|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Wine and food in Firenze have a country taste. The Florentine cuisine is based
on simple, traditional dishes more than likely topped by a trickle of olive oil:
the thick vegetable soup called ribollita (see foods section), tiny
white beans boiled and dressed as cannellini, or served all'
uccelletto (pured with oil and dressed with tomato sauce) and that
tender steak for which Firenze is so famous it's even called steak fiorentine.
Do not overlook the antipasti, especially the finocchiona (a salami with the fragrance of garlic and fennel seeds), the crostini with a divine, country-style liver paté and the bruschetta (bread brushed with garlic, olive oil and possibly tomato).  Of the wines, the lord of the manor is of course, Chianti and the king, Brunello di Montalcino. Don't ignore the Vin Santo, a dessert wine served with dry cookies called cantuccini. It appeals even to those who don't care for sweet wines. A temple of Tuscan wine culture is the Enoteca Pinchiorri (two Michelin stars), in Via Ghibellina 87r; less imposing, yet refined is the Cantinetta Antinori, in an antique palazzo (in Piazza Antinori) where you can sample foods and wines by Antinori farms. Also recommended is the restaurant/wine-bar Mario in Fiesole (Piazza Mino 9). Anyone searching for a touch of local folklore won't go astray at the trattoria La Vecchia Bettola (Viale Ludovico Ariosto, in the San Frediano quarter). A perfectly comprehensive selection of all good things gastronomic in Italy can be found at the Pegna shop, in Via dello Studio 26r.  Something really special in ice cream? Hit the Vivoli gelateria in Via delle Stinche 7, in the Santa Croce quarter, famous for its artisans' studios. And what about an ultra-experience in chocolate? Go straight to the pasticceria Rivoire, in Piazza della Signoria 5r! They've been satisfying chocoholics for over 100 years! Have an aperitif in the very bar where the Negroni cocktail (Campari and Gin) was invented and named after a count. The elegant pasticceria Giacosa, in Via Tornabuoni 83r is famous for its budini di riso, torta della nonna and chocolate mousse-- and while we're on the subject of pasticcerie, do not miss Gilli, which dates back to 1733 (Piazza della Repubblica 39r).
|
 |
 |
