ramalama

Hello all. Three weeks in the trenches, many stories to tell, but that will come after we're thru! Now it's on to finding the best (read authentic, non-touristy) meatballs and spagetti I can for my husband the m&s fanatic. Any suggestions?
And for me, a facial, sauna, body massage, hair session in Florence...any ideas?
As always, many thanks.
R.

Zerlina

Sorry, but spaghetti and meatballs is an Italian-American invention, and any place in Italy that would serve it is, by definition, inauthentic.

i_am_kane

I've been to Italy four times, and have never seem spaghetti and meatballs on a restaurant menu. (I would think this would be especially true in Firenze.)

It is possible that spaghetti and meatballs is an American-Italian dish because it was cheap to make and filling. Our family, and my Italian friends, ate this meal (almost) too frequently growing up.

Perhaps it is more common the further south you go to find this dish, e.g. Sicily.

i_am_kane

I agree with you Zerlina.

ramalama

oh, woe is me! But thanks...so, now on to the second part of the question...what about me? I would hope that beauty care is as old as this land?!
R.

Pausanias

There is sort of a half-truth here. The Italians do make meatballs -- polpettine -- but do not usually serve them with spaghetti. They are somtimes served by themselves in a little sauce, as an appetizer or second course, simmered in soups and, yes, baked in pasta casseroles such as lasagna or baked rigatoni.

You are more likely to find them in Rome than Florence.

ramalama

For what it's worth, a restaurant recommended by R.Steves, Trattoria al Trebbio lists meatballs!! My husband will be thrilled!
R.

NeoPatrick

Good idea. When looking for a totally non touristy restaurant you can always turn to Rick Steves. Now you only need to hope that no other tourist has bought his guide.

It's a pretty good guess that that restaurant has added spaghetti with meatballs to their menu to satisfy their tourist trade. No other reason.

janisj

&quot;<i>For what it's worth, a restaurant recommended by R.Steves . . . . .</i>&quot; That's pretty much all I'd need to know about that place to know it is &quot;authentic, non-touristy&quot; --<b>not</b>. Of course they'll offer Spaghetti/meatballs since their mostly American visitors will be requesting it.

(when you walk in - note if 90% of the customers are carrying one of his books)

Girlspytravel

Virtually every trattoria in Italy, but particularly in Rome, which is where I believe &quot;polpette&quot; (meatballs) originate, serves these, including primarily fish-eating Venice, but not as Italian/Americans do, in a tomato based sauce on top of spaghetti. Italians serve polpette alone, as a side dish, or typically in a soup. However, any down-home, mom and pop trattoria in Rome and Florence will be quite familiar with this dish, and you can just ASK them to have a dish of polpetti served with spaghetti, if they don't have it already listed as a dish, or ask them to MAKE it for you. You can always ask for a dish to be made for you to your specifications-the Italians are QUITE used to doing that, and I do it all the time, I almost never look at menus anymore in Italian restaurants-I tell them what I want, and they prepare it for me, if they can.

Many trattorias may also make a version of spaghetti and meatballs for tourists, but just not have it listed on the menu, too, so don't be thinking that a Roman or Florentine trattoria doesn't have the dish, simply because you don't see it on the menu, all you have to do is ask!

As for restaurants in Rome with traditional, down-home cooking with lots of meatballs and other meats, try L'ORSO 80, very near Piazza Navona, on via del Orso-this is a VERY popular restaurant, famous for its meatballs, its antipasto, and big portions. You should find what you want here.