Hanging out at a sea-view restaurant while sampling local specialties could become one of your favorite memories of any visit to the five most scenic towns of the Italian Riviera. The key staple here is anchovies ideally served the day they're caught. Here you'll get antipasti ai frutti di mare, a plate of mixed "fruits of the sea": a fine way to start a meal. Many restaurants are particularly proud of their antipasti ai frutti di mare it's how they show off. This region is the birthplace of pesto; try it on spaghetti or, better yet, on trenette or trofie, both designed specifically for pesto to cling to. Focaccia, the tasty pillowy bread, also originates here in Liguria. Locals say the best focaccia is made between the Cinque Terre and Genoa. It's simply flatbread with olive oil and salt. The vino delle Cinque Terre, while not one of Italy's top wines, flows cheap and easy throughout the region.