re: Italy (Rome/Florence/Venice) eating recommendations?

The best source for Roman food recs is Katie Parla...her blog, LINK / has real recs, not recycled guidebook crap. She's lived in Rome for a decade, and she pulls no punches. My favorite thing in Rome is pizza bianca and pizza rosso, two flatbreads sold at bakeries, topped with olive oil, herbs, or tomatoes (in the case of pizza rosso). The Antico Forno at Campo di Fiori has great pizza bianca, and the bakery sells delicious sandwiches at lunchtime at a small outlet next door.

In Florence, the Mercato centrale (food market) is a beautiful food wonderland worth a visit. the food stall Nerbone, tucked into a back corner of the market, sells delicious, simple stuff at great prices with a few tables and chairs nearby...It sells stuff like bollilo sandwich (braised beef on a roll dipped into the juices), ribollita soup, and the classic Florentine tripe sandwiches. In an extremely touristed town, it is the sort of small spot patronized by local shoppers and market workers.