Florence
Leaving our cozy digs in Massarosa, we were excited to spend our last two days of the Italian leg of this tour in Florence. Although we both love being in the country we also love the energy of a big city.
A huge museum
Firenze is like being in a huge museum. Every street is a history lesson and every gallery holds incredible works of art. In fact, you don’t even need to enter a gallery to see some magnificent artwork, as we would soon find out.
Locanda dei Poeti
Dropping off our trusty Fiat (which I loved!), we made the hike to our lovely little B&B called “Locanda dei Poeti” and its owner Massimiliano. After an informative conversation about places to visit and to eat, our map was chock-full of notes and scribbles. We quickly checked in to our room and then set off. If we were going to see everything we wanted to in one and a half days we had to get a move on.
Accademia Gallery
Knowing that the Uffizi Gallery would be closed while we were there, we decided to go and see “David” at the Accademia Gallery along with the Bartolini exhibit.
Basilica Della Santissima Annunziata
On our way, a piazza caught our eye and drew us in for a couple of pictures. Across the piazza, we saw a number of locals going into what looked like a government building (very non-descript) yet our map indicated it was a church and monastery called Basilica Della Santissima Annunziata. We decided it was worth a look and we were so glad we did because behind those doors was an unbelievable space filled with gold and art that held us, along with a handful of others, in awe.
Palazzo Vecchio
Stumbling across this Basilica turned out to be one of the highlights of Florence for us but we would continue to be blown away by the lavishly decorated rooms hidden within the gorgeous architecture of Firenze. In the massive rooms of the Museo di Palazzo Vecchio where we put a permanent crook in our necks, straining to take in the outrageous works of art on the forty foot high ceilings. I could go on and on about the art and architecture of this beautiful city but I am a chef and I wanted to see the art of food in Florence.
Steak Florentine
Every guidebook you read talks about the famous “Steak Florentine” but having eaten many steaks, I was not interested in what every other tourist orders. For that reason, we chose to visit a small trattoria that Massimiliano had recommended, Osteria dei Pazzi, had some traditional dishes including some that had been modernized.
Truffle salsa
In particular, my attention was drawn to the beef carpaccio with truffle salsa. We accompanied this with a young pecorino with homemade hot pepper chutney.
For our main course, I had pear and pecorino ravioli with wilted trevisano and Nat had a spaghetti alla carrettiera, a typical Florentine spaghetti with spicy sauce. The meal was simple, delicious and a great way to end our first day in Florence.
Santa Maria del Fiore
The next morning we got up early to visit the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and try and beat the crowds.
Unfortunately, you can not get up early enough to beat the crowds, so we joined the line and waited patiently. It wasn’t long before we got inside but were slightly disappointed since all of the treasures had been moved to museums, in this case, we were more enthralled with the exterior.
Piazzale Michelangelo
Lunch came quickly after a long walk to Piazzale Michelangelo overlooking the city and the amazing church of San Miniato al Monte (construction started in 1013).
Due Fratellini
We again took the innkeepers advice and visited a sandwich shop (Due Fratellini) that was just a dent in the alley it inhabited. The long line said something about the quality of its food and we were delighted with our porchetta (for me) and bresaola sandwiches that we ate sitting along the curb with the rest of their patrons.
Ponte Vecchio
Back to sightseeing, we diligently ticked off most of the rest of our desires including the famous Ponte Vecchio, the lucky Porcelino statue (rubbing it and sticking a coin in its mouth is said to assure your return to Florence) and the Pharmacy/Perfumery of Santa Maria Novella (founded in 1221 by Dominican friars).
Hosteria il Desco
Wasted from the miles we had walked and the unrelenting Tuscan sun, we retreated to our room for a nap and to freshen up before our late dinner at the beautiful Hosteria il Desco. Specifically recommended for a romantic and excellent dining experience, we figured it would be a great last meal in Italy.
The Florentine
Arriving for our reservation we were seated at a quiet table in the back of the restaurant and poured a complimentary glass of prosecco. Scanning the menu everything looked awesome so I turned to our waiter for advice asking the same old refrain “What do you do that is unique?”, “You must have the steak Florentine,” he said. I hung my head and chuckled. “That’s not too unique,” I said. “Maybe, but it is a dish you must try when you visit Florence and ours is the best.” Not being able to refuse a good piece of meat, we took his word and went for it.
Tuscan farro soup
Included in the meal was an assortment of Tuscan crostini preceded by a small bowl of traditional Tuscan farro soup garnished with a steamed mussel. Our stomachs a third full, the steak arrived at the table with murmurs from other patrons peeking over at the huge piece of beef.
Porterhouse or T-bone
Traditionally, steak Florentine is what Americans call a porterhouse or T-bone steak. Ours, a good two inches thick was carved and reassembled on a hot cast iron platter that would keep it warm as we worked our way through this marathon of meat. On the side, we had some lovely roast potatoes and sautéed broccoli accompanied by a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and two glasses of delicious house red (all included).
Blackened edges
The steak was charred with blackened edges but remained a perfect rare within. Taking our first bite we both paused and moaned. As I have said before we have both eaten and cooked our fair share of steaks but this one, grilled over olive wood, seasoned with sea salt and drizzled with olive oil was succulent. The sheer size of this cut of meat on the bone allows a chef to char the outside with all its caramelized deliciousness while still keeping the inside rare. Couple that with a seriously marbled piece of grade A beef, a dose of Florence ambience, my lovely wife and you have a truly unforgettable meal.
Overdosed on art
So we left Italy with a full stomach and overdosed on art, already looking forward to our return. Italians truly know how to live, let’s hope the rest of Europe can compare.
For a taste of Florence at home, I have included a recipe for the farro soup that started off our last meal in Italy. The recipe for steak florentine is easy, fly to Florence.
- 1 pound dried borlotti soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium onion
- 1/2 pound ham hock or Prosciutto end
- 5 fresh sage leaves
- 1 whole garlic clove
- 6 ounces farro, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 4 fresh sage leaves
- 1 fresh basil leaf
- 6 canned Italian plum tomatoes, squeezed and chopped with liquid reserved
- salt and fresh black pepper
- Place beans in a soup pot with salt, ham hock, sage, onion, garlic and enough water to cover by 2 inches.
- Cover and cook for one hour or until tender. When the beans are cooked, remove the pork rind and blend 3/4 of the beans with the bean liquid and onion.
- Return to the pot.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the carrot, onion, celery, rosemary, garlic, basil and sage for 7 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the tomatoes, 3 tablespoons hot water and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
- Blend the vegetable mixture and add to the pot.
- Bring to a boil and add the farro, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add water as necessary to maintain a dense consistency.
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