Stop at an Autogrill (even Tucci went to the Autogrill on his show).
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i lost a debit card in one of the ATMs at an Autogrill in Italy. It just ate it⌠didnât even look like it noticed I was standing there. I walked around for a while trying to find someone to help me, but no one seemed to care too much. 
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But you could have had a glass of wine while you did that.
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Not all Autogrills are the same, but the various paninis and schiacciatis that you can get there are WAAAY better than anything you can get at a Kum & Go.
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If you have time, go up to the rooftop terrace at the Grand Hotel Cavour for a drink.
Hereâs the view:
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Only been to Florence once. We did hit the Duomo and Campanile, the Medici Chapel, Bargello, Piti Palace and the Boboli Gardens, Uffizi, Palazzo Vecchio, Piazzale Michelangelo, and a general walking tour. We did not hit the Academia.
Everything that youâre doing looks great. Just make sure that you have a little time each day for a passeggiata in the afternoonâa leisurely stroll around the town, usually capped with an aperitivo completo.
When youâre doing your wine tour, see if they also have olive oil for tastingâyouâll definitely want to bring some home.
There are a variety of passes that get you into mulitple museums and churches. Not sure if youâve bought tickets individually or with a pass. Worth looking into as you can save some money.
Our tour guide for Florence also gave us a guided tour of the Ufizzi. It is very crowded, so if you can swing it, a tour guide might be nice to get you more logically through the gallery, even skipping a few of the more touristy rooms to make it a more pleasant experience. The Bargello, by contrast, was not crowded at all when we were there in September and was delightful.
You can get you picture made on the Ponte Vecchio, then use the other bridges (Alle Grazie, Santa Trinita, or Alla Carraia) to avoid the crowds if you need to cross the river. Oh, and several locals recommended the Gelateria La Carraia as the best in town. Donât know if it was the best, but it was fatta a casa and was quite good. Itâs on the south end of the Ponte Alla Carraia.
Finally, if youâre driving into the city, get directions from the hotel. GPS is not your friend.
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I lived in Florence for Summer between my senior year in high school and my first year taking cooking classes (the credits transferred to UVA).
I second the Bargello as the most underrated museum in Italy. I would stop in couple times a week to enjoy the amazing sculptures (and air conditioning). I also think that if you donât have time it is fine to miss the Academy.
Piazzale Michelangel is magical on the right night, so I would try to make yourself flexible to find your way up there on clear evening.
Enjoy, itâs a great city and while itâs full of tourist in the summer, it doesnât feel like Disney World (like Venice feels to me) .
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This is a great post. Some others nEED to hand over their man card to you brother.
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Have a conference in Raleigh this fall, staying near the Convention Center; where should I eat? I am driving there so I can get around the city, but if thereâs walkable stuff around there, thatâs a bonus.
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When will you be there? Iâll be there for a soccer tournament for my son in December.
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Mid-October
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Death and Taxes
Stanbury
Pooles
Crawford and Son
Crawford Steakhouse
If you like high end sushi, I strongly suggest M sushi in Durham or Cary. The one in Cary is right across from a huge sports bar if the time of year is right.
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How in the world does Cary NC have sushi let alone high end sushiâŚ
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Cary has a TON of money in it, itâs grown quite a bit, and they have some big and cool mixed developments popping up where some great restaurants are coming to.
I promise you itâs on par with any high end spot in NYC. Iâve been to quite a few and some Michelin rated sushi spots. M Sushi can hang with anyone.
I prefer the Durham location, but itâs a tad further from Raleigh.
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something something âglobal supply chainâ
oh I guess the answers are:
- Development of the global cold chain
- Salmon farming
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henz46 got all the dinner spots. If you want great BBQ then head over to Sam Jones BBQ just outside of downtown. Best bbq sandwich in the area by far. Great brisket also if they have it that day, and an INSANE bourbon selection.
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Plus all sushi is previously frozen.
Iâm not going to say that non-Japanese people canât make great sushi and I donât know whoâs actually behind the bar at any of the M Restaurants, but lots of Japanese restaurants in the US, including these Ms, are owned and run by Korean Americans. Most of these are very solid, good restaurants that make great food that I enjoy eating.
To me at least, I can taste the difference between fish cut, rice cooked and sushi made by a chef who trained in Tokyo and one trained in the US (even a US trained Japanese born chef).
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the sushi rice man⌠it makes or breaks it for me.
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Facts the rice is the hidden critical ingredient in sushi. When you have it done by a true master itâs amazing. Spongy/slightly sticky the perfect conduit.
Dragon LOVES his sushi.
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