Trattorias of Rome, Florence, and Venice

Rating:
Summary: Teriffic guide to trattorias
Review: This book is terrific! I frequently travel to Italy and have tried a number of the trattorias reviewed in this book. I find Ms. Fant's reviews not only dead on target, but full of details that greatly enrich my appreciation of places I thought I knew. With this book as a new guide I am more eager than ever to try many restaurants in Italy that I had never heard of, or had never made it to on previous visits. The book is really much more than the usual restaurant guide. It provides so much more information about the people, the culture, and the history of specific restaurants and of the cuisines of the regions it covers! Ms. Fant obviously loves her subject, and she combines her passion with a scholar's eye for detail and -- a real bonus -- with a lively, engaging, often amusing style of writing that makes her passions infectious. She gives us rare insights into the heart of what many of us consider the world's greatest cuisine, how it got that way, and how it may now be evolving. This book can serve many kinds of readers: For those planning a visit to Italy, it provides an entertaining and informative introduction to regional eating customs and specialties. On the road in Italy, it should be an invaluable companion, providing not only detailed restaurant reviews but English-language glossaries of the dishes one is most likely to find on local menus. And for armchair travelers who enjoy good food and its culture, it is simply a great read!

Rating:
Summary: Teriffic guide to trattorias
Review: This book is terrific! I frequently travel to Italy and have tried a number of the trattorias reviewed in this book. I find Ms. Fant's reviews not only dead on target, but full of details that greatly enrich my appreciation of places I thought I knew. With this book as a new guide I am more eager than ever to try many restaurants in Italy that I had never heard of, or had never made it to on previous visits. The book is really much more than the usual restaurant guide. It provides so much more information about the people, the culture, and the history of specific restaurants and of the cuisines of the regions it covers! Ms. Fant obviously loves her subject, and she combines her passion with a scholar's eye for detail and -- a real bonus -- with a lively, engaging, often amusing style of writing that makes her passions infectious. She gives us rare insights into the heart of what many of us consider the world's greatest cuisine, how it got that way, and how it may now be evolving. This book can serve many kinds of readers: For those planning a visit to Italy, it provides an entertaining and informative introduction to regional eating customs and specialties. On the road in Italy, it should be an invaluable companion, providing not only detailed restaurant reviews but English-language glossaries of the dishes one is most likely to find on local menus. And for armchair travelers who enjoy good food and its culture, it is simply a great read!

Rating:
Summary: This Book is not Helpful to the Average Tourist
Review: Though I only used the Florence section of Maureen's book, I found her trattoria reviews to be both highly accurate and descriptive. True some of the Florentine establishments she recommended and my husband and I ate in were not trattorias in the strict sense of the word but who cares?! Every single one was exactly as described, not a ringer in the bunch. Besides the food, the author also pays close attention to the ambiance in the reviewed trattorias. If it's noisy or there's little English spoken, Maureen will tell you and she'll be right! As a long-time reader of her Italian restaurant reviews for the New York Times, I have learned that Maureen Fant knows her stuff. Her newest book further proves this point. No traveler to Rome, Florence, or Venice should leave home without it!

Rating:
Summary: Right on the money!
Review: Though I only used the Florence section of Maureen's book, I found her trattoria reviews to be both highly accurate and descriptive. True some of the Florentine establishments she recommended and my husband and I ate in were not trattorias in the strict sense of the word but who cares?! Every single one was exactly as described, not a ringer in the bunch. Besides the food, the author also pays close attention to the ambiance in the reviewed trattorias. If it's noisy or there's little English spoken, Maureen will tell you and she'll be right! As a long-time reader of her Italian restaurant reviews for the New York Times, I have learned that Maureen Fant knows her stuff. Her newest book further proves this point. No traveler to Rome, Florence, or Venice should leave home without it!

Rating:
Summary: Great Recommendations!
Review: We tried a number of recommended places and all were great. The recommended dishes were also great. A must have if you love to eat!

Rating:
Summary: Great Recommendations!
Review: We tried a number of recommended places and all were great. The recommended dishes were also great. A must have if you love to eat!