Pasticceria Giorgio is located in Soffiano, a residential neighborhood of Florence. For a tourist, this is not an easy place to spot. But for most Florentines, the pastry store is a true icon. Read More…
Casa del Vino Florence
0Casa del vino was love at first sight: hidden behind the San Lorenzo market stalls with it’s ‘vetrina’ filled with delicious crostini, timeless wood carved décor and marble counter top. Every morning Nicoletta and Lucilla prepare the ingredients for the toothsome ‘paninis’: salsa verde, herbed chickpea & baccala’ [salted cod] salad, ‘insalata di trippa’, etc. Read More…
Antica Trattoria Sanesi: where the food is ‘strictly homey’
9As soon as I walk in I am greeted by Serafino Sanesi, proud owner of the Antica Trattoria. He is a tall man with a friendly smile. He started working in his mother’s trattoria at age 11, and he hasn’t had one day of regret. Today you can find him at the register where he greets his customers with warm hospitality. At his trattoria “la cucina e’ rigorosamente casalinga” or “the food is strictly homey”. Read More…
Wine Bar Le volpi e l’uva
4Florence has many wine bars. Le Volpi e l’Uva is one that should not be missed. Take your seat at the bar or on the terrace, and choose from a weekly changing degustation menu of French and Italian wines. Apart from a collection of more acclaimed wines, you can also find an interesting selection of smaller winemakers. The quality and ‘off the beaten track’ selection is what makes this place so special. Ciro Beligni and this two associates tour the country in a search for exceptional wines.
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Vicidomini: two centuries of making pasta
0The Vicidomini family has been making pasta since 1812. Today you can still find them in the city center of Castel San Giorgio; a small town in the province of Salerno. Luigi and Mario Vicidomini are sixth generation pasta artisans. Together with their wife and children they still produce pasta respecting the family tradition. Read More…
It’s not an Italian Christmas without a Panettone
2In Italy, traditionally you eat a Panettone on Christmas day after a plentiful lunch. It’s a sweet pastry with candied fruits. Even weeks before, the stores and supermarkets are packed with colorfully wrapped panettone. Read More…
Dolci & Dolcezze: perfect pastries in Florence Tuscany
2I have never been a true lover of pies. But that’s the thing with living in Italy: you end up changing your mind about food. A good friend introduced me to Dolci & Dolcezze: a small pastry store in Piazza Beccaria, only a two minutes walk from the Sant’ Ambrogio food market. Read More…
Cetara: a tiny Almalfi coast town famous for its ‘colatura di alici’ (salted anchovies delicacy)
0Cetara is a teensy fisherman village off the breathtaking Almalfi coastal drive. It’s a hidden gem, thankfully neglected by the mass tourism. After a short descent through the town’s narrow main street, we park our car near the fishing harbor. Cetara is a place where people are still traditional fisherman and the local grocery stores did not make room for souvenir shops. Read More…
A Florentine Classic: Trattoria Mario
2Usually when I see a long waiting line, I make a turn and try my luck some other time. With Trattoria Mario it’s quite another story. Adding yourself to the queue of patient diners is part of the charm. It’s not only the promise of a yummy Tuscan lunch that makes you stand in line. It’s also a place where you feel welcome, not matter if you are a Florentine or a foreigner. Read More…
Andrea Bianchini: Master of chocolate
2To be in love with your job is happiness. Andrea Bianchini looks to be a very happy man. He fell in love with chocolate at the age of 14, and has never thought of being anything else then a chocolate maker. I meet him in his tiny ‘laboratorio’ steps away from the San’t Ambrogio market. Read More…
Gennaro Esposito’s Torre del Saracino
0We follow the narrow road from the hilltop village of Seiano to arrive at Gennaro Esposito’s Torre del Saracino. Gennaro’s restaurant is elegantly integrated in and around a 1300 year old watch tower, and safely tucked in the tiny fishing village. The dining room is bathed in a warm diffused light so typical for the coast. A happy situation for a food photographer. Read More…
Mimmo La Vecchia: Master of Mozzarella
7We are driving through the green hills of Caserta. It’s easy to get lost here: no gps signal and no road signs. Only locals on this road, and they are telling us to go straight …always. Easier said then done. We finally get to Caseificio Il Casolare where we meet master cheese maker, Mimmo La Vecchia [short for Domenico]. Mimmo has one of the best smiles I have ever seen. We meet his family: wife, son and daughter; they all work in the family business. Read More…
