If you want to eat well on your Italian holiday, try and eat like a local.
Italian food has to be some of the best in the world - but it's still possible to find yourself eating less than wonderful dishes when you're there on holiday, especially in the busy summer season. Remember - if you sit at a table by the main tourist sites you'll pay more - and the food might well be disappointing. It is also less likely to be authentic. Those menus in many languages are generally an indicator that you're getting 'tourist food' - so try and avoid them if you can. I recently found a pizzeria in Liguria offering 'pizza with nutella' - not a dish I think you'd find in most Italian kitchens, but it was obviously what they thought visitors would enjoy. Mmm.
To find the best food you need to eat where the locals do. Often you just have to walk a couple of streets away from the main tourist drag to find lovely little trattorie, where you can get better quality food - that's far better value. Don't be scared off if the menu's only in Italian - just make sure you've got a good pocket phrase-book with you. They generally have a 'menu decoder' section - so you won't end up with any unwelcome surprises (especially if you're vegetarian and want to ensure you don't end up with ravioli filled with meat). Sometimes it's the most unpretentious looking places that offer the best food. I found a place in Siena, tucked away up a back street, where the waiter had to prop up the tables with bits of wood to stop them wobbling. The menu was simple, they didn't serve coffee after dinner, place mats were paper. You might easily have walked past - but the food and atmosphere was great.
Sightseeing can be pretty tiring - but the cost of all those coffee re-fuelling stops can really cut into your budget. Do remember that you'll always pay more to sit outside at a table, than to stand inside and slug your espresso down while standing at the counter. Italians often breakfast like this - a cappuccino and a pastry taken at a cafe counter.
Local people also know where to find the best value snacks. If you're in Turin, don't miss out on the aperitifs. Pop into a bar for a glass of vermouth early in the evening and you'll find a great selection of free snacks to accompany them. Some places offer so many that you don't really need dinner afterwards.
