France and Italy Hotel and Resto Recommendations

[Tino]

  On 5/20/2015 at 1:12 PM, Smallclub said:

"The Pig's Foot", I'm sure Shlomo will love it

Other animal appendages and fish available…!

[Smallclub]

  On 5/20/2015 at 11:42 AM, Shlomo said:

What is LF?

I guess it's for "Lebanese Force" as Charbel is a lebanese name...

[kevn]

...

[bwgan]

  On 5/20/2015 at 2:41 AM, Cornell said:

Sorry but must ask: since when is falafel jewish or israeli?

Let me guess, you're a LF supporter?

  On 5/20/2015 at 9:30 AM, Smallclub said:

We talked about falafels sold in jewish restaurants of the jewish district of Paris (I thought it was evident). No one stated that falafel was strictly jewish. And I wonder why you had to bring Israel here; this neighborhood was jewish centuries before the creation of Israel.

  On 5/20/2015 at 11:42 AM, Shlomo said:

What is LF? What difference does it make where falafel originated from?

Do you have any suggestions or not? If not, go troll other threads/forums .

You fellas beat me too it. How can anyone read anything else into what was written than nice falafels could be bought in a jewish area??? Christ, internet forums do bring out the weirdos

[stargazer14]

In Paris for some 'old french style' family eats, hit :

Le Bouillon Chartier

7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris, France

nice atmosphere, inexpensive eats, waiters that know what they are doing.

have been many times, always enjoy it.

[SparklePony]

I just got back from Italy in March, so I'm full of opinions. Be sure to get a box of the Ramon Allones RE Italia. I wish I'd gotten two.

Trattoria Zaza in Florence is certainly good. Better than it might seem from the very touristy exterior. Pepo, right behind Zaza is excellent with a much smaller menu. It's truly delightful. Just a little further along is Ristorante Cafaggi, which I cannot recommend more highly. It's home cooking, but it's fabulous home cooking. We had a magical time there. Nothing is too expensive.

Set aside some cash for the fabulous leather in Florence, too. If you like bags (I love bags) Via di Ginori 23r is a must visit.

In Rome, we had an exquisite lunch at Taverna dei Fori Imperali, right behind Trajan's Forum. A great, GREAT meal.

In Paris, my favorite place is Le Florimond, 19 Avenue de la Motte-Picquet, 75007. The service is gracious, the food is outstanding, and it's a good place to splurge for one meal. Totally worth it.

[Smallclub]

  On 5/20/2015 at 9:03 PM, stargazer14 said:

In Paris for some 'old french style' family eats, hit :

Le Bouillon Chartier

7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris, France

I second this. It was one of my "cantines" when I was a broke musician in Paris. The building and the decoration are typical of the Belle Époque, they are classified as "Historical Monuments". High-ceiling and quite noisy.

Please note that it's known by Parisians as "Chez Chartier" – everyone has forgotten "Le Bouillon" which is an old name for cheap restaurants.

[johndalton44]

In Florence, there is wonderful restaurant called Cibreo Trattoria. A bit unpredictable as they have no set menu, but a tremendous experience and wonderful meal regardless.

[CharbelAntoine]

Oh sh*t I missed to get back to this thread. Never thought a falafel would lead to this much fuss though :/

Your'e probably right Smallclub, what LF has to do with falafel will remain a mystery...

[shlomo]

Thanks for all the recommendations so far! Keep 'em coming, I appreciate them all and am taking notes!!