First trip to Italy - help for 2 foodies who enjoy wine and desire a beatiful and romantic trip!

Have you read a good guidebook? The guy who sponsors this site write a good one. :-) Seriously, it helps to read and narrow down places that appeal to you. It kills me to say it, but you might as well skip Rome if you are not into art, religious sites or heavy history.

Venice is beautiful and romantic, and contrary to what some say, you can find fine food there.

Are you into outdoor activities? Are you athletic?

With 10 days allow yourself no more than 3 places to rest your head, if you only have 9 nights on the ground.

If you are a "foodie", consider hitting the Milan Expo. It's running until October 31 and features food from all over the world www.expo2015.org/en

Look at Venice for Romance

Bologna Food capital of Italy

Lucca Laid back ambiance from here day trip to Cinque Terre

Fly into Venice, out of Milan

There are of course infinite possibilities, so take my two cents as only one of those possibilities. I will also fully disclose the fact that I'm originally from Florence where I lived the first half of my life (and where I travel yearly because my family is still there), therefore my opinion is not necessarily independent and unbiased.

Given your interests I would fly to Florence and stay in Tuscany. Florence (Tuscany's capital city) is not a small town, but it has everything you are looking for in your post, plus everything you are not terribly interested in. If you are interested in a smaller town or countryside setting, there are plenty of small town or countryside options in Tuscany, including ancient farmhouses converted into villas for tourists (called Agriturismo). If you decide to stay outside Florence, in a small town or country villa, I recommend renting a car and visit Florence on a day trip. If you want to rely on public transportation only Florence is better as it is the transportation hub for the region. I don't recommend to rent a car if you decide to stay in Florence (lots of traffic restrictions in the city center). You could also split your stay. Half in Florence (without a rental car) and half in a smaller town or country (with a rental car).

Florence is half way between Rome and Venice. You don't seem to be too interested in art, but from Florence you can reach either Venice or Rome in 2 hours or less via the high speed trains. Therefore you could actually visit those cities from Florence at least on a day trip (I've done it many times).

If staying a couple nights in Venice or Rome (or both) interests you, then look for an open jaw flight, if possible (for example fly to Venice and return from Florence).

For a first time visitor to Italy everybody recommends Venice, Florence and Rome). Given your interests and the very short time available, I don't think you should hit all 3. Unless you are willing to do Rome and Venice as a day trip from Florence, I wouldn't do more than two. And frankly I think that Tuscany and possibly Venice probably fit your interests best.

The responses are pretty consistent---Venice and Tuscany being the front runners. I agree., but would add one more spot for romance and beautiful scenery---Varenna on Lake Como. You could incorporate the suggestions into a trip like this:

Fly into Venice, spend 3 nights.

Train to Florence and spend three nights there or a nearby smaller town.

Train to Milan and transfer for the one-hour trip to Varenna. spend two nights. Albergo Milano has lovely lakefront rooms and a view terrace for their restaurant. There are other good hotels with views as well---a friend really enjoyed Eremo Gaudio perched up on the hill. Hotel du Lac and Hotel Villa Cipressi are well-regarded lakefront hotels.

Return to Milan for the last night before your flight. Visit the expo and enjoy the vibe of this bustling fashion-centered city.

If you have more than 9 nights, add them to the Tuscany portion.

This is a nice compact trip; you won't spend full days moving from place to place.

I agree with Roberto. Spend the majority of your time in the countryside in Umbria or Tuscany at an agriturismo and enjoy driving to smaller villages in the countryside. If you feel the need to see a larger city, visit for a couple of days in Florence or Venice. We have stayed in an agriturismo near Pienza in the past and enjoyed our stay so much that half of our upcoming month-long Italy vacation will be spent divided between two agriturismi, one in Tuscany and one in Umbria. If you can structure your stay so that you stay for an entire week Saturday through Friday night, I can't say enough good things about Cretaiole near Pienza, which is in the Val d'Orcia region of Tuscany. The setting is picturesque and the hosts go way beyond usual expectations to make your stay special.

Have we confused you further? All of these places are wonderful, look them up and see which
ones fit your lifestyle. There's not a bad one among them.

I agree with many others that Florence should be one of your home bases. 3 home bases for the 10 days would be ideal. I would also think any town in the Cinque Terra or Amalfi coast would be a perfect place to enjoy food/wine and beautiful scenery. (These towns have less art/history and religious sites and just cultivate food, wine, culture and relaxation.)

I think if I had your itinerary and goals I'd stay in Florence for 5 days (and take day trips to Chianti wineries, Voltera, Sienna, Orvieto Civita di Bagnoregio or other Tuscan/Umbrian places that appeal to you. However, I'm not sure where your from? Since I hail from the Midwest to me Tuscany looked in some ways very close to "home" (Big open fields and vineyards aren't too exciting to me because I see them every day. This kind of setting is breathtaking to someone who lives in a big crowded city or mountainous area most of the time). With that said, Tuscany has really amazing Italian food and wine. So for what its worth, if your looking for stunning scenery Tuscany might or might not hit the spot depending on what you enjoy and what you see every day, but its definitely the place to go for amazing food, wine and architecture.

You should probably spend 1-2 days in Venice. Although not my favorite Italian city due to the crowds... its crowded for a reason...there is no other city in the world like it! Food is not the best in Venice, but I enjoyed several good wines from the region at an enoteca. At the very least you should see Venice for a minimum 1 full day trip from Florence!

Then finally, select a city on the coast to spend 3-4 more days. Given your timeline Cinque Terre would be fairly easy to reach from Florence. Although coastal towns might be "beachy" I personally feel like they're totally different than beaches/resorts you would have experienced in Mexico or the Caribbean (in a good way!).

I will step up for the regions of Emilia-Romagna and/or Veneto. Cities include Bologna, Parma, Modena, Ravenna, Ferrara, Venezia, Padova, Verona, and many others, including the Lago di Garda area. Great food and wine, easy to plan daytrips.

Ferrara is one of my favorite choices for romance, food and setting.

Whatever you do DON'T miss Venice. On top of that, do NOT stay in a hotel in Mestre on the mainland. Stay on Venice Island.

For food....the Bologna, Reggio Emilia, Modena & Parma circuit cannot be beaten. Maybe spend a few days in that area (they are all really close) and then trek down to Tuscany?
We also loved the food in Sorrento, Amalfi, etc. And the atmosphere was great. I could move there.

Sorry, I am having trouble with the not-interested-in-art. You came to Italy to be foodies? And what else?

lt,

You've received lots of good suggestions so far, so lots of information to digest. Could you clarify whether your 10 days includes your two flight days?

Given your interests, my suggestions are along the same lines as those provided by Lola and Roberto (this assumes you have at least 12 days).....

• D1 - Flight to Italy
• D2 / N1 - arrive Venice (I'm somewhat ambivalent towards Venice, but it's so unique I think it's worth a couple of days).
• D3 / N2 - Venice
• D4 / N1 - Train to Florence (while Florence has lots of art and museums, it also has lots of good restaurants - something for just about anyone).
• D5 / N2 - Florence
• D6 / N3 - Florence (possible day trip to Siena or Lucca)
• D7 / N4 - Florence
• D8 / N1 - Train to Cinque Terre (given your desire to avoid art, religious sites and heavy history while focusing on food, this seems like a good fit - there are no museums or galleries to speak of, and this is the area where Pesto was invented - the restaurants also offer really good and freshly caught seafood, so (IMO) it's a great place for foodies - my suggestion would be to stay in Monterosso as it's the largest of the five towns and therefore has the greatest number of restaurants - I'm a bit out-of-touch with "romance" at the moment, but IMO the C.T. would also be a good choice for that). If you're not familiar with the area, have a look at THIS video, THIS video, THIS photo or THIS photo. After seeing these, you may get some idea why I so much like the C.T. and Italy.
• D9 / N2 - Cinque Terre (if you decide to visit the C.T., I'd highly recommend getting accommodations booked SOON!).
• D10 / N1 - Train to Milan
• D11 - Return flight from MXP

There are lots of possibilities, and this is only one suggestion. If you're planning to travel by public transport, there are some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of, so be sure you're up to speed on those.

Buon Viaggio!

Wow! Thank you so much to everyone who took time out of their day to reply!!

It is a lot of info but I'm going to go though it all. Some people had some clarifying questions and I wanted to clear up a few things too.

1. I DO own the Rick Steves Italy guidebook (on kindle and paperback. :). That's how I learned of this site. And I started my research there and on this forum and started to get overwhelmed and had hoped some people would stear me in the right direction so I could start more specific research.

2. We are planning to do Venice for sure. And from Rick's book, Cinque Terre also really caught my eye based on the photos and description. I do have some interest in seeing Rome (we are not opposed history - im actually fascinated by being in places that existed so long ago ... Colosseum, etc - just don't want to necessarily want to take a 6 hour tour learning about the history of someplace.... Unless it's very interesting to us. Non Italy related, but I was always fascinated by Alcatraz for example and loved that tour and think a tour of an amazing castle somewhere would be very cool... Or visiting and learning about a town in Italy witha way of life very different than our own. To give you more insight)

Also, Tuscany was on my radar.

Is it possibly to do some combination of Venice (maybe 3 nights), Rome or cinque Terre (3 nights) Tuscany (3) with a day trip to either Rome or cinque terre, depending on which we decided to stay at. I apologize if someone has a suggestion that fits this above. I'm going to go back through and take notes later today.

1. We are not JUST going there for the food and wine! But, I think making sure we experience some amazing Italian food and possibly taking a cooking class would be an awesome experience.

2. Beautiful sites to me could be nature related (I saw a gorgeous photo someone of a lake in caves somewhere on Italy that looked incredible!), or quaint towns, or picturesque cities unlike any we've seen before. Oh, and we do live in the Midwest. (Wisconsin)

3. On the subject of art.... We are not anti-art. :) As a matter of fact, we have a great art museum here in Milwaukee that I rather enjoy. But, We both tend to enjoy more modern art and would not seek put a museum of classic Renaissance paintings, But we WOULD stop to see the Sistine Chapel's ceiling if we were in Rome and both be awestruck by it, I'm sure!

4. We had planned 10 days with travel but are now thinking 12 with travel would be better if we can swing it with leaving kids and dogs and work behind. :)

And another new question re flights there and back.... Is it best to leave Midwest in evening? What time should I look for flight out from Italy? (Once we decide our itinerary, of course!) Also, my husband has flown transcontinental flights before and doesnt want to do coach... Can anyone fill me in on upgraded flight options - and approx what a "good " price for those in sept from Chicago or Milwaukee to Italy would be? I just have no idea if the prices im seeing are good or crazy or what.

Thank you all so much! I'm so impressed with the level of support by others on this forum! 😃😃

Re: upgraded flight options: I fly economy comfort (Delta) for a little more legroom, better to feel like a sardine than an anchovy.

I was just looking at flights for my brother-in-law who will be joining us in Venice and Rome in October. Delta has direct (non-stop) flights to both Venice and Rome from JFK. You would just need to add the connecting flight from Milwaukee.

We don't fly Delta ( we have miles on British Airways for business class flights) but people who do say Delta has the most reasonable price for Premium Economy.

Twelve days is much better than ten---that gives you ten nights actually in Italy. Don't try to do too much--- three well-chosen destinations would be just right. Cinque Terre is lovely ( for romance stay at La Torretta in Manarola) but be warned that the journey from Venice is long ( around 6 hours). You could break up the journey with an overnight at someplace appealing along the way. If you choose that, travel via Tuscany offers better options for an overnight stop than the Milan-Genoa route. Bologna and Firenze are both right on the way! as well as numerous small towns.

After you defined your desires a little more I would do:
Arrive Venice (VCE)
Venice: 2 nights
Rent car in Venice Piazzale Roma and drive to Tuscany location in countryside or small town south of Florence between Florence and Siena (drive is 3-3.5 hours).
Tuscany location: 3 nights minimum (take day trips to wherever, incl Florence)
Drive to Cinque Terre, return car in La Spezia.
Cinque Terre: 2 nights
Take train to Rome (3.5 hr trip)
Rome: 2 nights
Fly home from Rome (FCO)
The above is a total of 9 nights on the ground.
If you have more nights, I would add one or two to Tuscany, so that you can see more. There is a lot to see in that region and 3 nights give you only 2 full days.
I think for a first timer the above itinerary is perfect. Whatever you do try to stay a minimum of 2 nights in each hotel to minimize wasting time in hotel transfers (check in and out, pack and unpack).

I like Roberto's plan a lot.

Roberto's plan is excellent. Just follow it, and you'll have a great trip.

For flights: Go to Kayak http://www.kayak.com/flights. Choose "Multi city" instead of "one way" or "round trip." Put in Milwaukee to Venice as your first leg, and Rome to Milwaukee as your second leg. See what comes up.

If you can fly out of Chicago as easily, be sure to check "include nearby airports" under Milwaukee.

Once you've seen the options, look carefully at things like layover times (you don't want too long or too short), total flight times (Turkish Air has some great prices and is a nice airline, but the total flight times can be VERY long) and departure times (you will be leaving Milwaukee in the afternoon, but be careful you don't have to leave Rome too early). To actually book a flight, go to the airline's website. There, you can see what Economy Plus, Economy Comfort, or similar options cost (usually $80-150 extra each way over the price of coach). You can also see what business class costs (several thousand each way).

Airfares have gone way up recently. What someone paid two years ago is completely unrelated to what you'll pay now. And there's no logic. I'm paying about the same to go nonstop from Newark to Tel Aviv, as I would pay on the same dates to go nonstop from Newark to Paris!

If you don't like the price you get, try flying into Milan instead of Venice, as flights to Milan have been substantially cheaper recently. But remember that you'll have to get from the airport to Milano Centrale station to Venice, in a jetlagged state, and this will take several hours (cutting into your sightseeing) and cost about $40 extra. As is so often the case, saving money comes with trade-offs.

Regarding flights:

Look at flights from New York to Venice, and maybe work backward based on the arrival time in Venice. Personally, I wouldn't want to arrive at 6am, for example.

Business class is a great idea if you can swing it, because you can potentially get a good night's sleep on the way over, which makes a big difference. But you could fly coach to NY from Milwaukee, and possibly coach or premium economy back from Rome, which might lower you fare a bit.

Flights from Chicago to NY might be cheaper, but then you'd have to drive to Chicago first. You'd have to weigh the plusses and minuses. (I travel to Milw. a lot, so I know that drill.)

Supposedly 3 months out, you'll get the best fares. They are expensive this year. If you were going economy all the way, I'd say you'd be lucky to pay under $1000 apiece. Add in the one leg in business class and I'd say maybe $3000 each would be a good deal?
Start watching flights and fares, and you'll get an idea of what's a good deal.

Have fun!!

Others will have better suggestions about travel itineraries and specifics of the sites you are visiting... I'm just writing to clarify my point about art and culture that I made above... If you are visiting Italy, the cradle of the Renaissance and one of the most art-filled and architecturally historic places in the world, you should be ready to step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself regarding art, music, and history -- yes, even church history. To say that you are "sure" to be blown away by the Sistine Chapel because it is famous, but that (by inference) the rest of the old, religious art scene is not to your liking... My response is that if you prefer to have your assumptions and cliches about Italy reinforced, go to the Olive Garden. (or the Milwaukee art gallery).. But if you want to learn about pretty, beautiful Italy, you will have to perhaps open your radar screen a little wider. Food, history, wine, architecture, the Catholic church, music, cheese, national borders, and paintings all came of age concurrently and fed one another in Italy.

Regarding food, I would add that an american site - Chowhound.com - has been incredibly useful in identifying restaurants and food locations for people interested in under-the-radar gastronomy (as I am) and you might search their forum for ideas and tips. You may also want to post there with questions and see if the knowledgeable readership there has suggestions.

Please do not give short shrift to southern Italy, specifically the Salerno / Amalfi Coast / Pompei area.

We just returned from 17 days abroad in Paris, Lucerne, Florence, and Salerno, and our final destination of a B&B in Salerno was authentic & truly Italian. Salerno has been off the radar for many years but now (unfortunately for me & my love of non-touristy spots) cruise ships are stopping there and while it may not be the next big Italian boom destination-wise, in season it will be quite a bit more traveled than before. In March it was perfect--no large groups tromping around, no waiters dialing up the 'bellissimo'. I could work on my fractured Italian to townspeople to my heart's content, and they appreciated it. And the prices overall are maybe 60-75% of what you'll pay in Florence or Tuscany.

I thought the food in southern Italy was magnificent, fish-based with almost a Greek flavor to it at times. And Salerno as a base is centrally located for the bus to anywhere on the Amalfi Coast, or a train to Pompei, which I would recommend to anyone & everyone as a real wonder of the world.

Regarding flights from the Midwest - I've found some of the least expensive flights will hop from the Midwest to either NYC or Newark New Jersey. From there you'll catch an evening flight to your destination city which will arrive in the morning in Italy.

I second what Herold said above. During certain times, flights to Milan definitely seem less expensive than flights to Venice - sometimes the difference is enough to make it worthwhile to land in Milan and either catch a small flight to Venice or take the train.

And definitely use the multi-city option to book the tickets, it helps take some of the sting out of the return flight costs!

For flights in coach/business class or first class: count on the ticket prices being double or more what you'd pay in economy. Keep in mind that some economy seats can be much more comfortable than others depending on their location in the plane. Seatguru.com is a great place to see the seating arrangements on various airlines/airplane types so you can pick your seats wisely.

Finally, really narrow down your schedule and prioritize what you want to see. By this I mean, allow time every day to relax, don't pack your itinerary or travel plans so much you can't enjoy the places you've chosen. I think planning too much is probably the easiest mistake to make. Just like a good English paper, a good travel itinerary is edited (sometimes painfully), re-written,edited again, then re-edited till you can't bear to remove anything more. :)

What's overwhelming is too many options and not enough time. Plan that you will return. If you now read thoroughly the chapters on Venice, Cinque Terre, and Tuscany, for instance, then you will start to mark the items that sound best to you and to feel comfortable with this narrowed focus. I would not discount that you could have a lovely time in southern Italy, but the northern half is a more comfortable starting point for many people, and more than enough for your 10 days.

You can find good food in all parts of Italy, with different regional specialties. It does help to have a discerning eye for menus (and especially avoiding those translated into 6 languages or showing photos of the food).

Thank you again to everyone who responded! I am going to try to follow Roberto's plan, probably adding a night in Tuscany or Cinque Terre.

Now, I'm looking at my calendar and wondering if there's any good reason to leave and/or return on any particular day of the week??

While I wait for this answer, I am going to start researching places to stay in Venice, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, and Rome. So, if anyone has any particular favorites for places to stay, I'd love to hear what they are and why you love them!

Thanks again!
Lisa

Lisa,

For the past 11, years flying out of ORD to Italy, the least expensive flights have been

on tues. wed. and thurs.

lt,

It sounds like your plan is falling into place. A few additional comments.....

• For your stay in the Cinque Terre, you'll first have to decide which of the five towns you want to stay in. Most of us here have a "favourite". Once you've decided that, you can find a hotel. The Italy guidebook has listings for reliable accommodations in all of the C.T. towns (as well as the other places you'll be staying). I'd suggest booking the C.T. as soon as you've decided where to stay, as September can be busy in that area.
• If you're planning to rent a car, you'll need to be aware of the usual "caveats", and that especially includes driving into Florence. If you need further information, post another note. There are "caveats" to be aware of with trains and other public transit as well.

Don't take this the wrong way but a true foodie would already know where they want to go. Venice isn't a food destination and the CT is definitely not a place to go for food. The only reason anyone knows about the CT is because of Rick and the main attraction is hiking between towns.
I would start in Venice for two nights and then head to Tuscany. Pick a base, Florence or Siena, rent a car and drive to some hill towns including Montalcino for some Brunello. From there head to Rome for the bulk of your time. It doesn't matter what you think you want to see, until you see it you don't really know. Art, history or food...Rome is amazing on every level.
Search for some restaurants in Tuscany and plan your days around eating there.

Richard in LA: There is fabulous food in Venezia! Fabulous! Also in the CT, where i have had some of the best seafood. In fact Ligurian food is second only to Sicilian for us. The fresh alici are to die for, marinated in local lemons.

Laurel, Do you have any suggestions for Venice? I'll be there a month from now. My wife and I love good meals and sometimes will plan a day around them. She knows a lot about food, always is familiar with ingredients I have never heard of and knows the name of every celebrity chief on TV. While we love and appreciate good food, compared to a few friends of ours we realize that we are not truly "foodies" based on our lack of knowledge and experience. Well that and the fact that she got sick after a very rich meal at a 2 star Michelin French restaurant we went to last year. So while we are wanna be foodies we realize that we just don't have the motivation or tastes of someone who really knows their stuff.

Still I am looking for destination restaurants in Tuscany and Paris for our upcoming trip. At the very least I try and stick to Rick's suggestions so as not to be disappointed with a bad meal because something looked good and was convenient. No true foodie would take suggestions from Rick but I trust him more than chance.

I'd also be interested to know how many people make repeat visits to CT.

Richard,

"and the CT is definitely not a place to go for food."

I do NOT agree! While there may not be any Michelin starred restaurants in the Cinque Terre, I've had some excellent meals there. That's the best area to enjoy dishes with Pesto (IMO). Pesto was invented in that area, and the quality always seems to be better than what I've found in other parts of Italy. I don't eat much seafood, but I've been told by others that the dishes they've enjoyed have been superb. I may not be a "foodie", but I do know when I've enjoyed a great meal.

"I'd also be interested to know how many people make repeat visits to CT."

I'm one who makes repeated visits. I try to get back there every couple of years and in fact it's on my list for this year. After hectic touring in other parts of Europe, I find it's a great place to relax for a few days, recharge the batteries and enjoy Il dolce far niente.

I also have returned to CT numerous times. When you have great memories of a place you often want to return. I have also had great food there, the pesto, as mentioned, wonderful risotto and even fantastic pizza. I don't think I have taken the test to know if I am 'truly a foodie', but I do know what tastes good, with lots of fresh, simple, local ingredients prepared with care.

I'll go with one of the least authoritative sources on the Internet...Wikipedia....

A foodie is a gourmet, or a person who has an ardent or refined interest in food and alcoholic beverages.[1] A foodie seeks new food experiences as a hobby rather than simply eating out of convenience or hunger.

Richard, Venice may not be considered a "foodie destination" like Bologna, etc., but there is very good food to be found there, especially seafood, if you are willing to pay. If you didn't find it last time it may be because you used Rick's recommendations, which seem geared toward budget travelers. Laurel posted a guide from the Guardian (UK newspaper) which lists ten of the good Venetian restaurants. If she doesn't see your request, I will try to find it for you.

Thanks Lola I already bookmarked it when she posted but forgot ( I have a LOT of things bookmarked right now). I have no doubt that there is good food to be had in Venice. You can of course find good food in many places not known for it but that wasn't really the point I was trying to make. I've been spending a bit of time reading articles and sifting through reviews looking for places to eat. I don't need Michelin rated places, just good food. I am mostly looking to find places that serve local traditional food and wine. I don't always enjoy avante garde new or faddish type stuff.

Still I am looking for destination restaurants in Tuscany and Paris for our upcoming trip. At the very least I try and stick to Rick's suggestions so as not to be disappointed with a bad meal because something looked good and was convenient. No true foodie would take suggestions from Rick but I trust him more than chance.
I'd also be interested to know how many people make repeat visits to CT.

Glad you have the Venice link but for anyone just tuning in, here it is again: Guardian's Top 10 Venice. Ai Artisti was divine and lunch out at Alla Palanca worth the trip. The latter not fancy, but well prepared local cuisine.

We are CT returners, too, 4 times in fact. We love the food at Il Pirata (Gianluca's marinated alici) and Trattoria da Billy, both Rick Steves picks. They know what they are doing with food at these places. Cantina di Miky, too.

As Tuscan destination restaurants are a Roberto specialty, I hope he'll chime in. We like Grappolo Blu in Montalcino, and LaFoce Dopolavoro out in the countryside is memorable both for the garden and the quality of the food. Terrific lunch stop on a beautiful drive. At Grappolo Blu you will find a proprietor who knows his stuff about Brunello and the polenta vegetariana makes me want to lick the plate.

In Paris we had two great meals and a lot of marginal ones. Best Beouf Bourguignon EVER at La Cave Gourmand on Rue des Martyrs. Also recommend their hot goat cheese salad. Not a fancy place at all, in fact I almost hesitated to enter, but what a wonderful meal it was! The other to recommend is the R.S. pick, Les Papilles. They have a hard-handed approach to reservations: seatings at 7:30 and 9:30, must reconfirm day-of by 3:00PM or lose your place. One menu for all and my it was good! Wine is expensive though so if he recommends a bottle, it will be great but it will have a hefty price tag. Still, we'll go back.

Thanks Laurel....sorry to the op that I hijacked the thread but hopefully much of the things we learn apply to her also.

Richard, in regard to your foodie comments.... I certainly think there are different "levels" of foodies, and certainly different definitions! Using your wikipedia one, my husband and I certainly qualify! :) But, no, we aren't foodies to the level where we already know of restaurants we must eat at in countries we've never visited! :) But, any time we are traveling anywhere, one of the first things I do is search out online reviews and such of local restaurants so we can be sure to make reservations at some that are unique and have excellent food! We love both simple, beautifully prepared dishes as well as complex dishes with layered flavors and textures, tasting menus and wine pairings - (just did one locally where we let the chef surprise us with all 6 courses which was excellent) - and just unique experiences with dining in general.

When we go to Italy, we want to do our best to seek out and enjoy the best that the local cuisine has to offer! And dining will be a part of our trip that we hope to enjoy as much as any other part! We definitely will be eating for entertainment and no just to fuel our bodies. : )

Thank you to the poster who shared the list of best restaurants in Venice. I'll definitely be checking that out once I get my dates and flights and rooms figured out! This is certainly a complicated undertaking to try to get all the puzzle pieces to line up! : )

I was implying that you would know what cities or areas such as Tuscany or Bologna. Those are two examples that you see many food articles about and have many dishes named after. For many wine lovers Montalcino would be an automatic on their itinerary.
(In my wannabe status as a foodie) I have been sampling wines from areas I am interested in and think it would be cool to visit a winery based on one that I have tried at home. I also plan to do one or two food tours to learn more about tasting olive oil and the finer points of local markets. Although my wife loves to cook she doesn't seem to be interested in taking a cooking class on our next trip but I think I'd enjoy it. We are renting a car during our stay in Tuscany and spending nights in some smaller hill towns which would probably tick off boxes on your list of Scenic, Romantic and Food. I still say Rome has all those things and more but ultimately you probably can find those things anywhere in Italy.

speaking of food. Would it be in bad taste to use my phones translation app to read a menu so I know what I am ordering? I have no idea how to read a menu that is in Italian, and the staff does not speak English.

I don't know if it would be in bad taste but you would have to be able to pronounce the menu for Google translate. Another option is many restaurants have websites with English language menus.