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Italy final thoughts on my trip to Rome, Florence

roosterchef21

By roosterchef21
in Italy: Dining

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roosterchef21

roosterchef21

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Hey! Heading to Italy at the end of March and just had some quick questions.

Rome: Have booking at La Rosetta. Want to go to either Il Chianti or Matricianella. When should I book these? Which is better in the price/quality stakes? I know they are completely different but which would you choose. Any good bakeries around?

Florence: Same questions as with Rome. This time Antellisi or Camillo. Bakeries? Definetely going to Nerbone!

Venice: Is Caffe Quaddri worth it? Have a booking... Which of Alle Testiere or Trattoria Alla Madonna has more traditional Venetian food & better price/quality.

Thanks!

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tupac17616

tupac17616

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Lucky you.

Rome: I enjoyed Matricianella. If you go, the fritto romano (brains, sweetbreads, a few vegetables to keep the cholesterol in check :raz: ) is wonderful. I'd save the Tuscan food for Tuscany, personally, and thus avoid Il Chianti, but that's just my personal preference.

Florence: I wasn't crazy about Camillo, but I think mainly because I was expecting it to be a bit cheaper than it was. Friends that I trust swear by the place, though. Don't know much about Antellesi. Nerbone? Oh god yes. Also the tripe sandwich guys outside Cibreo Trattoria in the afternoons (Tripperia Pier Paolo e Sergio). Bakeries?

- I Dolci di Patrizio Cosi, Borgo Albizi 15r, for pastries

- Dolci e Dolcezze, Piazza Beccaria 8r, for beautiful tarts, cakes, etc

- Forno Bruschi Ivana, Via dell Ariento 21r, for bread

Venice: I can't help you out on any of the three you specifically asked about, but I can tell you that I was in Venice about 2 weeks ago and I had to quite enjoyable, and quite different, meals. The first was Trattoria Ca' d'Oro (spaghetti alla busera? yes please). And the second was, surprisingly (to me at least, because I wasn't expecting to really like the place) at the MET Restaurant in the Hotel Metropole. It's got a Michelin star, and I think chef Fasolato is doing some really delicious things right now. He's interested in Venice's history as an important port for the spice trade, and you see that in his cooking. It's pretty cool. Drop me a PM and I can send you a picture of the menu if you want.

pocketfork
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  • 3 weeks later...
roosterchef21

roosterchef21

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Thanks! Is it a priority to reserve at Matricianella?

I actually thought about the Met but the usual finance issues are a problem. Most of the higher end restaurants I want to go to are in France. Much prefer peasant Italian food than peasant French food. Too heavy I think. Which is why I have stuck to lower end simpler food in Italy.

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Pork Belly

Pork Belly

Posted
Posted (edited)
Hey! Heading to Italy at the end of March and just had some quick questions.

Rome: Have booking at La Rosetta. Want to go to either Il Chianti or Matricianella. When should I book these? Which is better in the price/quality stakes? I know they are completely different but which would you choose. Any good bakeries around?

Florence: Same questions as with Rome. This time Antellisi or Camillo. Bakeries? Definetely going to Nerbone!

Venice: Is Caffe Quaddri worth it? Have a booking... Which of Alle Testiere or Trattoria Alla Madonna has more traditional Venetian food & better price/quality.

Thanks!

For Rome: I had a terrific dinner at Rosetta last September but it was terribly expensive. Glad that we were guests and not paying. Matricianella is solid Roman cooking and is always packed in the evenings so reserve when you get to Rome. Good fried artichokes, pastas and coda. There are many good bakeries off the Campo dei Fiore: Antico Forno, Bernasconi, Roscioli, Forno del Ghetto, Il Fornaio.

Alle Testiere is probably my favorite restaurant in Venice. Some complaint about the rude service and the small packed room. I've have never encountered bad service and for Venice, that could be plain luck. There is no printed menu but a recitation of what is available..all seafood and no meat. The creative antipasti and desserts are uniformly excellent. I've never eaten any primi there. For secondi, the simple grilled seafood are all excellent and comes with a side of grilled vegetables. I prefer those over the overly creative sauteed items. Alla Madonna is a large bustling old-fashioned trattoria. I found the both the waitstaff and the food to be rather tired. As for price it is very moderate by Venice standards.

Edited by Pork Belly (log)
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Maureen B. Fant

Maureen B. Fant

Posted
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Thanks! Is it a priority to reserve at Matricianella?

I actually thought about the Met but the usual finance issues are a problem. Most of the higher end restaurants I want to go to are in France. Much prefer peasant Italian food than peasant French food. Too heavy I think. Which is why I have stuck to lower end simpler food in Italy.

Yes, reserve. You should reserve anywhere you really want to go to, but not too far in advance. Remember that most restaurants and trattorias are quite small.

Maureen B. Fant
www.maureenbfant.com

www.elifanttours.com

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rooftop1000

rooftop1000

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this article may be of help for Venice....

http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/20...e-family-style/

The great thing about barbeque is that when you get hungry 3 hours later....you can lick your fingers

Maxine

Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

"It is the government's fault, they've eaten everything."

My Webpage

garden state motorcyle association

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Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

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Venice. Yum.

Alle Testiere was one of the best meals I've ever eaten. You need a reservation. Even with one we had to wait over half an hour (in lovely weather) outside for a 9:30 seating. Full of people like us who were not Italians, but I didn't care. Diners filed out past us in a stupor and recommended one dish in particular. They were right. The recommended prawn dish was unspeakably good.

I also loved Da Alberto, for more down-home earthy food and relaxed atmosphere.

Check the Venice thread, yah?

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John Talbott

John Talbott

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I've said it before but it's worth repeating: Mestra is the place to stay (one can run) and eat (more Slow Food restos there than the city). Save that, Venice is fun. My recs for all three cities are on those topics, for what it's worth, too.

John Talbott

blog John Talbott's Paris

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roosterchef21

roosterchef21

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So I've finalised my trip. Fly out from Sydney on Monday. Booked the following:

Rome: La Rosetta, Il Bocconcino with options on Il Chianti & Matricianella

Florence:No where booked but narrowed it down to Camillo & Antellisi. Well I do have one booking but it's not really a booking... Nerbone!

Venice: Caffe Quaddri & Alle Testiere booked, Alla Madonna an option

Thanks so much for your help guys... I'll definetely make a report when I get back!

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