Florence Flavors

From May 18 to July 1, 2022, I will be studying the Mediterranean Diet in Florence, Italy.

Between trying many restaurants and cafes, gelato, meat and other food tastings, cooking classes and more, I am excited to share my journey and what I learn!

Updates and pictures will be posted here, so be sure to check for what I'm up to.

Foods are on top, but be sure to scroll down for drinks and lessons learned.

Ciao!!

Food

Finally: Florentine Steak

What better day to treat myself to a Florentine Steak than my birthday!
My friends and I split this large amount of steak, Florence's signature meat.
It was very moist and tender. This steak is rarely cooked, treasuring it's natural juiciness.
We devoured most of the plate- roast potatoes.

Famous and Deserves it

This rigatoni dish, from Trattoria 13 Gobbi, is famous. They are known for it, so obviously we had to try some.
Something about it is so good, yet so simple. What is the secret ingredient?

Egg Reboost

Between classes, we have an hour for lunch. My friends and I tried this cafe right near the academic building: Rivarno Cafe.
The quiche was very tasty. It was a huge piece and full of seasonal vegetables: spinach and potatoes.
The vegetables on the side were also very good. I love a healthy meal every now and then :)

The Best Hurry

We were in a rush between trains to get home from Milan. With only 30 minutes to eat, there was not time for a long meal.
I found this fresh market in the Milan train station, with basically any gourmet food you can imagine. I grabbed this easy sandwich to go from 'La Pizza: Giovanni Mineo e Simone Lombardi.
The inside was similar to what I ordered at All' Antico Vinaio- mortadella, arugula, and a soft cheese spread.
You know something is special when you're not super hungry and still finish it!
I had the sandwich heated up and it really just melted in my mouth. The thin, crunchy bread was a perfect crispy and flavorful touch.
Still dreaming about it.

Cannoli with a View

After Boboli Garden was closed this morning, I needed a sweet treat to perk up.
I got a large cannoli from Gino's Bakery. It was amazing!
How could I be near the Ponte Vecchio and not enjoy my cannoli with a view of it?! I set up a spot on the railing along the Arno River and enjoyed my delicious cannoli.
I will be returning to Gino's- perhaps I will try the pistachio flavor next time.

Pistachio Croissant

Pistachio (pronounced pea-stack-ieo as I learned) is a popular flavor in Italy. I have started getting a lot of pistachio flavored foods.
This croissant was my breakfast in Pisa. The chopped nuts on top added a great crunch.
I am planning on bringing home a pistachio cream to put in baked goods I make. It's so fresh and unique.

First Meal- Day 1

Margarita Pizza and Caprese for lunch at Bistrot 34r: restaurant along the Arno River.
Gorgeous view facing the Ponte Vecchio!

First Dinner- Night 1

Ricotta and Spinach stuffed ravioli with butter and sage sauce from Borgo Antico (in Piazza Santo Spirito: around the corner from our apartment). Pasta in Italy just tastes fresher and healthier.

Avocado Toast... My Comfort Food

Amazing first breakfast at Babae- café on our street corner.
The avocado and bread were so fresh and sliced finely. Also, the spinach on top was a nice touch.

Famous Sandwich Check

We HAD to try All'Antico Vinaio. This sandwich/panini shop is world famous.

Luckily, we did not have to deal with a line, but every other time we have walked by, all three locations (across from each other on the street) have long lines.

I tried The Paradise. All of their sandwiches are made with very fresh bread. This one had mortadella, pistachio cream, stracciatella and chopped pistachios. I WAS IN LOVE.

I had to Google mortadella before ordering. It sounds gross but I gave it a shot (here to try new things) and loved it. This is an Italian sausage meat made of finely ground heat-curled pork and a large amount of pork fat. It was sliced so thin and melted in my mouth- along with the rest of the bite.

I also did not know what stracciatella was so I asked one of the workers. It was a soft cheese, similar texture to ricotta, but tastes more like mozzarella. I will need to have more of this in Italy.

The paninis are huge. I could only eat a little more than half of it, sad to waste such great food.

We took our deliciousness and walked to Piazza Michaelangelo for the sunset. This was definitely our favorite night so far in Florence.

All'Antico Vinaio is close to our classroom building. I look forward to retuning during one of the hour lunch breaks and trying another thing from the menu. But, I will share it with someone this time!

Bruschetta in Venice

Brunch at Snack Bar All' Angolo in Venezia. This was the perfect post two-hour train ride meal to fuel for our long day of wandering the narrow streets.
The bread had a great, toasted crunch with unique pesto and fresh tomato. Added balsamic, olive oil, salt, and fresh pepper as seasoning.

First Fish!

Dove into the Mediterranean Diet for dinner at Caffe Saraceno. I sat right along the water of Canal Grande: under the Rialto Bridge.
The sole was amazing, exactly what I envisioned for my first fish meal. Had to order seafood in Venezia!

Pizza: must be one meal of the day.. yes, pasta is the other.

Late lunch break at Rossopomodoro after the Gucci Museum.
This classic Italian restaurant was near Palazzo Vecchio.

Pasta Two Ways

We went to Osteria Santo Spirito for dinner last night. I was super excited for this place since many people have recommended it and they are always booked. We made a reservation on the first night here for a large table outside.
The meal was great, a two minute walk from home, and not overpriced. They also gave us all free Limoncello shots.
Having heard great things about both dishes, I have to try both the gnocchi with cheese and truffle oil, and the spaghetti with tomato and basic sauce. I was craving red sauce but the Osteria (traditional Italian restaurant) is known for their Gnocchi: they are famous for it and wear knockoff Gucci shirts saying "Gnocchi". Both were great!
I ordered half portions of both, but the sizes were huge! I had the leftovers as a late night snack- still tasted great refrigerated at 2am after going out.

Protein Pump

I had been craving chicken: just the protein and meat. Since getting to Italy, I had been ordering the yummy carbs on every menu and not the healthy options.

We went to the food court at Mercado Centrale. I went to IL Girarrosto and ordered the grilled chicken salad.

When walking by, the girl worker was handing out samples of the grilled chicken and it hit the spot. It was very moist, tender, and flavorful. I knew right away that I was going back to that station.

I thought the salad came with another side and the worker told me to choose between rice, potatoes, and corn. I chose the corn, but was given all three.

I found out after that I paid 5 Euros extra for the side. I would not have gotten it if I knew it cost extra, but the extra food from this dinner served as the next night's meal (and tasted very good) so it was worth it.

I look forward to going back to the food court and trying the pizza, which looked delicious for when I am in an Italian carb mood.

Drink

Strawberry Piña Colada

Bellini

Oranges On Fire

Lessons Learned

Latte = Milk

If you order a 'latte' at a café, you will just get steamed milk.

Make sure to ask for a cafe latte if you want a normal American latte.

Breakfast in Italy

Finally had my first croissant and normal Italian morning food. It was super light, buttery, and flavorful. I never go for plain croissants so this was an unusual pick for me.

My friends and I got to Mercato Centrale (a large, fresh daily food market) before the food court was open (upstairs). Having waited to eat something, we got pastries from a café in the main market (downstairs).

What I have learned is that Italians do not eat a meal for breakfast. Instead, they have a cappuccino and pastry to start their day. Croissants and baked goods with cheese are most common.

I have also noticed that many vendors give you the exact good you ask for. You can point to it and they will make the effort to give you the baked item you spy. This is really nice, as sometimes we see the perfect bite but then don't end up getting it.

The Best of Fresh

At Mercado Centrale, we purchased the goods to make bruschetta.

My friend surprised us and prepared it while I showered. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the apartment table.

The basil was the freshest I have ever had. It could be smelled from far away and had white flowers on it! The mini tomatoes were also amazing. They were so juicy and perfectly ripe. The mozzarella was also a great find. It was very different from what I buy in the store at home. The skin of the cheese just peeled off differently- in a good way.

The bread was good, but not super flavorful. Apparently it was also hard to cut. We will try another type next time! Food is all about trial and error (something we actually learned in class today).

What's fun about the market is trying new foods and tasting them compared to what we normally have at home.
We want to go weekly and experience many of the tastes (smelled many flavors while walking around).

Salad Saga

I ordered my first salad in Italy at Restaurant Pizzeria Dante, near our apartment.
I was excited for the Caesar salad, not only because it had chicken but also for the comfort of this food. However, the dressing was oil and vinegar: not the creamy and thick Caesar dressing I'm used to.
We learned later in class that Italians use light dressings to really value and individual tastes of the fresh ingredients. I respect this, but was not satisfied by the salad.