Will be in Rome, Florence and Venice the first part of August and was just curious if there are any recommendations for dining in those cities? I know about Da Baffeto, the pizza place in Rome, but need some other recommendations as I have never been there. I have two teenage daughters, one of which prefers more "Americanized" food, and will probably not be willing to experiment too much, but once there, she may be game to try something different. THanks in advance for your help!
That's an awesome trip you're planning! I don't have recommendations on restaurants because when I went to Italy I was eating at take away bakeries and the like but be aware that traditional restaurants in Italy are very expensive and the servings are usually not very large. There is a bakery in Rome I loved. It's on Via Ottaviano just north of the Vatican. It's a long straight street. If you walk north on it a about 5-6 blocks from the Vatican is a discreet bakery in the basement of the building. What I liked about it was it was open very early and very late at night and had some cheap, delicious pastries. Also, since one of your kids isn't in to branching out very much (exactly like me when I was a kid!) don't assume he'll go for most of the pizzas there. They have very thin crusts and a lot of unusual toppings with very little cheese, generally. I recommend any of the multitude of bakeries and pastry shops in Italy, they are fun to splurge in. Just bear in mind you'll have to eat it as you walk or sit in a square.
When I did that circuit several years ago, I relied heavily on the "Let's Go!" travel book. Since it is aimed at college age travelers, I would expect that its recommendations would apply to teenagers as well.
I wish I could remember the name of the small restaruant in Florence. The food was allsome! Look up Fiesole. If nothing else, its a great view!
I was in Florence with family in 2006. We took a walking tour from one of the locals and she recommended Coquinarius. It's a small restaurant off the beaten bath, near the Duomo. She said a lot of the locals eat there. We ate and fell in love with it. Ate there 2 more times during our week in Florence. The food was just so fresh and grown locally. Haven't tasted anything like it here in the states. Italian restaurants in the states taste nothing like the restaurants in Italy. Of course in Italy during lunch the wait staff is not in a hurry. You could literally hang out all afternoon eating great food and drinking fabulous wines from the region. Check out the link below for the location and reviews by folks from US who ate there. Enjoy your stay. It's a beautiful city. I'm not a real big city guy when it comes to vacations, although I've lived in big cities all my life, but Florence is pretty amazing. Beautiful women everywhere! The Link
In Florence, a couple of blocks off the main plaza, there is a little panini place that is great for lunch or a snack. It has no seating (a literal hole in the wall), you just buy your sandwich and eat on the sidewalk. I believe it is call "I Fratellini" and is in the Lonely Planet guidebook. Also, you get a glass of wine with your sandwich. I also remember a good place across from the Medici Cathedral (which, by the way is incredible) If your daughters aren't too keen on the fook, just let them eat Gelato; cant' go wrong there.
I think most restaurants are on Campbell Rd, but there is a Texas Best Smokehouse at the Shell station on Dale Evans.
I prefer Uptown Cafe on Main Street or Mama's Place over on Moseley. Uptown is so good they usually run out of food by early afternoon.
