, from Jacob Pfleger of nearby Herxheim. Again, the combination of wine and food fit well. The chicken in this dish, especially, was outstanding. The fourth course was slices of orange-infused duck breast served with carrots and asparagus. Again, delicious, served with a red blend of Pinot Noir and St. Laurent that tasted better than any red German wine I'd previoiusly tried. Finally, came the cheese course (I substituted servings from the cheese cart for the dessert course listed on the 5 course tasting menu, at no extra charge). I had five cheeses, all French, including a good chevre and a Münster, served with my final wine, a sweet Riesling/Sylvaner hybrid (I didn't note the vintner). A selection of pralines were offered at the end of the meal.