Did anyone else ever read Waverly Root's "The Food of Italy"? That is absolutely one of my favorite books, a gastronomic tour of Italy by Mr. Root, who was a Chicago Tribune journalist/WWII vet, who spent the post-war period seemingly doing nothing but eating his way around Europe (I can think of worse things...). "The Food of France" is good, too.

This idea SOUNDS good, and I would sooner trust the Italians with something like certifying food quality than, say, Brooklynites, but at the same time, is it necessary? Will it add value of any sort? I guess if you eat out a lot in different places, it could be useful, but frankly, it won't change my life that much.

I agree with Sweet Willie that it will make restaurants so certified more expensive than would otherwise be the case.