Here are my favorite places in Florence, city of (imho) great food:

Trattoria Le Mossacce on via del Pronconsolo, 55r (where "r" stands for the red numbers on the bldgs...as opposed to the black numbers.) This place is Great! It's almost like an Italian diner in that you can watch the guys cooking your meal. If you know Italian, you won't even need a menu; the guys just come over and tell you what's cooking. There's a jug of wine on every table. You just tell the guy at the cash register what you had as you leave.

Trattoria da Benvenuto (via dei Neri, 47r) I had their gnocchi with tomato/eggplant sauce and was in heaven!

There's also a neat market near the open-air San Lorenzo Market. It's a gorgeous old wrought-iron building with lots of veggies for sale on the 2nd floor. And here are 2 restaurants I've never been to, but wanted to:

Trattoria Coco Lezzone (via del Parioncino, 26r, off via Parione) It always looked wonderful and was highly recommended by locals, as well as by Let's Go. A friend of mine went there and raved about it. Let's Go says to get their pasta porcini fresca. (How can you go wrong with porcini mushrooms?)

Stazione da Zima (via Ghibbelina 70r) Let's Go says: "No Sign. Healthy food for herbivores. First course choices (L4500) include house specialties like riso integrale (brown rice) and pasta al pesto. Stuffed tomatoes provide a satisfying secondo (L5500). They've also got a great crunchy bulletin board with notices of environmental activities. [Which reminds me, I've never been to Florence and not seen students marching in the streets about something. -cb]

And here are a few recommendations for Venice, city of relatively bad food.

In the Castello part, I liked one of these two restaurants a lot. (I didn't mark which one in my book. It's one of those, "I'd recognize it if I were there" things...pretty sure it's the first one. Another way to find it is to ask where the gondolier's eat.)

Trattoria Alla Rivetta, Castello, 9625 (tel 528 73 02). Off campo Ss. Filippo e Giacomo which lies just east of p. San Marco - the restaurant's squeezed in to the right before the Ponte San Provolo. One of the only genuine and reasonable places in the area. Open Tues./Sun. 11am-11pm

Trattoria Chinellato, Castello, 4227 (tel 523 60 25, on calle Albanesi a few doors down from campo Ss. Filippo e Giacomo. Gregarious proprietor will make you feel right at home. Get your salivary glands going by peeking through the window first. Open Wed-Mon., 9-9.

Found this one, but the proprietor was in a bad mood and didn't seem to be seating tourists for some reason...but it sure smelled good in there! I'd try it again if I went back. Osteria Al Mascaron, Castello, 5225 (tel 259 95) on calle longa Santa Maria Formosa, which runs off campo Santa Maria Formosa, northeast of p. San Marco. The ultimate in informal osteria eating. Filled with chattering Venetians taking a wine break or enjoying delicious specialties... Open mid-Jan to mid-Dec., Mon.-Sat. 10:30am-3pm and 7-10:30pm.

In the Dorsoduro part: Da Silvio, Dorsoduro, 3748 (tel. 520 58 33), on calle S. Pantalon near the campo of the same name. Delicious fare served up in the trattoria's garden...Pasta from L3500. Open Mon.-Sat. 9-3:30 and 5:45-11

Also in Dorsoduro, but didn't get to go in. They were closed each time I was in the area: Crepizza, Dorsoduro 3757 (tel. 522 91 89), on calle San Pantalon off calle Crosera across from da Silvio. Look for the hanging sign. Crepes and pizza served with zeal. Open Wed.-Mon. Noon-2:30pm and 7-10:30pm.

Individual recipes copyrighted by originator. Fatfree Recipe collections

SueSmith9@aol. Com using Mmconv. Archived through kindness of Karen Mintzias, km@salata. Com.

1.80ss