Hello PjDougie, your lucky mom!

I have always loved the pizza in Italy but some people that like a thick crust pizza don't care for the pizzas in Italy.

Just a note, in case you are not aware. When ordering pizza to eat at the establishment, one orders an individual pizza for each person and you eat it with a fork, not in your hands.

Have a wonderful trip and be sure to buy your mom a gelato each and every day!

My pizza suggestion is meant more as an appetizer or to be served with salad, not a meal....sorry if I was not clear, I assumed it was obvious.

Guess I didn't proofread enough. My first suggestion above was Florence, not Venice!

Agilepagile, my experience in Italy ( which admittily was years ago) is that their pizza is nothing like our pizza. Although the thin crusted pizza is now more popular here then it was years ago,, the other main difference is pizza there is not about piling on the toppings. Its usaully a very thin slice of meat or a slice or two of tomatoe, with a sprinkle , literaly a sprinkle of cheese. Tasty , but nothing like pizza hut.

Hi A,

>I thought they meant lunch or dinner pizzas, which I hope would have either cheese or some kind of pizza sauce. Without either, it wouldn't be something I would order.

Dear Colleague,

Get out of your provincial mindset. :)

Have a pizza with olive oil, herbs and a sprinkling of Reggiano Parmesano or Pecorino Romano.

Rub the crust with garlic clove before baking.

((I))

Ira - thanks for the garlic tip!

Ira, I've had pizza all over Italy. By the square or the whole pie. In Venice, Rome, Naples, CT. I love the thick square pizzas I had in Palermo and Catania. All the pizza had at least some cheese on it . That's all I am saying. I just need some cheese on it and you can find it my way all over Italy. I am half Sicilian and half Italian and am well traveled in my 58 years. I know and love pizza just not cheeseless pizza. I am a foodie. I was executive chef at a famous restaurant in Los Gatos, Ca for 6 years. Sorry but I need cheese on my pizza, not always red sauce but always some cheese. I am done! Agile out!

Was it on this site or another one where more than one person reported some weird fad in Italy of putting cut up hot dogs on a pizza?

I certainly hope that the fad has ended.

yum, I agree with Vincenzo, Da Ettore, Via Santa Lucia in Napoli.
I still like Da Michele there too, it is my old standby.

Another thank you to Vicenzo for his recommendation of Da Ettore. I have it on my list!

The only pizza I have seen sans cheese in Italy has been the pizza bianca described above. And this is really more of a bread than a pizza. Of course you want cheese on your pizza!

<b>Venice: Ae Oche</b> (pronounced &quot;A-OK.&quot;)
Santa Croce 1552

Location On Calle del Tintor south of Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio, In Santa Croce

Transportation Vaporetto: Equidistant from Rio San Biasio and San Stae.

Good pizza &amp; starters at Ae Oche.

<b>Rome: Da Baffetto</b>
Via del Governo Vecchio 11, Rome, Italy · 06-6861617

We were in Rome in early January 2008 &amp; ate at Da Baffetto twice. We really loved it! They open for dinner at 6:30pm. Get there about 5-10 minutes early or you'll have to wait in line. The pizza is great!! They also have starters &amp; salads.

I just got home from Italy and can recemmond two places in Rome.
The best restorante We ate at in Italy, I'm sure there is lots more, was At La Rupe Tarpea Ristorante Pizzeria. It's right next to the Cappuccini which your mother may be interested in seeing we sure were.

As we came out we were starving and saw the Pizzeria. To us it looked to touristy and we thought about trying else where but decided it was a crap shoot as it turned out it was the best and not that expensive either. I paid 11 euros for the best scaloppine I have ever had, my companions had pizza which I tired and it was the best. I had bread with mine that was incredible. It was cut like a slice of pizza but was cracker thin and airy in the middle, it was lightly dusted with olive oil, sun dried tomatoes and basil, awesome. I'd love to know how to make it.



About a half a block to a block from the Trevi fountain is a small pizza place that makes pretty good pizza, we got ours to go and it was just fine. As you face the fountain go straight to your left on the alley road and it's on the left side as you are walking down.

The other places in Florence and Sorrento were just okay and over priced but I'm sure we didn't hit the good ones.

The best pizza are made with buffalo mozzarella as I found out, hard to find at home had to track down an Italian market.

Don't forget that pizza was invented in Naples and is a foreign dish in northern Italy. The first pizzeria in Milan, for example, did not open until 1960, compared to 1950 for Paris, and 1930 for Marseille or New York.

Dar Poeta in Roma is my favorite.
I wish I were back there right now.

kerouac, they are still putting hot dogs on pizza!

In Florence - Baldovino's located on the street that runs beside Santa Croce (north side I believe). It is wonderful!!

Susan P, La Dolce Vita is in Rome, Plaza de Navarro (sorry, not sure of the spelling, it was 2 years ago).

The best pizza anywhere, anytime, in the world must be in Florence in a small restaurant called Semolina. The pizza was fresh basil and cheese. We actually went 3 times just for the pizza. They only serve pizza at night.

This restaurant was recommended by the owner of the hotel.

I read just the other day that NO real Italian would eat Pizza with a fork....only with the hands (often rolled up).
Someone above mentioned &quot;with a fork&quot;.
I really don't care, one can eat how they feel the most comfortable, but I am wondering which way the Majority of Italians eat pizza.

We'll be in Italy in a few weeks for about the 5th time, ...and it seems I remember pizza being eaten both ways. OK?.
(but I am a libra, com si, com sa!:))))

If you buy a slice of pizza on the street, obviously you eat it with your hands.

Otherwise, in restaurants, knives and forks are used, but nobody will arrest you if you can't deal with the technique.