Curious Appetite

Italy

Top Picks for Where to Eat & Drink in Florence in August (including Ferragosto)

/ Florence, Italy, Where to Eat in Florence / 4 Comments
Pasta in Florence tomato pappa al pomodoro
All things summer tomatoes at Osteria de’ Pazzi

(updated Aug 2025)

Notes for 2025, this is still a delicious guide if I may say but dates in which restaurants close may change on a dime. Call ahead! We are offering our Progressive Dining Crawl during select dates in August as well- this would be an excellent way to save the headache of finding places open for at least one evening of dining while in Florence!

The best times to call restaurants to book are Tuesday-Saturdays and around 12-1pm or 7pm-8pm right when they open or a little bit before if you want to make sure someone picks up. I wouldn’t relying on booking online but instead messaging on Instagram if they have a page. Good luck and happy eating- Coral 

This post (originally written in 2017, I believe!?) is updated to be your guide to eating and drinking well in Florence during August (specifically, for one of Italy’s most important national holidays, Ferragosto, the 15th of August (Assumption day) with the hopes someone will find it useful. If you know the Ferragosto cultural song and dance, feel free to scroll to the listicle juice. Continue Reading →

Articles on Food, Wine and Florence (Italy) for the Michelin Guide

/ Florence, Italy, Press, Where to Eat in Florence / 0 comment
in 2020 at 3 starred Pinchiorri (pre-pandemic/no grey hairs)- an appropriate leading photo!

Apart from this food blog I have been tending to for over 15 years (since 2010!) and leading food & wine tours in Florence as a sommelier, I’m also a freelance writer.

The TLDR of this post links to my latest bylines for the prestigious Michelin Guide! Very proud of the articles filed as part of a guide compiled alongside fine local talent with exceptional editors. Read on for the tea and link cookies! Continue Reading →

24 hours in Milan and where to eat

/ Europe, Italy, Milan, Travel Adventures / 1 Comment

This was first written in 2015 and edited in 2025 

Over the years, I’ve heard contrasting grips and praises by Italians for Milan. From being the “grey” city to the epicenter for contemporary culture and fashion in Italy. I love a big city, as I come from one (Seattle!) and at that, one which also has a reputation for being grey and rainy. In case you are new to this blog, you should see how I feel about fashion on this throwback post in 2015 when Vogue came through Florence. Ironically enough and despite my nonchalant attitude towards fashion and refusal to wear high heels, I love Milan.

If you need more reasons to convince you to visit Milan, check out this post too.  

Or book Curious Appetite’s latest culinary adventure in Milan led by expert insiders!

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Where to eat in Florence during Christmas & New Year’s (2024)

/ Florence, Italy, Quick Food Guides, Where to Eat in Florence / 1 Comment
photo credit: Silvio Palladino
photo credit: Silvio Palladino

Are you looking for where to eat in Florence on Christmas and/or New Year’s? Fear not, traveling food lovers! Curious Appetite did all the dirty work of calling around Florence.

If you are interested in small-group culinary tours Christmas Eve & Day, consider our Festive Food Lover’s Tour on Christmas Eve or our Progressive Dining Crawl on Christmas Day! Tickets sell out quick, book your spot asap.

And on New Year’s Eve we will be doing a Aperitivo Food & Wine Tour in Florence- examples and details of each pop-up event are HERE

The pickings for what’s open in Florence on Christmas day are tight & clean including Persian kebab, traditional spots for Florentine fare & steak and pasta & pizza bars. I first compiled this list in 2016 and keep it updated for your dining delight.

PLEASE NOTE: I’ve updated for 2024, but please bear with me in that it might read a little chaotic and not as well organized as I’d like but the tasty intel (i.e. straight up addresses) is there.

I’d be happy to provide a quick hand-picked list if you shoot me an e-mail (I am not very good at responding to DMs on IG) and especially if you show your appreciation by gifting me a coffee on VenMo 😉 Happy Holidays!

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An alternative guide to *that* viral pasta in Florence

/ alternative food guides, Florence, Italy, Where to Eat in Florence / 0 comment
One of my alternative picks, read till the end for full list

I shouldn’t have to write this post but as a food blogger in Florence for over a decade, I can confidently say things have gotten out of hand. How how did a tourist trap restaurant on one of the ugliest streets in “downtown” centro become home to Florence’s most viral pasta? Sometimes, I don’t recognize this city anymore and I have a lot of questions for many people who decide to come visit.

And why they want to line up for a pasta in a cheese bowl with questionable hygiene concerns. Do they sanitize that bowl in between servings? Where do they store it at night? How many pastas are made in this cheese wheel subject to a plethora of temperatures? Continue Reading →

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