Food & Drink
Below you'll find our most recent articles in "Food & Drink"
There was a food market set up in Piazza Santa Croce this weekend. Not sure of the exact theme - you can see the banner they had flying below in the pics. All kinds of great stuff, including truffles - we bought a small, wild, white truffle from the guy in the photo below and I made a risotto with it (well I made the risotto with some truffle cheese we also bought from him and shaved the white truffle on top of that). Heavenly paired with this fantastic wine. More on the truffles here: Villa Magna.
We also bought a bottle of Nocino, which is a liquer made from green walnuts. Technically it is a digestif - to be had after a meal. I was introduced to it by some friends last New Year's Eve, they served their home made version, which was fantastic. The bottle we bought seems pretty close. The producer is Poggio alle Lame.
There is always something going in Piazza Santa Croce...
Hey - someone else likes Perchè no!
Perchè no!
Via dei Tavolini 19/r
+39 55 2398969
info@percheno.firenze.it
www.percheno.firenze.it
One of our favorite all time places to eat in Florence is the Ristorante Boccadama. Located in Piazza Santa Croce, this is real Tuscan and other regional Italian food in a great setting, with prompt, efficient and friendly service. In season you can dine al fresco too. Lunch is amazing, and prices are very reasonable. Some of our favorites are the lasagna, pasta & fagioli soup, and spaghetti carbonara. Everything is home made from quality ingredients. At dinner the kitchen staff and menu change, and you will find some more refined cooking. Make sure to have one of their special desserts - either tiramisu or the pear and chocolate cake! Buon appetito -
A hard to find place, with an even harder to find website, enoteca Le volpi e l'uva is one of our favorite hidden gems of Florence. I guess the only thing that keeps this charming spot from not being completely overrun with tourists is the fact that it is tucked away a bit off the main tourism thoroughfare that runs from the Ponte Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti.
It really isn't all that secret - you will find it in most guide books and on many websites and Top 10 lists - but somehow it seems to maintain its sense of a being an off the beaten path kind of place that only certain people have knowledge of.
One of our favorite gelaterias is Perchè No, located just off Via Calzuaioli on Via dei Tavolini (by Orsanmichele). Their nut flavors are outstanding (pistacchio is always my favorite) and the chocolate is perfection. The kids like the Mint/Chocolate combo, and my husband prefers the Mandorla (Almond). Of course we have a few other spots we like to stop into for gelato... but I'll save that for another post.
Ellen
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Via della Mosca 16/r (corner of Via dei Neri)
Phone: 055 214 833
Area: Santa Croce
Credit Cards: AE, DC, MC, V
Closed Sun.
This place is loved by the locals, maybe because the menu is long and the food simple, but nevertheless tasty and there are daily specials every day.
Fodor's Review:
At this Florentine institution, beloved for decades by locals and Anglophone Renaissance scholars alike, the service is ebullient, the menu long (with often unwittingly humorous English typographical errors), and the food simple, Tuscan, and tasty. The list of primi and secondi is extensive, and there are daily specials as well. Don't miss the scaloppine all Benvenuto (veal cutlets with porcini).
This home-style trattoria is always closely packed with its regular clientele. The simple decor of red-checked tablecloths is the epitomy of "Italian", and the food follows suit. The menu includes classic Italian dishes like fried (fritto), boiled (bollito) and roasted (arrosto) meats, plus fish specialties on Friday. The pastas and soups are fabulous. If you're looking for a welcoming atmosphere and outstanding traditional food, look no further.
Aquacotto
Via dei Pilastri 51r
Firenze
Tel. 055 242 907
Closed Sunday (and August)
Antico Noe has two restaurants side-by-side and both under the same ownership - one is a sandwich shop famous for overflowing tuscan panini and the other a sit-down osteria offering seasonal specialties.
The sandwich shop is popular with the student community and local shopkeepers because it's a great place for a quick, cheap and delicious lunch. Order a sandwich from their menu, or create your own combination, and follow it with a glass of house wine.
The osteria offers Tuscan dishes with a strong emphasis on local seasonal ingredients - truffles, porcini and artichokes to name a few. The tagliatelle ai porcini is a local favorite, and the truffled eggs are a tasty bargain.
Both locations are found in an arcaded alley off the Piazza San Pier Maggiore (sometimes frequented by a local community of friendly vagrants). You'll know you've found the place when you see the line of lunch customers forming at the door.
Antico Noe
Volta di San Piero 6r
Firenze
Tel. 055 234 0838
Closed Sun (and for several weeks in August)
Credit Cards accepted
Popular with both Florentines and foreigners alike, this small sandwich shop is the perfect place to grab a quick bite and wash it down with some local wine. With a convenient location on a pedestrian street behind the Uffizi Gallery, you can choose from a wide range of reasonably-priced crostini, sandwiches, cheeses, Italian cold cuts and roasted meats. Some of the dishes are prepared at the rotisserie across the street under the same ownership - the roast pig (porchetta) sandwich is a favorite not to be missed. They offer a handful of stools to perch on, but most people prefer to grab a snack, pour up a glass of wine and socialize with the other patrons on the street in front - especially popular in the early evening for an inexpensive aperativo.
All'Antico Vinaio
Via dei Neri 65r
Firenze
Tel. 055 238 2723
Closed Sunday
no credit cards (unless you pay at their rosticceria across the street)
The Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Florence is a great place for the tourist, casual cook, or serious chef to get hands on kitchen experience in Italian cooking. Founded over 20 years ago by friends and business partners Gabriella Mari and Cristina Blasi, the school is located in the heart of Florence and has just undergone a complete renovation. Courses start from lessons in bread making, to more serious 4 to 10 week courses like "Italian Techniques I" and "Cooking of The Mediterranean Area" all the way to their 3 month "Professional Program" which is designed for serious cooks who seek work in the trade. They also have single day courses for children, and will be happy to consider any custom courses that you may want - contact them directly for more information.
Their website is also brand new - check it out for more details about the school and what they offer.
Moyo is another trendy spot for breakfast, a light lunch, or an aperitif - and unlike the recent move of nearby establishments, they do offer free WiFi (of course you have to buy something to use it though - like this €4 Coke I am nursing at the moment!)
At night it is a mostly younger crowd - and I mean crowd. Moyo is on Via dei Benci, a couple of blocks from the Arno. From the corner of Via dei Neri up until around Piazza Santa Croce, Via dei Benci is party central on most nights with people spilling out of the various clubs and restaurants, basically turning the area into a block party.
Moyo
Via dei Benci 23r
Firenze
Tel. 055 247 9738
info@moyo.it
http://www.moyo.it
Rifrullo is a great place to get a coffee, an aperitivo, or a full lunch or dinner. Located in San Niccolò, across the Arno and towards the Porta San Miniato, in one of the quieter, less touristy spots of Florence - yet only a 5 minute walk from the Ponte Alle Grazie.
The bar is open all day, and they have free WiFi. There is also outside seating in the warmer months, a cozy dining room with a fireplace in the winter, and a famous Sunday brunch all year round. This is a great spot to relax, and there are several other good places to eat in the area also.
Via San Niccolò 55/r
Firenze
055 234 26 21
http://www.ilrifrullo.com
Florence's second market (after the Mercato Centrale), Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio offers fresh food and other goods, from around 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM every day except Sunday. Saturday mornings are very busy - and some vendors only come on Friday and Saturday.
Outside on the long east side of the market you will find fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as some cheeses and cold cuts, eggs, soaps, honey and more. On the smaller north and south ends there are clothes, shoes, and various household items. Inside are meat, cheese and fish vendors, along with some general grocery, a bar and a trattotria, "De Rocco", which is a great place for an inexpensive lunch. This is our favorite market - the experience is authentic, the service is friendly, and the there are more Italians than tourists - not to mention great food, and some great prices on produce. Piazza Ghiberti, near Piazza/Chiesa Sant'Ambrogio
OIBÒ is a newer restaurant/bar/club at the corner of Via dei Benci and Borgo dei Greci - right next to Piazza Santa Croce. This is a great place for cappuccino and pastry in the morning, a light lunch, or an aperitivo. Owned by the Peruzzi family who have a giant leather emporium across the street, and a Piazza in their name nearby. Free Wi-fi is available too - as a matter of fact, we made this post from the bar!
OIBÒVia dei Benci 53r
Firenze
tel-fax 055 2638611
info@oibo.net
http://www.oibo.net
What sounds like another great restaurant - Trattoria Garga:
"Trattoria Garga is a mecca for citizen food lovers and renowned chefs in their own rights, such as the Food Network's Rachel Ray, who said about Trattoria Garga: "The more I dine out, the clearer the distinction has become between good food and soulful food. Garga has a soul all its own, and the dishes I've eaten here, such as Pasta Magnifico, Veal with Avocado and the famous cheesecake, taste of love, passion and curiosity as much as they do of their ingredients. I dream of this place. Sogni d'oro. Sweet Dreams.'"
Tonight we opened a bottle of what was one of my favorite Vin Santos since getting to Florence - the one from Castello Verrazzano. The new wine is the 2003 vintage, the 2001 was the last vintage and it has been gone from shops in Florence for awhile. Unfortunately on the first taste I have to say this wine is a major pass - all I could get from the nose was alcohol, and after the initial strong alcohol smell blew off, it just smelled like a weak glass of rubbing alcohol. It tasted the same, with maybe a butterscotch candy thrown in. The alcohol actually burned my throat and the finish was very hard. Nothing like the 03, no warm flavors of honey and caramel, no aromas of flowers, peaches or toasty oak. It was almost grappa like - very surprising, and ultimately disappointing.You can find some great Italian wines for sale at The Wine Messenger:
What I made for lunch today. Recipe below -
An article about house wines and food - it made me hungry!
"In my favorite no-frills eatery in Florence, Trattoria Mario, you sit at communal tables with workers and tourists and they bring you Tuscan bean soup, rigatoni with meat ragu and a massive bistecca all fiorentina. They pour a sturdy red wine that goes well with the beef. I have no idea what it was, probably Chianti, but nothing could have been better with the blood-rare beefsteak."
The full article is here, and the restaurant's website is here.
