Italy for the Gourmet Traveler - European Travel Books

Paperback - 03 June, 1996 - Little, Brown
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By: Fred Plotkin
ISBN: 0316710709

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Reviews by readers

A Must for every traveler to Italy to have in advance....

Fred Plotkin is an expert on food and dining in Italy. He takes meticulous notes. I know this, because I'm a food and dining columnist, and I had the privilege of traveling through the Veneto area of Italy with Fred a few years ago. He knows his stuff about Italy, trust me! I've been to Italy at least 20 times so far, and I still consult his book whenever someone asks me where to eat in Italy as they travel! It's not a book you want to lug around in your backpack, but I use it as a resource and make a copy of the recommendations that refer to the specific places on my itinerary, and tuck those into my suitcase, in separate envelopes for each area, labeled, so I can easily retrieve the relevant recommendations for that area upon arrival at each point. Fred writes for Gourmet Magazine and other periodicals about food.
I LOVE this book!
Don't go to Italy without consulting it, or one of the regional books by Fred Plotkin, first!

The bible for eating in Italy

If I had only one book to take with me when travelling in Italy, this would be it! Fred Plotkin's taste is impeccable. He's not a snob, and although not adverse to the occasional expensive restaurant, he generally leads you elsewhere: to the local trattorias that serve up sublimated versions of the local, home-cooked cuisine. His adjunct entries (food stores, markets, etc.) are also wonderful and fascinating. Some of the entries are out of date, but this is still essential for any food-loving traveller (and why go to Italy if you're not?).

Must have for anyone traveling to Italy that loves food

I have used this book extensively during two trips to Italy, which covered approximately 45 days. This book is invaluable if you want to experience Italy like a "real" Italian.

The author does a nice job explaining the various types of eating establishments (ristoranti, trattoria, osteria, enoteca, tavola calda, etc.) and how what you can expect in those establishments is different. The author also does a fabulous job of listing the various names for food stores and what they sell. This is extremely helpful if your Italian is weak or nonexistent. Also helpful for the first time visitor to Italy is the discussion of how to purchase something in a food shop. Most Americans are unfamiliar with the concept of paying first at the cashier, and then taking the ticket to the person who will prep your food. But in a gelateria or pizza shop this is just how it is done. Also nice, is how the author explains the table charge (or cover charge), what it is for, and that is optional since many locals will stand at the bar to eat.

Regional specialties are covered in this book in reasonable detail. This is very helpful for getting into the spirit of a place and enjoying what is native to their geography. The Italians are very big on this notion and are fiercely loyal to their own products. If you want to fit in like an Italian, it is helpful to know how what you order in Firenze is different from Roma, or Venezia.

I have found the authors recommendations on restaurants to be right on target. Many of the restaurants he recommends I had been in prior to purchasing this book and found that I agreed with his selections.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that loves food, and wants to enjoy the best that Italy has to offer.

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