Italy for the Gourmet Traveler

by Fred Plotkin

Fred Plotkin takes us beyond the traditional tourist experience and lures us to special places, whether in big cities or out-of-the-way villages. Under his discerning eye, we learn about the food, wines, local bakeries, olive oil distilleries, cheeses, markets, restaurants, and best kept secrets of Italy's culinary world. Lovingly drawn portraits of the people who make world-famous regional specialties, and local history make each village, town, and city come alive.

Genres: Travel, Italy, Food, Nonfiction, Cooking, Cookbooks

736 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Most restaurant guides to Italy list famous and very costly 'temples of gastronomy' or eateries that offer cheap but filling tourist menus, but this book is intended to direct you to the flavors that Italians grew up with and cherish."

That's the guiding thought behind this book. Fred Plotkin takes you through Italy and shares with you the amazing classic tastes of each town and region. He shares, of course, restaurants. He also shares food markets. He even lists good bookstores in some of the cities.

"My idea of what makes a good restaurant is that you feel the food has been cooked for you."

And that's what he does. In 723 amazing pages.

[TurksMaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is clearly and above the best food book for traveling Italy. Fred goes into not only suggestions on places to eat - by city, region and most importantly, places to make an effort to get to, or get in to. He describes regional nuances and likes all while giving the reader a digestible volume of information.

Don't sit through in a fast reading! That's like trying to eat all Italian food in one day. It's meant to be enjoyed with targeted reading.

Make notes in the book, it will help. I made notes, then took photos of them to carry with me on my phone so I made sure to catch the places in Italy that stirred me.

I used these notes during a month trip in September of 2018 and there were NO disappointments. It also helped me understand more of what and how to order. Invaluable.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! Its taken me to places I wouldn't have thought about going or discovered on my own. I tell people I once went 5,000 miles for ice cream and I'm not completely kidding. I shaped part of a trip to Sicily around a little town there, all based on Plotkin's fascinating write-up of a bakery and gelato shop. 10 years later I still talk about it.

Although it can be used as a bit of a guide book, its much more a collection of travel essays or articles (the kind of thing one used to read in the Sunday paper 25 years ago). Its great inspiration or armchair travel

Agreed, that you don't want to travel with this tome. But for the places you'll be traveling, you can easily scan pages and drop the PDF on your phone or copy them and carry paper, if that's more your style.

[Alex Roe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb! I'd been looking for a good guide to Italy's cuisine for ages and this fitted the bill perfectly. It contains lots of regional delicacies and information on wine as well. If you really want to discover Italy's cuisine, this book is well worth adding to your library. As far as I know it's not yet out in ebook format which is a shame because it's quite a lump to haul around and if you are heading to Italy, you should bring it with you!

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware: this guide is heavy and thick and weighs a ton, and you probably don't want to travel with it (unless you slice out the relevant pages, as I have), but it’s full of fantastic eating information, broken down by region. Lists of restaurants, cafes, enotecas, recipes, etc. are provided along with general introductory essays about the pleasures of eating in Italy.

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, and it's not just about food, although that certainly is it's major focus. It's a big, heavy book, which I didn't want to lug around Italy, so I took copious notes. Good information about days, months, seasons when they are closed (most restaurants are not open every day), with price guidelines, and dishes not to be missed.

[Elizabeth Minchilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The updated version of Fred Plotkin's Italy for the Gourmet Traveler is a must for anyone traveling to Italy. Although much has changed, and you can probably find more current information on the internet, Plotkins reviews of classics, and his descriptions of areas, regions and towns still holds true and is a great help in planning your culinary trip to Italy.

[Curt · Rating 4 out of 5]

We used this book (and the earlier edition) on our most recent trips to Italy. We followed some of the specific recommendations, but found the accompanying essays about the regions and cities we visited to be indispensable.

[Shona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Fred Plotkin may travel in more refined circles than we do. However, he gave great suggestions about where to eat and go in Italy. When we didn't have his guidance, we felt lost and bereft.

[Melissa Ooten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Salivating at the mere thought... Cannot wait for May 28!!

[Lisa Harwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes I have read this and my dream is to one day go and find all the wonderful things a culinary geographer finds.

[Murat Egrikavuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travelling to Italy? Get this book, even if some of the recomemnded restaurants/cafes are no longer there, the introductory chapters to regions alone are worth the price.

[Elizabeth]

As heard on Rick Steves Audio Europe.