Sublime

locals. It’s family-run, with good old-fashioned quality, as Gino (with his long white beard) cooks, and his engaging English-speaking son, Manuel, serves. They have one of the best wine lists in town, serve only homemade pasta, and are known for their raw fish and wonderful seafood antipasti misti (€10-16 pastas, €15-25 secondi, Fri-Wed

There is something about lunch in France that never fails to overcome any small reserves of willpower that I possess. I can sit down, resolved to be moderate, determined to eat and drink lightly, and be there three hours later, nursing my wine and still open to temptation. I don’t think it’s greed. I think it’s the atmosphere generated by a roomful

Cigale Récamier;

Marseille may be a rough old girl with a dubious reputation, but she has considerable charm, and there are patches of great beauty among the modern ugliness. Also, I happen to like Marseille’s independent, slightly overblown personality, and I particularly admire the cheek with which it has appropriated both the French national anthem and the most

St. Antoine, the patron saint of truffle growers,

now has a restaurant called, suitably enough, Augusto! It is in the heart of Lyon,

The people whose business it is to make a living from the Côte d’Azur have a limited season, and their eagerness to take your money before autumn comes and the demand for inflatable rubber boats stops is palpable and unpleasant. Waiters are impatient for their tips, shopkeepers snap at your heels so that you won’t take too long to make up your

On the right as you enter Via Fieschi, a pair of neighboring, fiercely competitive gelaterias jockey for your business. Both display my book, but my favorite is the second place, Alberto’s Gelateria (at #74). Before ordering, get a free taste of Alberto’s miele di Corniglia, made from local honey. His lemon slush (granita) takes pucker to new