Vancouver, B.C.

• Don Francesco Traditional fine Italian cuisine, My friend, Doug, hosted me here. Rockstar wine list and service. Great bars nearby catering to the urban professional.

Bologna

• Trattoria Battibecco di Domenico Costa. Hands down a must visit spot in bologna, Italy, a city truly in my heart. Don't miss Bologna when visiting italy and stay near Piazza Maggiore and take in its charm. Battibecco is part of that charm just behind Piazza Maggiore and be sure to reserve ahead and tell them SonoPath recommended them. They are expecting the veterinarians after the meal we had there tat the IVUSS.org conference in September 2011. Tough to find a better meal or service in Bologna.
  
  
• La Capriata My favorite piazza in Bologna is Piazza santo stefano or  the Piazza di sette Chiese (7 Churches piazza). Visit the 7 chruches one afternoon, have an aperitif in one of the outdoor bars in or near the piazza and stroll into this place hidden in the building to your left when looking at Santo Stefano church. you wouldn't know this mlittle series of shops were there but la Capriata is inside and the food and service was "rockstar."
  
  
• Cantina Bentivoglio From Piazza Maggiore head to the 2 towers and hang a wide left and walk down Via Zamboni into the university district and follow the rest of the way to this 'rockstar" hidden gem with jazz on the weekends with some solid history of excellent musicians and the finest Bolognese cuisine. getting a feel for the university district in Bologna is have the adventure en route to this culinary experience. eat later on a friday and enjoy an Amaro Di Montenegro after dinner over some cool sounds:)
  
  Lodging in Bologna

• The Capello Rosso hosted 50 or so IVUSS attendees without a hitch in September 2011 and its a perfect and reasonably priced boutique hotel behind Piazza Maggiore and even have bicycles to use to explore the city if you get tired of walking. This place allows you to grab a cab from the train stain or shuttle from the airport and not worry about transportation again til you leave. Tell Yarno I sent you. He will take good care of you and they all speak english well.
  

Rome

• Da Augusto (Trattoria Romana), Piazza De' Renzi 15, Roma (Trastevere region). Grass roots roman cooking and grass roots prices. No frills, just paper checkered red/white table cloths and good local traditional roman food.
   
• Il Tettuccio (Frascati) Hidden up in the hills of Frascati 30 minute train ride from rome, walk up the steps in Frascati through the main piazza up to via Gioberti. Its a 10 minute walk from Frascati train station. Worth the trip down to earth  family run trattoria with mainstream traditional Roman cuisine with a homestyle approach. Take your time here. Photo #1 | Photo #2
   
• Osteria di San Cesario - The best authentic Roman cooking around. 15 minutes south of Rome off of the A1 Highway, exit San Cesareo. Tell Anna Dente I said "Ciao."
   
  
• Pane e Tulipani (Frascati) Up the steps from the Frascati train station to the left on the side street via Mentana. Appetizers and wine in a cool little hidden indoor or outdoor setting. maybe a small bit here then go to Il Tettuccio in via Gioberti for a bigger meal:)
   
• Ristorante Pierluigi (1938). Piazza De' Ricci no 144. 00186, Roma.
  Elegant, beautiful spot, big price but worth every euro. 06/6868717
   
• Taverna Dei Mercanti (Ristorante-Pizzeria), Piazza Dei Mercanti 3/A Roma. Typical Roman food, Trastevere region, mid priced, great spot. 06/5881693
  
  
• Taverna Trilussa (Ristorante-Pizzeria), Via Del Politeama 23. Roma. Trastevere region. Mid level price, traditional roman food. 06/581891

Rome (Piazza Navona)

• Tre Scalini
  This is the restaurant I had the 5 hour lunch killing time people watching and wondering what I was doing looking to study veterinary medicine in Italy. This was my second day in Italy armed with 5 words of Italian. But after a bottle of Frascati wine over a 4 hour lunch it really didn't matter what I was doing there...... it was just cool and liberating. July 2 1990. Fine food, great people watching, best restaurant in the Piazza Navona itself.
   
• Santa Lucia Ristorante (Next to Piazza Navona )
  Face Tre Scalini restaurant next to the Fountain of 7 Rivers (Fontana di sette fiumi) where Tom Hanks pulled out the priest from the water in the film "Angels and Demons" and walk along the street that divides the two and make your first right (Largo di Febo number 12). About a hundred yards down at the end of this small street you will see a triangular raised patio (see photo gallery on the website). This is where I dine when in Piazza Navona if I want a little oasis away from the tourists. Clive Owen and Julia Roberts had a scene here in the film "Duplicity" and also in "Eat, Pray, Love." I'm not a fan of either film but I do love the scene and the restaurant and its solitude in the midst of tourist bustle. Have a Spagetti a la carbonara and a glass of Frascati wine. You will not be misled and you won't be rushed. Tell them the American veterinarian with the home in Frascati sent you:)

Siena

• La Taverna Di San Giuseppe (Siena, Italy). Go to piazza del campo, face the bottom of the piazza and walk down Via Dupre to the right of the town hall (Big facade building with the tower). Its about a 10 minute walk and they are on the right at the top of the hill on the right. This is where you need to go when visiting Siena (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena) (http://www.sienaitaly.com/). Siena is a must stop preferably overnight or a few days as a base when in Tuscany. Ask for Lorella when contacting the Taverna. She is a doll and her staff really bring it! Best meal I have had in a while and great for a group up to 45 or so. We did the IVUSS lunch here at the 2011 Bologna conference (www.IVUSS.org) and they were simply "rock star." Start with Prosecco and pecorino cheese in the cantina and ask Matteo to tell the incredible history behind the building and restaurant. You will not be disappointed i assure you. Photo #1 | Photo #2 | Photo #3

California

• Sonoma Wine Garden (Santa Monica) Top floor view of the ocean, cool vibe, and a great selection of varietals... Wine and other. Go there an hour and a half before sunset. Ask for Roni to recommend a food and wine combo for you. I'm having the garden pizza with truffle oil and 2006 Rosso di Toscano La Cupole. Its as much of an olfactive pleasure as one of taste.
  
  
• Katy's smokehouse (Trinidad, California - 10 miles north of Eureka). This is a lost part of northern coastal California near where I went to undergrad (Humboldt State University). The invertebrate zoology lab is here in trinidad and as a starving student Ii couldn't afford much fresh smoked pacific salmon but what I could afford I remember like I ate it yesterday. I had the opportunity recently to stop in Trinidad (bay image below) (great place to hide away a few days) and stop at Katy's smokehouse en route to speaking for the Humboldt Del Norte veterinary Association. Order some smoked fish on line and pair it with Prosecco, Franciacorta,  Greco di Tufo, or even Cannonau or Chateauneuf as medium body reds go with salmon as well (please link these to the respective wine recs). I brought this smoked fish to Italy and the Italians, very scrupulous in their taste for quality, keep asking for more. Its a great way to make friends and take the edge off any defects in our personalities. Just feed and wine your friends well and they well put up with your flaws:)
  
  
• Hey Juan Burritos - On your way south on highway 101 stop in Arcata, California and you must stop for a beer and burrito at Hey Juan Burrito at 1642 G street, Arcata, Ca. Don't blink you will miss it on the right side heading north (1 way) on G street. This is an Arcata icon and has kept starving students well fed for over 20 years. Take a walk around campus at Humboldt State University (rest of photos) (www.humboldt.edu). The campus is actually a botanical garden in itself. See where played football in the coolest little football stadium on earth: The Redwood Bowl.
  Oh the memories....
  
  

Florida

• Berns Steakhouse (Tampa, Florida) You will never get a better wine list by the glass at this restaurant. My friend Dr. Mac Daniel highly recommends this venue. Judging by their wine by the glass menu alone, they have done their homework looking for the mainstream as well as obscure gems from Italy and South Africa.
   
• Christini's (Orlando, Florida) - Ask for David Garcia, Doug or Dimas and you will not be disapointed. Truly a rock star Italian experience and let David or Doug pair the wine for you. Handmade gnocci in bolognese sauce. Melts in your mouth like a fine gnocci should. The bolognese was paired with this barbaresco 2006.
  I asked Doug if he could order anything on the menu to pair with this Jarvis 2004 cabernet (simply awesome) what would he order?  His choice was the veal marsala which was justifiably delicate and simmered over time which is the only good way to do marsala. Photo #1 | Photo #2 | Photo #3
  

New Jersey

• Andre (Newton, New Jersey) Best food in New jersey hands down. Family run intimate French bistro. Worth the trip up the hill 35 minutes northwest of Morristown. Decent wine list with an emphasis on French & California varietals but you can bring your own as well for a $10 corking fee and they will treat the bottle as if it were their own; Decanted and served as it should be. Tell Andre I say "Hello." My definition of culinary heaven is eating here every day.
   
• Dock's Oyster House (Atlantic City, New Jersey) It's mandatory every year at the Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference in October to have an evening at Dock's with your good friends and clients. During the conference you may see me there with 15-20 or so of my best clients from NJ mobile.
  
  
• Due Terre (Bernardsville, New Jersey) New owners about 1 & 1/2 years ago and they really kicked it up a notch. Lots of hidden gems on the wine list. They have done their homework. I am a regular here and am never disappointed.
  
  
• L'Allegria (Madison, New Jersey) Great wine list and some hidden gems. Try one off the special list. Great hidden gem bottles for the value. Excellent traditional Italian food. Everything is good.
  
  
• Shanghai Jazz (Madison, New Jersey ) Great food, decent wine list and atmospheric "mojo." The music is always good and not overwhelming so you can still have a conversation. Live music every day but Monday.

Pennsylvania

• Church Brew - I recently brought some Italians to Church Brew when visiting me for a Pittsburgh Steeler game this last fall. When in Pittsburgh, a stop at Church Brew as it's an essential "religious" Pittsburgh experience. The beer and food were "off" that particular night but usually this is a solid place for beer and upper level brewery food. However, you may want to go to confession when getting back to Rome like my Italian friends did after this experience. They went right from Fiumicino airport directly to the Vatican when they landed:). Regardless, good time had by all and definitely something to talk about. Church Brew is located back in the industrial area of Pittsburgh so grab a cab from the city center for about a 15 minute ride. Photo #1