Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Just back from Florence

Quickie trip report for anyone interested.

My husband and I just got back from one of the Go Today Thanksgiving trips ($1399 for air and three star hotel, I think?). We left for Florence from Newark on Wednesday evening and returned yesterday.

Here's a very brief rundown of what we did, saw, ate, and experienced.

Grand Hotel Minerva: good solid hotel (nice buffet breakfast) in a terrific but slightly seedy area right in the Santa Maria Novella square. If you like to sleep past 7am or can't sleep through frantic church bells, however, find somewhere else. The bells were beautiful, but LOUD! Rooms are clean, modern, and well cared for. Excellent staff too.

Sights: overall, the city was very accessible. We didn't have to wait or pre-reserve for anything, and the museums were very civilized. I have been to Florence twice before and hated it because of the flood of tourists; this is the nicest trip I've ever had. I wouldn't consider visiting the city any other time of year.

Quirks: David is indeed covered in scaffolding (at least partially), but you can still get a good sense of the statue. Don't miss the computerized "tour" of the sculpture; it's a fascinating way to see details that are otherwise impossible to see. Titian's "Venus of Urbino" and Raphael's "Virgin with the Goldfinch" (?) are among several major paintings not on display at the Uffizzi. Well, I'll have to go back. Bargello is closed random Sundays and Mondays. I'll have to go back there too. Pitti Palace closes different portions and it doesn't say on the ticket when you purchase. Make sure you check. We missed the modern art gallery and the costume gallery by five minutes, even though we already paid. I'll have to go back.

(Do I detect a theme?)

On to the restaurants...

Latini (near Santa Maria Novella): had delicious roasted chicken (that was my Thanksgiving dinner) while my husband had rabbit. Server turned out to be from same small town as my husband's mom (Benevento), but service didn't improve. Food good; service average; house chianti excellent.

Il Ritrovo (near San Lorenzo): lives up to all the raves posted here (thanks, Ira!). I had wonderful mushroom tagliatelle and my husband's mushroom risotto was equally good. Main course was shared mixed grill, which was delicious. We ordered roasted potatoes to accompany (wonderful) and mixed vegetables (ok, so they were a bit blah). I tried the limoncella while my husband had his espresso. Service was superb, food was very good.

Casalinga (near Santa Spirito): Really a local spot. Started with mixed antipasti (seafood and bruscetta), then followed with superb spaghetti with tomato sauce. Husband had cingale (boar) over polenta and I had the famous steak. Unfortunately, the meal was ruined by two patrons who sat next to us and smoked non-stop. Sorry smokers, but I know we Americans are spoiled. These guys were about two inches away from us, and I've never seen anyone smoke, eat, drink, and talk simultaneously. That alone made it an experience, but my husband was just anxious to leave. We both came home and took showers immediately after. I know...it's Europe and we should expect it. I'm just warning anyone. I wouldn't go back unless the place were absolutely empty. Rough house chianti too.

Baldovino (near Santa Croce): Non smoking section was a huge bonus. Best food of the trip, but service was lackluster. We shared mixed bruscetta (black cabbage, bacon, and tomato--all fantastic) and smoked fish (salmon, trout, and tuna). Then we shared a small pizza (artichokes, mushrooms, and fresh tomatoes). Main courses were mixed sausages and filet with balsamic vinegar/mustard sauce. Really delicious...every bit of it. House chianti was very very drinkable.

Vivoli (near Santa Croce): best gelati my husband has ever had. He said the zabaglione (the English translation was egg nog!) tasted just like the stuff his mom used to give him for breakfast. The chocolate with chips was amazing, and the hazelnut was the best of all. I can't eat the stuff because I'm allergic to dairy, but I did find a place near Santa Maria Novella (where our hotel was) that made soy gelatti. Delicious!

Food quirks: overall, the bread and olive oil were lackluster. Bread tended to be too bland (I guess the Italians use less salt in the prep), and the olive oil wasn't nearly as good as the stuff we had in Spain (Seville, particularly). Food sharing happened all around us. The waiters automatically bring extra forks for dessert in most cases, even though I can't usually eat it.

That's it for now! Happy travels to all....