Lucca says stop to ethnic food?

[Stefano]

Today I read on il Corriere della Sera (see the article in Italian) that Lucca's center-right city government has passed a local law that will not allow the opening of new restaurants preparing dishes "of a different ethnic origin". ... ...Read More...

 

[mikep]

Ethnic food ban in Lucca?

I just read what is quite an old post (2009), from Stefano about the ban on new " Ethnic" restaurants in Lucca. Can this really be true? We are in the process of finalizing a trip to italy which will include 6 days in Tuscany. Already have booked 3 nights in Florence (very excited) and had thought about Lucca very seriously for 2 or 3 days. Not that we're looking for other than local cuisine which we imagine will be wonderful, but the very idea of this is offensive, if true, and might well cause us to go elsewhere in Tuscany. Any thoughts or information? Thanks, MikeP

 

[Stefano]

Dear Mikep,
I agree with you that the idea of not allowing new "ethnic" restaurants inside the walls of Lucca, as it was reported by the news at the time, was offensive. However it seems that it was more the result of a local politician looking for some publicity, rather than a real "ban" on kebabs or similar restaurants. After January 2009 we didn't really hear or read anything more about it, even if it would be hard for me to say if new restaurants have actually opened since then.

The news was probably distorted a little in the news, as I have to say that Lucca and all of Tuscany are very open to different cultures, including from its gastronomical side.
I would definitely go on and include Lucca in your trip, it is a beautiful city worth visiting, and since it's quite small and close to Pisa, it can be easy to visit both in 2-3 days.

have a great trip, and if you have the chance, come back and tell us about it!

 

[mikep]

lucca restaurant issue

Stefano, thanks for replying so quickly. we're still having trouble narrowing down our other options, because there are so many attractive ones in tuscany. The posts on all the forums have been very helpful. The planning itself is great fun. Thinking extending our time using Florence as a base for day trips, vs. staying elsewhere in tuscany. So many wonderful choices, we'll probably just have to come back.

 

[Stefano]

Ciao Mikep, I know what you mean when you say that it's hard to choose between so many attractions! We named the website "Discover Tuscany" because even if we live here we always find new places and hidden corners to explore.

Florence is an excellent base for day trips, and Siena too, depending on your plans. Don't worry if you can't make it to see everything, it's an excellent excuse to come and visit Tuscany again soon