The Vineyards' Roses

Between starting a new job, finding an apartment and getting settled, I have not been on top of this writing business lately. Plus my mom was in town for a couple of weeks and we were busy every evening after work going here and there to make our new apartment a home. Mission accomplished.

Of course her visit was not all household projects and trips to IKEA (just 3 or 4 in the span of 12 days). This was her first time to visit the Piemonte region, and so there was much to be seen, eaten and drunk. I lived in the Piemonte town of Bra two years ago when I worked for my former university and Slow Food, and so had a list of special places I wanted to share with her.

Top of the list? Serralunga D'Alba. The name just sounds rather romantic and magical, don't you think? Now the key thing to understand about this part of Italy is that this is where some of the country's top wines come from; Barolos and Barbarescos find their roots here, and that of course means mile after mile of rolling, take your breath away hillsides.

Whenever I visit the medieval village of Serralunga, I wind my way up through the few narrow streets, tiptoe past the open windows if it is a quiet hour, and make my way to the castle, perched on the top of the hill in the center of this tiny town. It's the perfect spot to just stop and stare out over the vineyards, and there there is a little apartment tucked away in this centuries' old building, where I like to imagine, just for a moment, that it is my home. Thick ivy climbs along the brick wall, up to the old wooden balcony, where cheery geraniums give a splash of color. Antique, dainty lace curtains peak through the windows, and I think with each visit that I could be very happy living there.

But generally it's about at this point that my stomach begins to grumble, as it often does, and I make my way down the winding road a mile or two to La Rosa dei Vini. I always wonder how the family who owns it got their hands on the property; if it was passed down through their own family or one day they happened upon the land for sale and thought, "oh boy, oh boy have we hit the jackpot."

The view alone is enough to write home about, especially at sundown. The outdoor terrace faces west, so as you linger over your aperitivo, the sun gently begins its descent, finally ducking out behind the castles of medieval villages a hill or two away.

But as I mentioned La Rosa dei Vini is much more than just what nature handed it - the food is also worth a letter or two. All the classic Piemonte dishes make an appearance on the menu, and they are all rightly done with enough simplicity and goodness that even though a restaurant in this setting makes you feel like it should be a special occasion spot, the food begs otherwise.

We all opted for an ample tasting menu during mom's visit, including her first plate of carne cruda - hand chopped raw beef - which she bravely opened her palate to, as well as stuffed zucchini blossoms, traditional tajarin pasta, and veal slow cooked in local wine. Plus dessert and of course a very bold Barolo from a vineyard just over the way.

La Rosa dei Vini
Loc. Parafada, 4
12050 Serralunga D'Alba
+39 0173 613219

Fit for a prince and The King

I did a stupid thing the week Elvis came to live with us. I left a package of Culatello di Zibello in my purse, and when I stepped away for a second to take a phone call, he dove in and quickly made it his dinner (side note: his foster parents chose his name. What are the odds that a girl from Tennessee would adopt a dog named Elvis in Italy?). Lucky guy that Elvis, since Culatello di Zibello is arguably the king of all cured meats, and he just so happened to get his greedy paws on some from one of the top producers, Massimo Spigaroli.

Chances are you have never heard of Culatello di Zibello since it is not sold in the United States and only produced in eight villages of Italy, but if you have ever tasted prosciutto, then you can begin to understand culatello. The word culatello actually means “little rump”, and that is exactly where the meat comes from – the pig’s bottom. Butchers begin with the entire hind leg, cut out the bone and carefully carve out the best cut of the meat that is then massaged with salt, garlic, pepper and red wine, tucked carefully into the pig’s well-washed bladder and snugly stitched up with cord. Unlike prosciutto which is generally industrially produced, Culatello di Zibello is produced entirely by hand, a process well worth the effort when you taste the buttery earthiness of the paper-thin slices. The culatelli are transferred to cellars where they’ll age from sixteen to thirty-six months, and this is what brought me to Massimo Spigaroli’s famous cantina at Antica Corte Pallavicina where I worked for the last year.

What makes Massimo’s cantina so renowned, apart from its being the oldest in the world – it dates back to 1320 – is that it is home to 6,000 culatelli. Enter and you find yourself enveloped in their intoxicating aroma, a literal maze of hand-perfected creations, reaching their pinnacle of excellence thanks to the effects of time and the heavy fog of the Po River basin. Massimo’s family has been in the business of culatello for hundreds of years, and the experience shows. In fact, Prince Charles of England received one of his culatelli as a gift a few years ago, and so impressed was he that he sought out Massimo himself and asked him to produce cured meats with his English pigs. And so with just a bit more time he too will have culatelli fit for a prince.

I can plug freely now that I no longer work there, right? There is also a 6-room relais in the castle as well as two delish restaurants right on the estate. You know, if you ever find yourself out in the Parma countryside.

A Terrace with a View

So it seems that it is finally starting to warm up after our incredibly long, long winter. The first day when I can walk ol' Elvis without wearing a jacket has me already dreaming of day trips to the beach and serene seafood dinners.

How lucky are we that the closest beach is the Cinque Terre at a very do-able hour and a half car ride? Chances are if you have visited Italy before, the Cinque Terre were on your "Must Visit" list and for good reason. Check out how insanely beautiful this coastal area is.

Sigh

My first visit was three years ago when my family flew over for a little Italian holiday. Turns out that my aunt's colleague was friends with Franco the owner of Ristorante La Torre, and sent her armed with a letter of introduction. Thank goodness for that because otherwise I doubt I would have ever found La Torre, now my regular dinner spot for days at the beach.

Cinque Terre means "five lands" in Italian, and that's exactly what this natural reserve is: five villages built into the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean. They are connected either by train or by hiking paths that vary in difficulty. La Torre is located at the top of Vernazza and unless you are hiking the trail between Vernazza and Corniglia (one of the most difficult), you would never have reason to pass it.

The Mediterranean before you, embraced by vineyards

The menu is typical for the Ligurian coast: spaghetti with plump muscles and clams, lasagna with beautifully perfumed pesto (pesto comes from this part of Italy), anchovies from the nearby village Monterosso bathed in local olive oil and lemon juice, and a simple, but gorgeously prepared tomato bruschetta. Choose a crisp white wine made from the grapes that come from the vineyards right over your shoulder. Since seating is limited to less than 10 tables outside on the terrace, you are guaranteed a panorama of cheery Vernazza and the deep blue Mediterranean.

Not bad

Now for those of you who know me well, you know I am not exactly the most athletic chick in the barnyard, but for dinner and the view, I will gladly hike the hundreds of steps to get up to the restaurant. Wouldn't you too?


Ristorante La Torre
Via Carattino, 64
Vernazza Italy
0187 821082

Le Vitel Ettone'

How cute is their mascot of sorts? Here he is in his detective incarnation.

Another favorite in Turin (odd, the frequency that Turin keeps coming up, hmmm?). The last time I was in the city for the day by myself, I used all my Detective Holmes tricks and tracked down Le Vitel Ettone', where I had not been in over three years. As I nestled into my cozy little spot and savored my plate of plump little stuffed pastas, I thought if I were to have my own restaurant one day, I would take a lot of inspiration from Ettone.

Cheers to the manageable size of it, the chalkboard announcing your lunch choices, the assortment of antique tables, the attention to detail like with the complimentary smellies in the bathroom. It is the sort of place where you feel the love, devotion and involvement of the owner.

The compact kitchen is tucked away in one corner of the rather small dining room and the menu is smartly designed to feature just a few antipasti, primi and secondi to make working in such a limited space do-able. Remember in my last Turin post how I mentioned that there is not tons of variety when it comes to the local specialties? Well the theme continues here, but with an occasional update or twist to the classics. The wines of the region are rightly highlighted with a good selection by the glass or entire bottles.

All in all a darling place for a quick, but thoughtfully prepared lunch on your own or a long lingering repose with a dear friend and a bottle of the local finest.


Le Vitel Ettone'
Via Francesco da Paola, 4
Turin, Italy 10123
011 8124621

Oh why are you so good?

The perfect meal. I'm not sure such a thing really does exist, since perfection when it comes to food is such a fleeting concept, dependent on cravings and temptations at any given moment. But that being said, every so often we are lucky enough to savor a meal in which given the opportunity, we would not change a single thing about it. How lucky am I that my favorite restaurant serving up dishes just of that caliber is right down the street?

The first time I went to Trattoria Campanini was right about the time P and I started dating. He, a longtime fan, kept saying how he wanted to take me there, but was quick to squash any lovey-dovey ideas that were swimming through my head. "Jenn," he would say, "it is the least romantic place ever." Fine. And he was right, with its harsh overhead lighting, yellow walls and matching, rather dated, tablecloths. But this is the type of place where you come to eat, and eat we did, and do since moving out to the country, and becoming neighbors with said sacred place.

The cuisine, as one would expect, is strictly Emiliana, so lots of pork, stuffed pastas and long cooked meats. Every time we go, we have such genuine intentions of ordering one or two dishes and leaving comfortably satisfied, and yet we always end up indulging well beyond what is necessary.

Brother, sister and Mom with their famous cured meats

Let me just give you a quick rundown on what you will eat when you come to visit us.

Antipasto

This region of Italy is known for its cured meats and the family who owns Campanini is proud producers of some of the best. Thus it's only fitting that you would choose a mixed serving of the meats (and honestly that is the only option on the menu) - prosciutto, Culatello di Zibello (a handmade, specialty cured ham produced in only 8 villages here along the Po River), salami, and one of my favorites spalla cotta, or cooked ham. As if the meats weren't stellar on their own, some genius upped the ante by deciding they needed to be enjoyed with torta fritta - essentially a savory beignet - and cold rings of butter. I'll let you process that for a moment.

Primi

No spaghetti, risotto or lasagna here, the seven or so pasta options are all gorgeous stuffed pastas, filled to the seams with sweet pumpkin, or goat cheese in a leek sauce, ground walnuts, radicchio or pureed potatoes, covered in porcini mushrooms. Intense and so happily gluttonous.

Secondi

Now to be honest with you, very rarely do we manage to get through the first two courses and actually order a meat course (excluding the antipasto obviously), but in the rare occasions when we do, we almost always opt for the guanciale cooked in creamy rosemary sauce. Don't freak out, the beef jowls are one of the most tender, flavorful cuts of meat out there and I really do not understand why they haven't taken off back in the US. I also love the tripe.

Dolci

The dessert we get at Campanini is the rare exception to everything I have ever said about Italian desserts. The zabaione ranks up there with one of the best. Anywhere. The simple Italian dessert is made with just eggs, sugar and Marsala wine, but what you get here is head and shoulders above most, and I don't really know what they are doing back there in the kitchen, beyond the balsamic you pick up in the flavor. It is amazing and served with large chunks of Parmigiano cheese to be heavy-handily dipped in.

And at this point, after draining the bottle of wine and downing our espresso in hopes that it really does aid in digestion, we pull ourselves to our feet and say, "Next time, let's just order one or two things."

Right.


Trattoria Campanini
Madonna Dei Prati (outside of Busseto, Province of Parma)
0524 92569

Perfection under the Mole

The restaurant's name means "Under the Mole"; the Mole is the gorgeous dome seen here.

I was in Turin the other day with a good friend and she brilliantly summed up one of my favorite Italian cities with, "It's like Paris but a bit grungier." True story. For me the city is equally defined by its sweeping, noble piazzas, decked out in their Baroque and Neo-Classic palazzos, as it is by its thriving immigrant communities, which inevitably add a much welcomed zest to the local culture. You can start your day with a brioche and bicerin at one of the numerous grand cafes then head off to the ethnic markets to take home some rare Chinese veggies to cook up for lunch. The mark of a great city if you ask me.

You know another mark of a great city? Great food (duh). Since B and I both lived in Piemonte (the Italian region where you find Turin) we were eager to eat some of the classic dishes we so miss, and luckily for us, we didn't have to look beyond the Slow Food Osteria guide to find a real winner in Sotto la Mole.

Now the thing about eating in Italy is that when considering the country as a whole, the cuisine possibilities are seemingly infinite, but when discussing typical dishes for a given province, well things don't change so much from one restaurant to the next. I could pretty much count on my two hands the dishes (and I do mean, antipasto, pastas, rice, meats and desserts) to be found on any menu in and around Turin. Understandably this gets to be a bit monotonous, especially if you don't live in the city where you have access to different types of food, but for us simple day-trippers, this was perfect since it was the classics we longed for.

Before we even arrived, I knew exactly what I wanted to start with: carne cruda. Now for those of us not accustomed to eating raw meat, it may sound pretty nasty, but it is really gorgeous and satisfying and not to be found out here in Parma (unless we're talking about horse meat, which is another story). Sotto la Mole presents the dish with a flourish: three small cylinders of hand chopped raw beef, each topped with a small green leafy garnish and delicatley sprinkled with sea salt and olive oil. Heaven. B and P enjoyed an artichoke flan, nestled in a warm bath of bagna cauda - another Piemontese specialty of warm olive oil, garlic and anchovies.

For our primi we went back to basics. Gnocchi for me in a rich sauce of local Castelmagno cheese, tajarin (a very thinly cut, eggy pasta) with veal sausage and rosemary for B, and a fantastic risotto with sausage and Barolo wine for P. Love all around.

Speaking of wine, you really cannot talk about Piemonte without talking about wine since some of Italy's top bottles come from the local vineyards. Living here we were really quite spoiled with what we drank, and were delighted to have our pick of Barberas, Barolos and Dolcettos. In the end we picked a fruity Barbera from Elio Grasso, that just as the food, not surprisingly, did not disappoint.

Ristorante Sotto la Mole
Via Montebello, 9
Turin, Italy
011 8179398

Best Little Wine Bars

Nevermind that Parma is home to some of Italy's best cuisine,

sometimes all you really want

for dinner

is a glass of wine

and

a savory sandwich.

And it's times like these,

that you can do no better

than to head to

Enoteca Fontana.

A wine list to keep you company through the evening

and some of my favorite panini.

Roast beef and arugla,

goat cheese with sundried tomatoes,

pork tenderloin with a spicy olive sauce,

and if for some reason,

those don't do it for you,

there are sixty or so others that

most definitely will.

A Parma institution.

Enoteca Fontana
Strada Farini, 24
Parma, Italy
0521 286037

Köstlich!

Still enjoying my 10 day vacation, we spent the last few days in one of my favorite parts of Italy - Alto Adige. What a cool region! It was part of Austria up until World War I and German is still spoken there today, as well as some madly accented Italian (I know I am not one to speak. No pun intended). I love visiting because you feel like you are in a different country, yet it is conveniently close to home.

Most of the Alpine-style hotels offer guests a half board option since there aren't many other restaurants along the snowy mountain roads. Ours was no different. And most of the food you get in these hotels is acceptable, but generally what you'd expect from a kitchen churning out meals for lots of people. Imagine cruise food, although usually it isn't even that fancy. Ours, in this case, was very different! It was amazingly amazing, and quite honestly the first night at dinner, left us worried we had misunderstood the price quote (see: weird Italian accent).

Pulling into the Hotel Ganischgerhof's parking lot you pass by a hand painted sign, advertising to passers-by the restaurant's hours:

No hint to the Michelin quality food that awaits

Glancing at that humble declaration, you would never expect dishes like sea bass served over a bed of dill risotto with saffron foam and the most delicious fennel gratin ever, rabbit with an artichoke salad and white tomato mousse, or squid carpaccio with avocado and crispy bean sprouts.

Squid carpaccio - check out the dried fennel chip on top - sweet like candy

Sweet pepper soup with shrimp



Rabbit with white tomato mousse

I loved Chef Arnold Paris' use of spices and herbs, something I don't get much of here in my part of Italy: turmeric, cinnamon, fennel, saffron, dill, lemongrass and mint to name a few.

And you know how I typically feel about Italian desserts. Clearly the pastry chef has spent some time abroad to come up with such gorgeous pairings like an ever-so-light ricotta souffle served with cinnamon semifreddo. Genius!

Stuffed chocolate crepes with mint sorbet



Poppyseed souffle with persimmon gelato

Never mind the prices. For half board we paid just 28Euros per day. True story.

And like any good tourist "abroad" we stopped by the local grocery store to stock up on goodies we can't find on this side of Italy: oats, flaxseed, sauerkraut and seed breads.


Hotel Ganischgerhof
Rio Nero 22
39050 Nova Ponente
+39 0471 61 6504

I love fried dough.

This girl has been in desperate need of some new boots for a while now and since I am on vacation this week, I thought it would be a great time to get out of the country and head to Milan for a little winter-sale shopping.

Now, I've never lived in Milan and haven't spent tons of time there as a tourist/shopper, so any Milanese out there who take issue with what I am about to say, Speak Up! By all means, I would love to be proven wrong. Generally though, I gotta say Milan has never blown my shoes off when it comes to food....and I think most Italians would agree with me on that point.*

That being said, there is one place that has been on my list of places to try for a while now that somehow always manages to be closed whenever I am in Milan. Until today that is.

Luini Panzerotti.

Have you heard of it? Amazing!! Imagine this: dough generously stuffed with mozzarella or ricotta cheese, meat or veggies and then fried. Or if you can't imagine it, just check it out below.

It's essentially a savory donut and what's not to love about that?

Now for a quick little history, panzerotti is not traditionally from Milan, but rather from the Puglia region of Italy (i.e. the heel of the boot, since we are talking about boots here). It ended up in Milan in the 1940s when like so many other southern Italians, the Luini family emigrated to the north and got into the bakery business. Just to give credit where it's due - in this case to those brilliant Pugliese.

Luini's is conveniently located a few steps from Milan's glorious duomo. If you have any doubts, just follow the stream of people walking down the streets, happily devouring their fried pockets.

*Obviously if we are talking about high end restaurants, sure you can eat very well in Milan. But for traditional Italian favorites, generally speaking, Milan does not beckon.

Luini Panzerotti
Via Santa Radegonda, 16
20121 Milan
02 8646 1917

Best Little Cafes

When this is happening outside....

cozy up to a little table here...

and warm yourself, inside and out with one of these.

In a city known for its sprawling piazzas and noble cafes, Caffe' Bicerin is found humbly tucked away in a small corner of Turin. Run only by women, (historically women weren't welcomed in cafes. Decent women, that is. As a result, this cafe was a haven for them.) the cafe serves up the finest version of the coffee drink by the same name.

This isn't a snack people, so don't even think of downing one an hour or two before your next big meal. These pack enough punch to keep you going all day long. Starbucks ain't got nothin' on the bicerin.

Espresso
Bitter, dark chocolate

Fresh cream

P.S. The zabaione is pretty life-changing too!

Caffe' al Bicerin
Piazza della Consolata, 5
Turin, Italy
+39 011 4369325

Pesce a Parma

Since I am spending this New Year's Eve at work (no comment) we decided to celebrate the new year together last night at a fancy shmancy dinner. Now generally when you think of Parma, probably two things come immediately to mind: Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Parma ham. And rightly so, after all those two products are really what put this area on the worldwide food map, but every now and then we "locals" have a hankerin for some really good seafood. And luckily for us smack dab in the center of Parma, Ristorante La Fata Bema beckons.

How to pick?? Ordering was no easy task as everything on the menu sounded fantastic and such a change from the normal fare. In the end I settled on ravioli stuffed with shrimp and artichokes, served with oysters and lentils, which I deemed fitting since tradition here has you eating lentils for the new year. Delish. And such a fun change of pace from the standard Parma offering of ravioli, called tortelli, stuffed with either ricotta and chard or squash (of course my heart will always belong to these two, but a change every now and then never hurt anyone).

Isn't that just lovely?

As much as I enjoyed my pasta, P's antipasto of raw fish really knocked me off my feet! By far the best plate of raw fish I have ever enjoyed in Italy, and I know that is near blasphemy since we are several hours from the closest sea. Sorry. It was just so brilliantly executed, simple, as it should be, to allow the perfection, freshness, sweetness of the fish take center stage. Loved, loved, loved the prawns, tuna and swordfish! A note to anyone in the neighborhood who would like a sushi fix: skip any so-called Japanese restaurant and just come here and order this. It comes with a little dish of soy sauce if you'd like, and this is all by far better than any sushi I have had in Italy. Eeks!

Wheee!!!!!

For my second courses I went with the orata, sea bass, cooked to perfection and served with fennel and plump slices of oranges. What a lovely contrast up against the buttery fish. P instead ordered a variation on gnocchi, those lovely pillows of potato turned dumpling, served with small sea scallops in a buttery homemade pesto.

What a lovely meal to show out 2009 and welcome in 2010. Cheers!

Ristorante La Fata Bema - moderately expensive
Via Turchi, 4
43100 Parma
0521 208798

Best Little Wine Bars

If ever you find yourself in Parma, Italy
and are looking for a place to
wet your whistle
and watch
the ever-chic locals
cycle by,
you must stop by
Tabarro.

Tabarro
Strada Farini 5/b
Parma, Italy
0521 200223

Mussels to Write Home About

*

Mussels. A brilliantly prepared bowl of mussels can almost make me cry (in fact I am having a difficult time focusing on writing this; now I want one so bad).

A few months ago we were in Sicily for vacation and ate our way from Catania, down to Noto, through Modica, Agrigento, up to Trapani and out of Palermo. I could happily gobble down any of the island's star players - cannolo, bottarga, granita, caponata, heaping helpings of pasta with clams - but it is the mussels we were lovingly led to in our final days that come to me now when I dream of Sicily.

It would be fair to say that we were a bit resistant to take our lovely B&B owner's advice on where to dine. Other owners had more times than not suggested places that were good, but always missing a note or two. After a highly disappointing dinner at a restaurant that the owners had specifically told us to avoid (tsk! tsk!), we came home with our tails between our legs and agreed to try out their favorite.

Even if you had the good fortune to just happen upon it, La Piazzetta is not the sort of place you'd be inspired to try out without a previous recommendation. It's located on a dark street in the suburbs of Trapani (i.e. seemingly a bit sketchy) and at first glance just seems to be another neighborhood pizzeria. But if you take a second to look around, you will quickly notice that the place is filled to the gills even on week nights.

We came the first night for the mussels. And the second. And had we not had a flight home on the third, we would have come back for them again. Never mind that the 9 Euro antipasto is more than enough to fill two hollow, expectant tummies beyond satisfaction, but these seriously were the best mussels I had ever eaten. First the efficient waiters plunk down two loaves of gorgeous bread, which in and of itself is somewhat shocking given that gorgeous (or even good if we're being honest) bread is hard to come by in Italy. Then comes the overflowing pot of deliciousness, and when it arrives your conscious self wants to go slowly and savor the little guys, but somehow you dive in and what seems like minutes later (and probably is) you emerge to an empty pot, practically wiped clean of any broth, thanks to the two, now gone, loaves of bread.

We never succeeded in saving room for other dishes, but if the mussels are a measure of La Piazzetta's power, then the huge platters of pasta and the wood oven pizzas are sure to inspire longingly hungry remembrances of Trapani.


La Piazzetta
Piazza Salinagrande
Trapani, Sicily
923 867161

* Blame the mussels. I didn't take a photo, so instead offer up views of nearby Favignana to tempt more than just your palate.

Cibreo Caffe'

I recently spent a couple days down in Tuscany visiting a good friend who works at this wonderful place. On my way home we stopped in Florence for lunch. Now it's been 3 years since I've been in Florence and call me stony of heart or whatever, but in the past it hasn't really done it for me - mobs of tourists, packed piazzas and disgruntled shopkeepers. Plus I am spoiled living where I am pretty much guaranteed at least a good meal wherever I pop in. The last time I was in Florence I went on a mad rush that lasted into ridiculous hours of the night to find a restaurant that I deemed beyond tourist quality. Let's just say I wasn't in the know.

But today Florence gained some points in my rather closed book thanks to B's local insight and the charming brilliance of Chef Fabio Picchi's Cibreo Caffe'. The caffe's big sister restaurant, Cibreo, is right across the narrow street (in fact waiters run hot dishes from their kitchen to caffe' guests), but was out of our modest lunch budget - we are, after all, tightening strings for the mother of all trips to Paris in less than a month.

First thoughts on entering - "SO charming!" Plush red velvet theater chairs cozy up to small cafe tables dressed in crisp white cloths and wine bottles sanded down to glasses hold cheery yellow flowers. The menu is an abbreviated offering of the restaurant's goods, and I particularly enjoyed the variations on standard primi; no pasta here but rather creamy soups, savory flans and fish carpaccio. B started off with a steaming terrine of gorgeous thick cream of fish soup, based on a stock that shames lesser contenders into a corner. I went for the gelatina di pomodoro, essentially a cold tomato flan (yeah, yeah, not in season). How refreshing, how elegant, perfectly complemented with subtle herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Secondi followed up with a perfect autumn day's stewed rabbit in a tomato sauce so thick and "mop it up with your bread" good for me, and a chicken salad for B, which she happily described as a chicken salad sandwich on a plate. The highlight of this dish was the generous helping of homemade mayonnaise: lemony with a peppery, slightly bitter finish - no doubt made with Tuscan olive oil.

Lunch for us finished with coffee - espresso cups come with lids to keep them hot if you have them outside - more cuteness! - but there was a long list of dessert options that probably would do the country proud, and given Italy's general record with sweets, that is saying a lot.


Cibreo Caffe' - moderately priced
Via del Verrocchio 5/r
Florence
055-234-5853