What are your Go-To research websites (other than SlowEurope), for Italy?

[Roz]

Chris and Lisa, two of our favorite restaurants from our stay at SA were;
Cantina Medicee - Montepulciano - outside the walls, just past the gelateria ( which will be on your right), built into the walls of Montepulciano you will find Cantina Medicee, where Nicolo cooks up great dishes and you can buy all sorts of goodies (our favorite grappa was found here).
GattaVecchi - inside the walls

We were in Montepulciano about a year ago, although not staying at Nico's. If you are interested, I wrote a trip report on Slow Trav, with a lot of restaurant and day trip recommendations.

Lisa, re Siena: That trip report included a day trip to Siena, where we had a wonderful lunch at Osteria Le Logge.

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

We were in Montepulciano about a year ago, although not staying at Nico's. If you are interested, I wrote a trip report on Slow Trav, with a lot of restaurant and day trip recommendations.

Lisa, re Siena: That trip report included a day trip to Siena, where we had a wonderful lunch at Osteria Le Logge.

Roz,
Thanks. I read your TR when originally posted but had forgotten all the little tidbits relating to my upcoming trip. I was interested to note that you also needed to over night in Firenze. Finding reasonable accommodation for 1 night and that onee being a Friday has been challenging. Well, I'm also picky. I knew there must have been a reason why I didn't book your lovely guest house. Sure enough all booked for that w/e.

No matter, I've booked a recently renovated hotel in the Oltra Arno. Am not looking forward to arriving by train on a Friday night but am looking forward to everything else.

Thanks for the resto review rec in Siena.

 

[Roz]

By the way, one of the resources at the end of that trip report, in addition to links to the restaurants where we ate, is a link to a very good list of recommended restaurants compiled by the owner of our apartment building in Montepulciano.

 

[Pauline]

... That trip report included a day trip to Siena, where we had a wonderful lunch at Osteria Le Logge.

We went to that restaurant a couple of times years ago and loved it.

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

Roz,
Re: Osteria Le Logge. Do we need reservations? How expensive is it? Crowded with tourists? Locals? I need to gather my info and consult with our friends in South Africa with whom we will be lunching.
Thanks

 

[Pauline]

In the late 1990s, when we went, you needed reservations. It is not huge and is well known.

Everything will be crowded with tourists in Siena, but it is still one of my favorite places.

 

[Roz]

Lisa, I agree with Pauline -- you should make a reservation. I think I called them when we were in Italy, but you can reserve by email. Do you read enough Italian to understand the form here? Prenotazioni Osteria Le Logge.

It's not cheap, but I don't think it's exorbitant for the quality of the food, which is really outstanding. It's so highly recommended, as well as being close to the Campo, that it will have tourists, but plenty of locals eat there too.

Here are some Flickr photos of our meal last year: Osteria le Logge.

 

[Wendy&Rob]

Good morning, I found my list of restaurants we went to in May of 2013:

- Ristorante La Costa - via Coppoli, 13. Montefollonico. Tele-0577 668026
-La Porta - Osteria e Wine Bar (chi us oil Giovedi)
- La Briciola Ristorante-Enoteca Poliziana Via del le Cantine, 23 - 53045 Montepulciano. Tel. 0578 716903 (closed Monday)
*-La forte Medicean. Viable 1 Maggie, 2/4 - Montepulciano. Tel e Fax 0578 756042. cantinemedicee@libero.it
- La Torre di Monte Oliveto Maggiore. Tel. 0577 707060
*- Gattavecchi Either on Via del le Chian(m)e, 3 or Via di Collazzi, 74. Ask Nico. www.gattavecchi.it
- Lazzeretti. San Quirico d'Orcia. Via del Chiusone, 12 - P.za Gramsci. Via Dante Alighieri, 39/b. Tel 0577 897536-897745

The two with the * were our 2 favorites and I mentioned them earlier.
Enjoy your time. W.