Tasting Typical Tuscan Food In Florence

Last night Hera and I decided to go to Ristorante del Fagioli, a near by family run restaurant located at 47/r Corso Tintori, just south of Santa Croce church. (Tel 055 244285)

We were not too sure what to expect. Most restaurants have a wide assortment of pastas and pizzas, but none of this was to be found on their menu.

An Italian gentleman entered ahead of us, and the waiter asked if he had reservations which he had, and was ushered in. We had none, but being early, they had a place for us. If possible do make reservations, as the restaurant soon filled up with locals who seemed to be regular patrons, with a few tourists here and there.

The wine menu was easier to understand than their food menu. We decided to enjoy ourselves and chose the 2007 Avignonese Vino Noblile di Montepulciano. The friendly waiter agreed our wine choice was excellent an excellent one, and he was more than happy to explain the menu to us.

He poured a small portion of wine, and the nose was fabulously aromatic and full. I took a sip, and felt the harsh pungent flavours almost sear my throat. The wine was good, but needed to breath a bit before it could really be enjoyed. (This is true for many good wines of this region. Let the wine sit and breath a bit in your glass.)

A few minutes later, the wine started to open, offering its full bodied flavors that did not disappoint. This was a wine to be sniffed and slowly savoured.

We started our meal sharing an appetizer of Crustini tipico, small pieces of bread with a rustic liver pate that made us realized we were in a treat for some good local cuisine.

For our first course, we ordered two of their soups. We had mentioned that we wanted to taste each others meals, and they happily obliged us. Bringing one soup at a time in the center of our table, and a bowl for each of us.

The first was a Riboliita. Ribolita basically means reboiled leftovers usually with beans, vegetables and bread. The dish was exquisite, with white beans and spinach.

The second soup was called a bread soup, and this one was equally good. A tomato based soup, with lemony hints, thickened with bread.

Bakeries have various sorts of bread, and we had bought Toscan bread. Though it has a great crust, the bread itself is non-descript, but it is excellent to soak up the flavours of our soups and the meals to follow.

We had meant to take a photo of the menu to remember the names of the dishes, but we forgot.

For main courses, we chose two different meat dishes. Hera decided upon the roll of fried meat with a potato filling, while I had a roll of meat stuffed with artichokes and mozarella in a tomato sauce. The hearty meals were delicious.

As a side dish, we ordered some fresh porcini mushrooms that they sauteed simply in olive oil, letting the full flavours of the mushrooms present itself for our enjoyment.

For dessert, we enjoyed some Almond Biscoti dipped in Vin Santo.

The ambiance of the restaurant was joyful and festive, the food, rustic, delicious and filling. We learned later that this restuarant had been accepted and approved by the    http://www.accademiaitalianacucina.it/en_index.php

Another must dining experience for all who visit Florence.

For a quick visit follow this link....

http://www.geobeats.com/videoclips/italy/florence/del-fagioli

Cheers,

Anthony & Hera