Excellent, Authentic Andalucian Food And Music ... For A Song!

El Rincon De La Ribera

Calle Camilo José Cela 4

29600 Marbella, Spain

Phone: +34 684 31 89 81
Website
Prices: $$$$

Anna, the bartender at Claddagh Irish Pub in Marbella, turned me on to this new Spanish restaurant just around the corner. She told me that they had good, authentic Andelucian cuisine, excellent wines, and reasonable prices and she was absolutely right!

There was what I would call a "Mariachi" group on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant strumming four guitars and singing familiar songs I have heard many times in Mexican restaurants in California and Texas. I was told that they are called "Tunos" in Spain, but these four gentlemen were much more talented than any Mariachi group I have ever heard. The guitars and voices were melodically synchronized, rendering four part harmonies unrivaled by some of the best barber shop quartets I have heard. They performed non-stop from 9:30pm until nearly 11:30pm when I finally left for my room and they were superb.

The waiter spoke English reasonably well, suggesting wines, starters, and a main course. Nothing I ordered was on the menu. He first brought me a glass of Tempranillo, a dark, robust Spanish red wine with hints of oak along with a "tortilla". Not the Mexican variety tortilla we expect in stateside restaurants and supermarkets, a tortilla in Spain is an omelette made with eggs and potatoes, resembling a very thick piece of quiche the size of a slice of pie. The tortilla de patatas (€2.50), two slices actually, were light yet savory and delicious.

Anna had recommended the Gambas al Pilpil (€9), an Andelucian specialty with prawns baked in a sauce of olive oil, garlic, and chili peppers accompanied by fresh bread for dipping. The ceramic dish came to me still bubbling with 12 small shrimp, slices of garlic, and a few diced red chili peppers. The fresh sliced baguette easily soaked up the decadent garlic infused oil, raising my cholesterol level by several hundred points. I have to admit that this was one of the best dishes I have had in quite a while.

The service was impeccable, attentive and friendly, always there when needed but not suffocating. I had no idea how much the check would be when it arrived and when it did, I was shocked! Just €16.10 (less than $18) for three glasses of wonderful wine, s starter and a main course,  while enjoying excellent, traditional Spanish melodies - what more could I ask for? Unfortunately, my wife was unable to accompany me on this trip, but even still, this was one of the most enjoyable, affordable dining experiences I have had in quite a while and I will return before leaving Marbella ... sorry honey!

I always hesitate before giving the maximum score to any establishment, but I honestly could not find a fault to deduct even a single "bomb", hence ... 

CombatCritic Gives Rincon De La Ribera 10 Out Of 10 Bombs ... More Bombs Are Better ... It Is "THE BOMB"!

Listen to authentic Spanish "Los Tunos", the grandfather of Mexican "mariachis", as I did the night I dined there ...

Menu

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Title: Great, Authentic Andalucian Food And Music For A Song

Key Words: Rincon De La Ribera, Rincon, Ribera, Andalucia, Andalucian, Spain, Marbella, Malaga, restaurant, food TravelValue, travel, value, food, definitive, review, menu, guide, gambas, Pil

Florence, Italy: By Giorgio, This Is As Good As It Gets!

 Trattoria da Giorgio

• Via del Palazzuolo 100R
• Florence, Italy
• South of Santa Maria Novella Station
• Phone: +39 055 284302
• Website: trattoriadagiorgio.it

 Prices: $$$$

We ate here three years ago and loved the place. Great food, lots of it, and ridiculously cheap prices compared to the rest of Florence and its overpriced tourist traps. So we returned once again and, again, we were not disappointed!

They open for dinner at 6pm, rather early by Italian standards, but make sure you get there before 8pm unless you want to wait. They have a sign-up sheet at the entrance if all of the tables are full, so simply jot your name down if you cannot find a seat. Arriving around 7:45pm on a Wednesday night, we were quickly seated and shortly thereafter our waiter arrived with our water and a half-liter of red wine.

The menu is fixed price, €13 for lunch and €14 for dinner, a pittance for what you receive in return and there is no “ala carte” menu. For that very reasonable price, you are entitled to a ½ liter of water, ¼ liter of wine (per person/ red or white), primo (first course – pasta, soup, etc), secondo (second course – meat dish), and contorno (vegetable – salad, potatoes, artichokes, broccoli, etc). Desserts are extra, but quite cheap at €2 for lemon sorbet or €3 for tiramisu, panna cotta, and cheesecake among others.

We had the homemade pasta for our primi, a bigoli (think fat spaghetti) with black truffles and mushrooms and paccheri con broccoli e salsicce (a large flat noodle in a creamy sauce of broccoli florettes and sausage). The truffle and mushroom pasta was superb with rich, earthy tones and unlike more than a few Tuscan restaurants we have been to recently, perfectly cooked “al dente”. The paccheri con broccoli e salsicce had a slightly odd taste, almost as if there were tuna in the recipe (I asked and there was not). It was not bad, but it was not what I was expecting, so my wife and I swapped plates as she found it quite tasty. I attribute it to a temporary disruption in my palate rather than a problem on their part.

For secondi we both had the scaloppine marsala e noci (cutlets, pork I believe, in a creamy marsala and walnut sauce). The meat was juicy and tender and the sauce sublime, reminiscent of a savory German “rahm” (cream) sauce and one of the best sauces I have had in recent memory. Our contorni were patate fritte (French fries), perfectly cooked – crispy and hot – and artichokes marinated in olive oil, also excellent.

The wine, a local red, was good - lightly chilled, mildly sparkling, fruity, and slightly sweet. Although very full, we could not resist sharing a tiramisu (€3). Coming in a rather large cup, there were layers of saviardi cookies soaked in coffee and sweet mascarpone cheese sprinkled with cocoa powder as is the tradition.

Once again, we were not disappointed. In-fact, Trattoria da Giorgio is the “BEST VALUE” in Florence or anywhere else for that matter. You will not have a better meal anywhere in Italy for €30 … guaranteed.

CombatCritic Gives Trattoria da Giorgio 10 Bombs Out Of 10 … More Bombs Are Better ... IT'S "THE BOMB"!

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Title: By Giorgio, This Is As Good As It Gets!

Key Words: Trattoria da Giorgio, trattoria, Giorgio, Firenze, Florence, Italy, menu, review, travel, value, pasta, wine, meat, dessert, CombatCritic, Yelp, TripAdvisor, tourist

Caffetteria delle Oblate: It's The Bomb!

Caffetteria delle Oblate
Via dell'Oriuolo, 26, 50122 Florence, Italy
Phone: +39-055-263-9685
Website: CaffetteriaOblate

You will not find an air conditioned bar with better prices and a better view in Florence! Located on the top floor of the Bilblioteca Oblate (Library), kitty-corner from the entrance, you will find this small caffetteria with cheap drinks and snacks. Catering to the many students hanging around outside, you pay a little more to sit inside, but it is well worth it.

We had a caffé macchiato, bottle of water, and a peach iced tea, coming to just €4.50, the price of a tea at most places with a view like this.

The inside is simple with Formica-topped tables, colorful 80s-style chairs, and a wooden plank floor, but the view of the Duomo's dome is imposing and spectacular.

A great place to rest and have an inexpensive snack after a day of walking around Florence ...

CombatCritic Gives Caffetteria delle Oblate 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!  

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MENU

Title: Cafeteria delle Oblate: It's The Bomb!

Key Words: cafeteria delle Oblate, cafeteria, Oblathe, caffé, coffee, snacks, Duomo, view, cheap, value, travel, menu, water, library, Bilblioteca 

DayTripQuip™: Ancient Arezzo ... An Antique Aficionado's Allure

DayTripQuip™: Take the train (Regionale Veloce: 1 hour 10 minutes - €8.10/person each way) from Santa Maria Novella Station in Florence. The train station is in the center of Arezzo and just three blocks from the historical center (centro storico), a Roman amphitheater, ancient churches with famous frescoes, a beautiful cathedral containing the mummy of a pope, and a fabulous piazza. Restaurants, antique stores, and shops abound, providing a quaint respite from the crowds of Florence for a few hours at least.

Piazza Grande

Roman Amphitheater

Chiesa San Francesco

Chiesa San Domenico 

Duomo San Donato

Pope Gregory X

Fresco of Maria Maddalena - Piero della Francesca

Piazza Grande - Benigni's "La Vita e Bella" Was Filmed Here

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Title: DayTripQuip™: Ancient Arezzo ... An Antique Aficionado's Allure

Key Words: Arezzo, day, trip, quip, DayTripQuip, train, Benigni, La Vita e Bella, vita, bella, film, movie, duomo, cathedral, fresco, church, antique, antiques, travel, value, 

Santa Maria del Fiore "Duomo di Firenze" - A "Must See" If Visiting Rome And Italy's Northern Provinces

Santa Maria del Fiore ("Duomo di Firenze")

Piazza del Duomo 9

50122 Florence, Italy

Phone: +39 055 294514

Web: operaduomo.firenze.it

Built in the 15th Century, admission is free to Santa Maria del Fiore (the Cathedral or "Duomo"), Italy’s second largest church (after St. Peter's in Rome) and the third largest in the world (St. Paul's in London is the other). It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is open from 10AM to 5PM Monday through Saturday and 1:30PM to 4:45PM on Sunday. The dome, bell tower, museum, and baptistery all charge to enter or you can buy a consolidated ticket on their website. The Museo dell'Opera is closed until November 2015 for renovations.

The facade and dome of Santa Maria del Fiore is imposing and awe-inspiring, dominating the large piazza in which it stands it is so large that it is impossible to photograph the entire structure without a special lens. Its beautiful marble polychrome facade of greens, pinks, and whites is unlike any other I have seen. The interior is massive and spectacular, my favorite part being the massive dome completed in the 1460s with a fresco of the apostles who appear to be sitting on the edges with their legs dangling over the sides.

Across from the Duomo entrance is the Baptistery of St. John. Until the 19th century, all Catholic Florentines were baptized here. The octagonal monument is distinguished by its geometric, colored-marble exterior and detailed interior mosaics. Admission is €5, but admiring the famous bronze doors (replica panels) carved with scenes from the Bible is free.

This is one of the most impressive structures I have seen anywhere in the world and is a MUST SEE if visiting Italy.

CombatCritic Gives Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore 10 Bombs Out Of 10

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Title: Santa Maria del Fiore "Duomo di Firenze" - A "Must See" If Visiting Rome And Italy's Northern Provinces

Key Words:  Santa Maria del Fiore, Duomo, Firenze, must, see, Rome, Italy, Florence, dome, baptistry, baptistery, marble, facade, piazza, tower, opera, review, travel, value, CombatCritic, Yelp

Another FREE Florence (Italy) Attraction: The Elizabeth Barrett Browning Home - Casa Guidi

Casa Guidi

Piazza San Felice 8

50125 Florence, Italy

Near Palazzo Pitti

Phone: +39 055 354457

Prices: FREE

Casa Guidi, Elizabeth Barrett Browning's (EBB) former home and where she died, is in Florence ... and, unlike most everything else in the city, it is FREE to visit!

My wife is a huge fan of the Brönte sisters and EBW was a fan of Charlotte's. I also enjoy her poetry and have a First Edition of one of her works, so I was also interested in visiting her home.

Just down the street from Palazzo Piti on the Altrarno side of the river, Casa Guidi is located on the first floor (second floor to Americans) of a historic palazzo. There is an engraved stone marker above the massive door indicating where she lived and a brass nameplate above the buzzer outside with details about operating hours. There is also a single brass button below the rest that merely says "Elizabeth".

Living Room

The apartment consists of just three rooms that you can visit, but they are spectacular and contain furniture of hers and from the period as well as photos, paintings, busts, and other memorabilia. Her husband study is small, but has elaborate frescoes on the walls and ceilings. The dining room is large, but not extremely interesting. The living room, off of which are the bedrooms and kitchen (not open to the public, but apparently you can rent them for lodging). is massive and contains a large library of her works, more artwork, and some beautiful period furniture as well as some of her possessions.

Husband's Study

The visit is self-guided and FREE, but you must visit on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday (April to November) between 3PM and 6PM only. Just ring the buzzer for Casa Guidi, though the giant door and a gate, then go up one flight of stairs to her apartment on the left.

CombatCritic Gives Casa Guidi 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Title: Another FREE Florence (Italy) Attraction: The Elizabeth Barrett Browning Home - Casa Guidi

Key Words: FREE, Florence, Italy, Attraction, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Elizabeth, Barrett, Browning, Home, Casa Guidi, Firenze, review, museum, attraction, Yelp, TripAdvisor, travel, value

Disappointing At Best ... Undercooked Pasta, Mediocre Service, A Poor Value

Trattoria La Casalinga

Via dei Michelozzi 9R

50125 Florence, Italy

Near Palazzo Pitti

Phone: +39 055 218624

Web: trattorialacasalinga.it

Prices: $$$$

Insalata Caprese

After reading the wonderful reviews on Yelp, including one written recently by a trusted Yelp friend from New Orleans, I was looking forward to a nice lunch in Oltrarno near Chiesa Santo Spirito while in the neighborhood visiting Elizabeth Barrett Browning's former home, Casa Guidi. The last time we ate on this side of the river, we were disappointed at best and, unfortunately, that was also the case on this our second visit. 

We were seated right away, but the waiters were too busy with everyone else in the room and we had to wait ten minutes to be acknowledged. Even then, the waiter was in a hurry, rudely interrupting our questions about the menu to run off to another table. Strike ONE!

Once we finally ordered, our drinks appeared promptly, a bottle of mineral water (€2.50) and a half-liter of vino rosso della casa (house red wine - €4). The water was water and the wine decent and at a very reasonable price for Florence.

We shared an Insalata Caprese (€7.50) which turned out to be a small ball of mozzarella, two small tomatoes cut into sixths, and two basil leaves. It was "OK", but more expensive and not nearly as big or as good as many I have had in Italy in recent months.

Ribollita

I ordered the Ribollita (€6.50), a hearty Tuscan soup made with stale bread, cannellini beans, and vegetables like cabbage, carrots, celery and the like. It was tasty and filling, accompanied by the local unsalted bread which I utilized to mop-up what was left in the bowl. For such a basic dish, what Italians would unassumingly call a "peasants" dish, the price was a tad high and probably should have been in the €4-€5 range.

Tortellini Panna e Prosciutto

My wife had the tortellini panna e prosciutto (€7.50), a not so generous dish of apparently handmade tortellini, bravo, in a cream sauce with pieces of prosciutto crudo. Unfortunately, her tortellini were not close to "al dente" and could have used another minute or two in the boiling water. I have eaten is hundreds of restaurants in Italy and I have never been served either undercooked or overcooked pasta. If a kitchen in Italy cannot cook pasta properly, they have no excuse for being in business. Strike TWO!

Tiramisu?

When the waiter arrived and asked how our meal was, my wife told him about the pasta, but he seemed to care less. We ordered a piece of tiramisu to share and it was also below average. While waiting for the check, I saw several tables of "locals" being served a complimentary "digestivo" before leaving, usually a local beverage such as grappa or limoncello. But the tourists, my wife and I obviously, were neither offered a digestivo nor an apology for the poorly cooked pasta. After all, we were "just a couple more annoying tourists". Strike THREE ... YOUR OUT!

With the bill coming to €36.50 for a salad, two pasta dishes, one dessert and drinks, including a mandatory €4 service charge, it was not an overly expensive meal, but the bang for the buck just was not there and it was not a good value.

CombatCritic Gives Trattoria La Casalinga 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Title: Disappointing At Best ... Undercooked Pasta, Mediocre Service, A Poor Value

Key Words: Trattoria La Casalinga, trattoria, casalinga, Florence, Oltrarno, Santo Sprito, santo, spirito, Florence, Firenze, Italy, menu, review, travel, value, Yelp, TripAdvisor