Leslie

← Seven years of booking at Gambero Rosso convinces me that the least stressful way for the non-Italian-fluent to book is via fax. It's always worked for us. Just remember to reconfirm (we do it by phone--or your hotel will do it for you) a day or two before. ← To kkwchan: So sorry that you are having trouble booking at Gambero Rosso. Not to be presumptuous, but are you certain that you have their correct contact information? To my knowledge, i signori Pierangelini eschew the web, so if you have found a web site, it may be for one of the many other eating places in Italy with the same name (some of them quite good in their own right, particularly Locanda Gambero Rosso in Bagno di Romagna). But I digress. The most accurate sources of contact information are the Michelin Red Guide and Ristoranti di Italia. They normally close during the winter months, so if you have tried contacting them during that time, your communication could have gone astray. The many times we have been there, la signora Pierangelini is very busy not only attending to the dining room but also the bookings. If your repeated attempts at direct communication have not been successful, then I suggest that you contact your hotel (I'm assuming you are a visitor to Italy, or to the Tuscan coast)--your concierge should be more than capable of booking a table for you. Just remember to reconfirm the day before. I do wish you luck. Despite the bashing that this restaurant sometimes endures, in our experience it has always lived up to our expectations and often exceeded them. We are not "special people" but we have always been treated with warmth and hospitality, not only by the owners and staff, but also by fellow diners. And the food? Well, the pigeon alone is worth the trek, year in and year out. And when we want to salivate on the keyboard, we bring up our pictures of last year's chef's menu (not the degustazione--the full blown "sorpesa" with an added course or pigeon)--to us, worth every Euro. As for wine selection, steer clear of the obvious (if excellent) selections and be guided by la signora--she has led us to many excellent and (relatively) affordable wines from the immediate area. Some have become favorites that we seek out in the U.S.

We're going to try Calandrino next month (October) after having previously had a really fun (and exquisite) lunch at Le Calandre two years ago. When are you there? We'll share our impressions when we return at the end of October.

← Seven years of booking at Gambero Rosso convinces me that the least stressful way for the non-Italian-fluent to book is via fax. It's always worked for us. Just remember to reconfirm (we do it by phone--or your hotel will do it for you) a day or two before.

The highlights of our visit last year were Locanda nel Borgo Antico, now removed to a new location outside Barolo, Le Clivie (also newly relocated), but most of all All' Enoteca in Canale. We also tried Antico Corona Real, where I had a truly enjoyable finanziera, and Cesare Giaccone's newly named place, which I would advise passing up. For an astoundlingly affordable and deep wine list, consider Locanda del Arco in Cissone -- food is basic and abundant, the wine is the show.

We found Da Amerigo thoroughly satisfying, with the rusticated dining rooms totally belying the modern kitchen. You will find what we presume to be emilian specialities that we haven't seen elsewhere. I believe that they are only open for dinner on weeknights (we went for Sunday lunch), so recommend a weekend lunch (or an overnight stay at the locanda)--the drive is very pretty once you escape the Bologna dintorni. Leslie

In Bologna, consider da Buriani, which is a fairly short drive from Bologna, in lieu of Al Cambio. We have eaten very well at both, and enjoyed them both, but give da Buriani the edge because of the warmth and good cheer of the place. Al Cambio we found correct in all respects, certainly no complaints (except for their cancelling our reconfirmed booking at the last minute last year--ask me about the really fun all-you-could-eat place our favorite concierge directed us to instead) and the food is very good, but this year we chose Buriani. Enjoy your trip! Leslie

It's been a few years, but we do have warm memories of the Auberge de l'Ill. We stayed at the inn and ate at the restaurant on our first night in Alsace. Jet lag and intervening 5 years contribute to disrecollection of details, but we do remember a marvelous time with a very satisfying meal of heightend (as you would expect) countryside specialities. We would go back in a hearbeat if we weren't so currently enamored of Italy. We also thought Au Crocodile would be worth a try as well, based on some "take-out" we got to provision our canal boat.

Docsconz, Thanks for the timely post. We are booked next month at both Osteria Francescana (for the first time) and Hosteria Giusti (for about the hundredth time). Having read the SloTrav item as well as a sharply worded recensione in Tigullovino, we have had some of Cyn's anxiety about the choice of Francescana, but you have bolstered our confidence, adding to Gambero Rosso's 2004 observation that there seems to have been an evolution from pretentious dishes toward a more mature and balanced approach. We'll let you know how we fared. . . Leslie

A Google search turns up CookItaly.comwhich advertises 1-day classes.