One for the Road: Osterie & Locande D’Italia

Travelers who love Italy (are there any who don’t?) and those interested in the Slow Food movement will want to get their hands on a copy of Osterie & Locande D’Italia, which combines two older Slow Food guides into one. Published by Slow Food Editore and distributed in the US by Chelsea Green, this guide contains listings for 2,100 traditional places to eat and stay in Italy.

Recommended by the Slow Food organization, these traditional taverns, inns, trattorias, wine shops and hotels are guaranteed to give you a taste of Italy’s regional diversity — the cheese, the seafood, the fresh produce, the wine!! The book is organized by region –from Piedmont (where the Slow food movement was born in 1986) to Sicily, and everywhere in between. It also contains a handy glossary of Italian culinary terms and a place index in the back. Published for the first time in English, this comprehensive guide will be a useful tool for food lovers planning their next Italian gastronomic adventure. Mangia!


One for the Road: The Slow Food Guide to NYC

We haven’t really talked much about the Slow Food movement here at Gadling — we leave that to the experts, our friends over at Slashfood. But it’s worth a mention, especially now, while I’ve got this great Slow Food Guide to NYC in my hands!

Founded in Italy in 1986, Slow Food is an international movement dedicated to preserving regional cuisine and products from around the world, while also advocating for sustainability and biodiversity in the food supply. The NYC guide is organized first by “cuisines”, then by “special foods & nightlife” and finally by “food shops, markets and producers.” The listings in each section highlight establishments throughout the city that serve food in line with the Slow Food mission. My mouth is watering with slow food goodness…ya gotta love a book with special “tribute” sections devoted to delectables like pickles, tamales, smoked fish and New York Cheesecake!

Other books in this series are Slow Food Guides to Chicago and San Francisco. None of these guidebooks are brand new, so you may run into some outdated info. But they’re still plenty useful for travelers looking to savor slowness while eating their way through these cities. Bon Appetite!