Northern Tuscany dining recommendations

Mrs. Davooda and I will be in Tuscany (Lucca, Pisa, Montecatini Terme, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano) for 8 days in early November and wanted to ask the forum WELL in advance for dining recommendations. We will not have our own car (traveling with a group that will use a coach) so we will be looking for options within the city proper. We will be looking for solid examples of the local cuisine for lunch and dinner and seek middle-of-the-road pricing - with perhaps one fine dining option to splurge!

It was my thought that some LTH'ers might have taken a similar trip and would be willing to share the better places, for the money, that they experienced.

Thanks in advance for your recommendations!

In Florence definitely go to Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco(the white boar), it is close to the Ponte Vecchio. It is a casual but charming restaurant full of locals. Definitely try some boar, and also truffles if they are in season.

Michael Carlson the chef of Schwa named this reastaurant as serving his most memorable meal, in the Chicago Tribune Magazine on April 29, 2007.

apropos. i'll be there in a week.

in Pisa, thru research, I've read many a good things about:
Osteria dei Cavalleri

I also have a list of 10-12 joints in Firenze passed onto me by another LTHer as well as a friend who had her wedding (party of 80!!!) there...

in sienna (pinocchio's home town) osterria nona gia. amazing gnocchi w/pistachio. went back 2 nites in a row. also, most cheese shops feature a lemon riccotta that is fantastic.

In Florence:

Osteria la Congrega
Via Panicale, 43r
(near central markets)
Really charming little place with excellent food.


Trattoria Bordino
Via Stracciatella, 9r
(near Ponte Vecchio, opposite side of the Arno from the Uffizi)
Very nice food, outdoor dining area, inside looks cool as well.

Any updates? We're hoping to go to Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and perhaps Montalcino, and would love recommendations for restaurants. Side note: also interested in agroturismo spots to stay around the area, and maybe even a cooking class.

Thanks.

We've spent about 10 days in Florence over two trips in the last six years, and truth be told a fair amount of the meals were forgettable or too tourist-hyped & expensive. Here are three places, however, that we've really enjoyed and have returned to multiple times:

Ciro & Sons on via Giglio--http://www.ciroandsons.com/. Wonderful, family-owned, reasonably-priced, more southern Italian than Florentine, which I prefer anyway. Standouts are the Margherita pizza, the antipasto della casa (grilled vegetables), and the calamarata all' amalfitana (squid over flat noodles, incredible, squid ink-based sauce).

Ristorante Toto on Borgo santi Apostoli--http://www.ristorantetoto.it/en/. Traditional bisteca alla Florentine, but a nice twist instead of a big slab o'beef is that this is sliced like a London broil, on a bed of arugula and rocket greens dressed simply with phenomenal balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Near the Ponte Vecchio.

Da Nerbone at Mercato Centrale--http://www.walkaboutflorence.com/what-to-do/da-nerbone. The Firenze version of the Italian beef. For 3-4 Euro, boiled beef on a round fresh roll with no au jus but a pesto sauce. I wanted to eat one of these almost every day for lunch if I was in the vicinity.

There's a blog called Girl In Florence that a friend used, take a look and see if you find it helpful, it seems to have some good suggestions.