Presenting the most stressful food experience a foodie can have… when there’s too much to try and not enough time. Welcome to Florence, Italy, where the solution is to have a couple more meals a day than usual… and to pick the very best spots to taste. Most importantly is, of course, the pasta. For a trial of everything the best place to go (with a group) is Il Gatto e la Volpe. This place has immense family-sized portions so everyone gets to try a little (actually, a LOT) of everything. They choose the dishes for you, starting out with their infamous bread and balsamic, then move to a decked out plate of cheese and meats, and then to the pastas. We had penne alla vodka, spinach risotto, and gnocchi in tomato sauce that were all to die for – and you never had to choose between the menu of options when you want to try everything… and then serve yourself a little extra of your favorite.
Another great place to try a little bit of everything is Aqua al Due. This intimate and chic restaurant is known for its pasta samplers and steak samplers so you can try as much as possible in a short time. The balsamic steak and
blueberry steak on the sampler was to die for, and the macaroni with vodka sauce was excellent as well.
For me, I was on a search for the best truffle gnocchi I could find, knowing I couldn’t leave Italy before having my favorite dish in the world in the place that does it best. For this, we finally found Osterio San Spirito, which is a small and cute restaurant with unbelievable pastas. I highly suggest the truffle gnocchi baked to perfection, or a simple spaghetti with tomatoes, their delicacy.
Anyone who has ever been to Florence will tell you the best pizza you will ever eat can be found at Gusto Pizza. Famous by word of mouth (literally), there is something about the sauce on this pizza that will shock even non-pizza lovers like myself. The line is usually long but definitely worth the wait for the pizza that changed my mind about pizza in general.
One thing I’ve learned in Europe is to not avoid the “hole-in-the-wall” shops that don’t look like much but have their reputation for specialties. As I learned with Bo Di B in Barcelona, a not so great-looking sandwich shop that I fell in love with, I learned the same thing in Florence with Antico Noe. It doesn’t look like much, but its sandwiches are to die for. Turkey, brie, and pesto with a special sauce grilled as a Panini was one of the best sandwiches I had ever tasted – and they had everything from truffle sauce to ham and cheese. A very cheap and must-go stop for lunch, we were itching for more. (Also has a restaurant: L’antico Noe)
And finally, most importantly…the gelato. Anywhere you go will obviously be amazing, it is Italy after all. But I do have the throw out there one name… La Carraia. It was the best gelato I have ever had, you must try to cookie flavor. Other great ones were after eight (mint chip) and chocolate mousse. These flavors are great in really any shop you stop in, but this one is particular really stood out. Florence really took the “cake” for one of the most jam-packed food experiences I’ve ever had – and trust me, it was really worth the three lunches, two dinners, and four gelatos a day.
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