A topic I could never bore of talking about, and one I incessantly get into, is food and where to eat in Florence. I love food so much, I want everyone to eat great food and I hope the world lives forever if just to give us wonderful food. And if you share my love for simply bullseye spot-on grub with at least an ounce of enthusiasm, I highly recommend Aroma Ristorante. Especially if you are looking to eat at one of the best seafood restaurants in Florence! Continue Reading →
(original post in 2015, updated in June 2017. Not including a significant % of other respectable gelaterie but these are my top 10 in the historical center of Florence)
Where oh where does one find the best gelato in Florence?
Anywhere, right? It’s Italy! It’s Florence- the birthplace of gelato! You can’t go wrong! No- WRONG! Finding quality gelato in Florence is more difficult than you think. A large % of gelaterie in the historical center sell gunk full of 95% crap, albeit having the means/resources for making great gelato easily. Italy has a plethora of quality raw ingredients- yet establishments continue to favor business/profit margins over preserving gelato’s integrity. You may be wondering “Why is there so much gelato in Florence?” While I wonder, “why would anyone in their right mind allow bad/subpar gelato to be born?”
In general, there is a lot of gelato in Italy. However I must say that Florence has a particular fondness of gelato because it is said to be the birthplace of gelato. On my food tours in Florence i, we chat about the key figures of gelato’s beginnings: Cosimo Ruggieri, Bernardo Buontalenti and Francesco Procopio (Francesco was actually from Sicily and this is where the gelato origin wars start to ensue). As one of my guests said recently “basically we’ve learned that Florence invented everything.” Exactly. I mean, how can you not boast a city that gave the world the (standard) Italian language, gelato and the negroni? Continue Reading →
Unless you’re an old-timer in Florence or really plugged into the restaurant culture, you probably never heard of Oliviero on Via delle Terme. And honestly, until it re-opened with a new chef- neither had I. Continue Reading →
As I mentioned in a previous post, I traveled to Iran for vacation and did a couple jaunts to Rome for my tourist visa. I wanted to write about the food gems I found (especially for those who may have to travel to Rome for less than 24 hours) and general food for thought that arose. I realize you may be surprised to hear one would go to Iran for vacation and not be terrified by it. I’ll repeat: Iran is a wonderful country, with people I came to adore and I encourage anyone to challenge what they’ve heard. I hope to travel there again and again. Continue Reading →
Traveling solo, huh? Well, first I’d like to give you a proverbial high five in light of my high five anxiety because #1 it takes guts to travel especially these days. Not because travel should be or is scary (travel is safe in Europe, guys!), but travel seems scary mega thanks to idiot media outlets and fear mongering orange asshats. And high five for #2: traveling on your own- this is one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences on planet earth. Since I write about food, I hope this post proves helpful for solo travelers- both as a guide to where to eat but also tips & insight for meeting others during your travels here in Florence. Continue Reading →