Customer Reviews:
 Title says it all! June 28, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I love this book. It's an unusual mixture, a hard book to categorise, but that's its stength. For many who come to Tuscany it's the perfect mixture as the great food and beautiful scenery combined are such a part of the pleasure. Beth Elon suggests driving routes with places to see along the way, then explains the food specialities of each area,lists special places to eat, then gives a few sample recipes from each restaurant. One of the real strengths is the local specialities information, as it really highlights some of traditions and how food can be unique to a particular small location not just 'Tuscany' as a larger region. We have found the restaurants that we've tried from the book to be just as described, with excellent, good value food and have found thanks to the book some wonderful, but out of the way places that we would probably never have discovered by ourselves. For those for whom food is key part of the holiday or for those who want to find out about the less touristed parts of Tuscany 'off the beaten track' as the sub-title states, this is a great book. It also serves a duel function of being a good read before a trip for planning and getting in the mood but also useful to bring along for routes, places to see and places to eat when you're actually in Tuscany (if travelling by car, not a public transport oriented book) If, like me, you plan your days out around a good lunch, then it's the ideal book!
The most wonderful way to eat your way around Tuscany May 26, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Being a food lover and a keen traveler it is a battle to find a travel guide which will give me the depth of information that I would like about both the area and the food. Beth Elon has produced the perfect combination for anyone like me. She combines simple day trip driving routes around the beautiful Tuscan countryside (with views to look at, churches to visit and villages to wander through) with incredible restaurants. She mixes expensive, grand restaurants with small, rustic ones where you will be the only foreigner but will feel welcomed as an honoured guest. In all the places that I ate in on my last trip I didn't have a singe bad meal in fact, given the chance I would go back and have every single one again and again. The only draw back is that because some of the places listed are very local they are also quite hard to find - so except maybe a bit of driving around looking for the restaurant. Then again, you get to see far more of the countryside that way, so it is not all bad.
After each restaurant entry (complete with address, pricing bracket and directions) Beth provides a wonderful chatty style summary of the style of place, food and owner. More importantly to any foodies out there she also includes at least one of the restaurants staple dishes so that you can go home and re-produce the fantastic food you ate.
I cannot rate this book highly enough if you are planning to visit the Florence area. Read, travel, eat, enjoy!
Buy, cook, then travel (by car). January 14, 2007
2 out of 8 found this review helpful
I buy many books, but not often cookbooks. This winter, I changed this pattern and bought Beth Elon's book, Georgio Locatelli's amazing blockbuster, and River Cafe Cookbook Easy. A feast of Christmas reading. But my feelings of pride and happiness are for Beth's very personal approach. I hope that Locatelli and Gray/ Rogers will visit her. They will enjoy themselves with such a personable, beautiful woman in a very special location - and learn a lot too! There is an excellent B & B nearby.
|
