First trip to Italy & my husband and I need restaurant recommendations in the following cities:<BR><BR>Florence<BR>Cinque Terra (Monterossa/Vernazza)<BR>Siena<BR>Spello/Assisi<BR>Rome<BR><BR>We LOVE great food and wine & we are willing to splurge for nice dinners, but tend to like cheaper lunches, unless there's a place not to miss. When in Rome!

I have been to Italy many many times, and I am a total foodie. <BR>FLORENCE:<BR><BR>In florence I would head to Piazza San Spirito, where you will find a cluster of great restaurants. My favorite is Borgo Antico, which is in the middle. The food is classic tuscan with some modern adaptations. The staff is very friendly and hip, and I would highly recommend making a reservation before going. Also in Florence is Aqua al Due -which is very very popular and has fantastic food. I am not sure of the address, but I'm sure the concierge at your hotel can direct you. <BR><BR>Instead of Siena, I would head to San Gimigniano for dinner (about 1/2 hour by bus). I assume you're heading to Italy sometime this winter or spring, and San Gimigniano is gorgeous in the evenings, and completely void of tourists who tend to make it a daytrip from Florence. In San Gimigniano I had a divine culinary experience. If you come into the main square from the entrance gait, you will continue through down a small street past a small church (on your left). Somewhere in those tiny little streets is a restaurant that specializes in classic tuscan cuisine with a medievil flavor. the wine list is divine, and it's situated in a candle-lit dungeon almost. Dinner there was one of the most memorable of my life. Also in Florence you can find a wine tasting tour around the chianti region. It is given by a couple (website is www.accidentaltourist.com) who do either walking or biking tours around the Chianti region. They will pick you up in Florence, take you into the countriside and escort you through the olive groves and a chianti vineyard. Included is a wine tasting and a spectacular lunch at the kitchen table of an old 14th century villa situated on a hilltop. It's an unbelievable experience.<BR>In ROME I recommend a couple of restaurants, one being Cul De Sac - between Piazza Navona and Camp Di Fiori. It serves platters of cheese, meats, escargot, pate, and delicious crusty bread. The highlight of this restaurant is the 250 page wine list, which varies in price from $4 a bottle to $400. It's incredible and I would highly recommend it. <BR>Also, there are plenty of fantastic trattorias and family owned small restaurants in Trastevere, which is a short cab ride from the Vatican or the Centro. <BR>Just use your instincts. Go to places that are out of the way and not in big touristy areas, although the Centro has many great restaurants and is generally very touristy.<BR>So, knock yourselves out and have a blast. I hope you fall in love with Italy as hard as I have.

Firenze<BR><BR>Cibreo is a must. I prefer teh Trattoria around back from the main restaurant. same food lower prices, crowded tables dining with strangers. This is historically based Tuscan food from the era before pasta was common. <BR><BR>Also in Firenze and close to Santo spirito is Casalingha. Casalingha translates as "housewife" so you are in for a down home experience. Great salumi and other simple antipasti. We had roast chicken (pollo ruspante or wild chicken) and boiled tongue with salsa verde. The meal was under $40.00 for 2 and the crowd was a real mix. Painters, plumbers, a patricial woman in the family jewels and several tourists. Lousy wine.<BR><BR>Antica Noe has great sandwiches and nice wines by the glass. Across from there is a middle eastern sandwich shop which makes super felafal and schwerma. At both places you eat standing up after waiting in line for your sandwiches.<BR><BR>I also would skip Siena for dinner and head to San gimignano to Il Pino for a traditional dinner which will feature a lot of game. Very nice wine list. I also love Il Pestello which is on the road from Poggibonsi to Castellina. andother choice is in Castellina called Gallopapa where Chianina beef is the specialty.<BR><BR>My favorite food experience in all of Toscana is La Chiusa in Montefolonico just outside of Montepulciano. Simply one of the great meals of my life.<BR><BR>In Rome:<BR><BR>Agata e Romeo is superb. Nouva Cucina with several fixed menu choices as well as alle carte. I recall a superb smoked duck breast with moscato grapes. The cheese course is super and the wines very nice. It ain't cheap, expect to pay about $100 a head.<BR><BR>La Roseta is my favorite fish restaurant in Rome. Incredible seafood antipasto course which is an assortment of 13 or so dishes ranging from raw marinated fish to shellfish salads all beyond belief. You can have the antipasti and a fish baked in salt and skip the pasta course easily. The wine list is superb featuring many whites from Alto Adige and Friuli which are what I would drink. <BR><BR>In Trastevere there is a real treat- Checco ER Carettiere located at Via Benedetta 10-11-13. Phone is 065817018. From the outside it looks so plain as to skip. But inside there is a wonderful internal garden, perfect in warm weather. They ahve an amazing array of fresh fish on ice. The mixed fried anitpasti is superb. Fried artichokes are addictive. Lamb is highly reccomended. We paid $140 for 4 people for a meal with a lot of seafood. Great selection of inexpensive wines.<BR><BR>FOr an nice working class lunch, starting at the Coloseum, head off toward San clemente. You will pass several touristy cafes and then find yourself in a working class neighborhood. There are several trattorie there. we chose one where we did not see a sign or a name. They had an antipasti table in the window. We had pasta for 4 with a carafe of wine for $20! Very good and huge portion.

Don't miss Il Cane e Gato for a nice dinner in Siena. About $140 for two and 3 1/2 hours, but very special. You need reservations. Do a search on it here and you'll understand what I'm taking about! Try Il Barroccio in Florence for a good dinner.

In CT Monteroso try the Belverdere its right by the water near Hotel Pazqual. Have the sefood appertizer its great. Also for dinner they have ahouse special for two. It's a huge bowl of fish baked in a oven with a tomato sauce. If you like fish you won't want to miss it.