I am guilty on the last point in a few cases, most of them connected to food I've had in Italy. I won't waste your time with Vivoli's gelato, pizza in Trastevere, or Bellini and panini at Harry's Bar - all wonderful fare, but soooo overhyped. The places I'm listing here are not easy to get to, and probably not exactly where you're going, but, if you're anywhere near the neighborhood, are worth the travel time. ( N.B. Not my fault if your experience isn't as enjoyable as mine since, in many cases, it's been a few years since my last visit to the restaurant.)
Al Castello, Vernazza (Cinque Terre) A view to die for (actually, you may die on your hike up the hill to get here), and a pesto lasagne that I've tried to replicate many times. I went back to the Cinque Terre two years after the first trip, mostly for the lasagne, and asked for the recipe, which was gladly given to me by the Signora who makes it every day: 12 layers of hand-rolled pasta with a bechamel-pesto sauce, (more bechamel than pesto) between every layer. We were in Liguria, where they invented pesto; she even revealed that they use both Parmiggiano-Reggiano and Pecorino cheeses with the basil, pine nuts and olive oil that they chop in a food processor. I've made it many times, and it's never come out as good as the pasta I've, sadly, only had the pleasure of eating twice. Sorry, but I can't speak for the other dishes offered since I've only tried the one.
Trattoria La Fiasca, Sirmione Firstly, Sirmione is a beautiful town on Lake Garda in the north of Italy, just west of Verona. Entering the borgo of Sirmione on the wooden footbridge, you are instantly transported into medieval times, surrounded by the stone fortifications of the Rocca Scaligera Castle. Shops and gelaterie have taken the place of the workshops and huts of those serving the Lombard King, but the structures have remained the same, and the streets that take you through the tiny peninsula have changed very little.
But enough about beautiful Sirmione. I visited Trattoria La Fiasca long, long ago on a very stormy night, and we had driven in from Verona, so it's close enough that you don't have to stay overnight. It was cold, so we ordered grill pork chops which were lightly dressed in olive oil, and were delicious enough on their own, but the thing that I can't get out of my head was the bruschetta (please say "bru-skett-a" and not "bru-chett-a") that was simply bread toasted on the grill and DRIZZLED WITH THE PAN DRIPPINGS FROM THE PORK CHOPS. I won't insult anyone with further elaboration; if you don't get it, I'm not interested in converting you. Just know that I, (not a foodie, may I remind you) returned to Sirmione on two other occasions but was unable to revisit my food nirvana because I didn't have reservations, and yes, I did beg.
Ristorante Le Capannine, Barberino di Mugello (near Florence)
We found this little jewel on a car trip from Florence to Rome by way of recommendation from a truck driver. Never judge a book by its cover, and I refer to the truck driver who we Americans in the car would not have approached - fortunately, we had an Italian in the car who knew better. The restaurant is right off Autostrada A, in a rustic stone house (capannina is the Italian word for hut). Upon entering, you are warmly welcomed by dried sausages and prosciutti hanging from the ceiling, and not so warmly welcomed by a burly, also rustic, man positioned behind a wood-fired grill. After one whiff we unanimously voted to stay. Our meal consisted of ribollita (vegetable soup cooked with bread), a cold-cut platter with various dried sausages, prosciutto, mortadella, and cheeses, and a huge platter of grilled meats: pork chops, bistecca alla Fiorentina, and sausages. Our bill was considerably lower than what we paid to eat in Florence and Venice, and the owner and employees were friendly and spoke English (the man at the grill didn't have to be friendly - he was a magician.) I can't wait to go back and clean my plate with that wonderful bread.
Don't worry - I wouldn't leave you without the links:
Ristorante Al Castello
Trattoria La Fiasca
Ristorante La Capannine
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