Where to eat in San Gimignano

Dear friends,

This post as the previous one is addressed to all those who are visiting Tuscany at the time. I find it worth recommending where to eat so that you are not prey to the typical bad and expensive touristy restaurants.

Today’s post is about San Gimignano, a medieval town which by no means you can leave out in your trip to Tuscany. San Gimignano is probably the best preserved medieval town throughout Tuscany with ravishing towers that are perfectly kept.

San Gimignano as all the tourist destinations has a lots of expensive and bad restaurants, therefore when you are visiting this priceless town you should eat at the restaurant La Cisterna which is right at the heart of town on the main square.


In this restaurant you can savour excellent Tuscan cuisine, simple yet with good ingredients and while you are eating you can admire the ravishing vistas of the hills of Chianti.

The following is the restaurant’s address:
Piazza della Cisterna, 23 - 53037 SAN GIMIGNANO (SI)- ITALIA - Tel. 0577 / 940328

Well friends, I hope you enjoy Tuscany¡

Warm regards

Giovanni

Walter Radaelli, an exclusive restaurant near Montepulciano

Hello friends,

If you are in Tuscany in the area of Montepulciano or Cortona or if sometime in your trip you head for Valdorcia you should take a break to eat at a new restaurant that I have discovered a few days ago. I am referring to the restaurant Walter Radaelli, an enchanting restaurant of creative Tuscan cuisine located in Bettole, Valdichiana.

The ambience of the restaurant is exquisite for its location, as it is situated in the interior of an ancient recently restored farmhouse, as well as for its elegant and carefully tended decoration that has been chosen and tastefully planned to the last detail. Besides, its fare is really delicious.

In the summertime it is possible to eat outdoors in the external patio of the farmhouse and enjoy an enchanting view of Valdichiana.


As I have told you the dishes that Walter Radaelli proposes belong to the nouvelle Tuscan cuisine, therefore there is much innovation compared to the traditional regional dishes.



So, for good cuisine lovers this place is a must-visit that should not be left out along the way to Pienza or Montepulciano from Firenze Arezzo, or Siena as Betolle is on the road leading to them.


Enjoy this gastronomic Tuscan experience¡

All the best,

Giovanni

Finisterrae

Hi, friends!

Today I want to share another restaurant I simply adore with you. It is called Finisterrae and it is in Florence, in the heart of the city, in Santa Croce square, opposite the famous church.

Fisnisterrae is a different eating spot from the typical ones you would find in the city as it specializes in Mediterranean cuisine with not only Italian dishes, but with Arab Greek and Libanese specialties as well. The food is superb and if it is to your liking you can try the Cus Cus, the Kebab or the Mussaka.

If you don’t want to be that exotic this restaurant also serves pasta from all Italy, not only Tuscany, such as Paccheri Campani (a very tasty pasta from Naples) or typical pasta from Sardegna based on semolina with strawberries and clams.

The restaurant also has a good selection of wines, of Spanish wines, too (if you grow nostalgic about them) and other more exotic ones from other Mediterranean regions.

The place is wonderfully decorated with Arabic touches and provides carefully chosen Mediterranean chill out music. If you come to the restaurant in the summer we suggest you should get yourself a table at the terrace, not in the exterior one, overlooking the Santa Croce church, but in the interior one, which opens up into an internal patio with a fountain and a lot of vegetation.

The last time I went to this restaurant was a year ago and I really found it was a perfect place for trying out some food besides the typical Tuscan cuisine, that’s why I want to recommend it as a restaurant to visit in Florence.

Well, friends, I’m attaching the link to the web of FINISTERRAE, where you can find more pictures of the ones published here, as well as the restaurant complete menus.

I hope you’ll enjoy and have fun in Tuscany.

Piancastagnaio and el Amiata and a meal at Saxa Cuntaria

Last Saturday I decided to pay a visit to my friend Marco and to go to one of the regions in Tuscany I hadn’t visited yet, i.e. Piancastagnaio.

Piancastagnaio is located at 800 meters high and it dominates the Valdorcia, the Rocca di Radicofani and the old Via Francigena, which used to join Rome with France. Piancastagnaio, as all the towns which appeared near the Francigena, is a town with an interesting historical, cultural and artistic patrimony. The town has a boundary wall and it still preserves its medieval buildings, its noble palaces and its narrow roads, which wind among small squares and viewpoints that look out on three regions: Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo.

The town is also famous in Italy for its mercury mines and for a statue at the entrance of the wall, which is a reminder of the fact that the whole town lived on mining.

For ski lovers, the pistes are just a few kilometers away as the station of Mount Amiata (the highest peak in Tuscany) is just a few minutes’ away by car.

Marco, native of that town, resolved that to fight off the cold this season he had to eat well and he decided to take me out to the best restaurant in town.

The restaurant is called Saxa Cuntaria and it is certainly one of the restaurants where I have better eaten in the whole of Tuscany. The place is small, it’s got just a few tables, and it’s really intimate. The owner is a peculiar character who personally waits the tables and assists all customers.

As it was my first time at the restaurant I left Marco order my food and so we both ate the same, which I highly recommend, of course:

Starter: zuppa di farro alle castagne
Main course: taglaita con Lardo di Colonatta.


Both dishes are delicious; I specially recommend the main course which is a Chianina steak cooked in lard with a side order of superb black baked beans.

The restaurant has one of the best wine cellars I have ever tasted in Tuscany; it also offers many noble wines from other regions in Italy. For a change, Marco and I drank an excellent Sicilian wine.

The restaurant is a bit expensive, 45 euros per person, but the food and the wines are worthy it.

So, dear friends, as everything we recommend in this Blog, this place is also one of the sanctuaries of good Tuscan food. If you visit La Valdorcia or Mount Amiata, you can’t miss it!

I’m attaching a few pictures, as usual. On this opportunity, I’m including one of Marco, to whom I am dedicating the article.

Regards,

Giovanni.

New Year's Eve in Tuscany

Tuscany is a perfect place to enjoy the last night of of 2008. This unique region offers a wide range of options for all tastes and for all ages: for those who are seeking peace and quietness, for those who are wishing dancing all night, for those who dream of beginning the new year tasting the excellent specialities of a traditional Tuscan resturant in a friendly and warm atmosphere...

Therefore Tuscany has a large offer of accommodations, so you can choose to spend your holidays in a exclusive Villa with your family and friends, in a beautiful country house or in a charming hotel. You will find for sure the place that fits perfectly with your accommodation needs.

Some years ago I decided to spend my Christmas holidays with some friends in a wonderful Villa close to Cortona, and all I can say is that it was an unforgettable experience living those days among our Tuscan neighbours learning all about their traditions, the way they live Christmas and tasting the excellent specialities of the Tuscan gastronomy. We had the New Year's Eve dinner in a great and small restaurant south of Siena called "La Visantaia".


As always there will be plenty parties - allnightlong- in cities such as Florence, where you can find good music, the best dj's, and all the best for the last night of the year. In this link you will be able to see some of the options for that night: http://www.capodannofirenze.it/new_year_eve_florence/new_year_eve_florence_saschall.html

Also Woody Allen will be in Tuscany for the coming weeks, he will be in concert in Florence on December 22, so if you are thinking of being there that day I might suggest you don't miss the chance!

I hope this advices to be useful for all of you, and I wish you the best in Christmas and in 2009!


Alicia

Wonderful food in Tuscany

All the products that you can at "Hosteria Vecchia Rota" are very good because the Oste only take the best products that he can find changing them depending on the season of the year. If you have the opportunity to be in Marciano in Tuscany in July or in August I would strongly suggest to ask for "Pici all Ocio". Ocio is a big withe duck that you can eat almost only in summer and it is really one of the best meat in the world!

Hosteria Vecchia rota has not got any website so unfortunately I can not put the link for you but if you wish to go I just put below the telephone number and the address.

Hosteria Vecchia Rota
Via XX Settembre 4
Marciano della Chiana

tel: 0575 845362
cell: 335 5912812

If you wish to go I would strongly suggest to call them and to ask for a reservation as it is a very popular Osteria and many locals go every day.

My best regards for all of you!

Simon

Al Ritrovo Bibbiena

The restaurant is not a large place - and the main portions is in a tented area right infront of the kitchen - but this is also a good point, because you can sit outside catch the light breezes in the summer time and live the small town life on the streets in a quaint little town like Bibbiena.

Though the menu also contains several standard Italian dishes - the cook oftens adds a twist such as the potato filled pasta with butter and truffles, very inviting! The menu also included some basics, which for those of you who are looking for something just a little lighter than normal might enjoy the vegetable soup - just like my mother-in-law makes!

Pizza is served at dinner time only and is well made with a good tastey thin crust. I tasted the Peppery steak stew - and it was worth cleaning the bowl out. Wine can be purchased by the bottle or you can get smaller portions in a carafe - great alternative for those of you traveling in small groups. The house wine is good - you don`t have to order from the list to get a good hearty flavour to accompany your meal.

I know they say their specialty is fish - but I really can`t comment on that because I only tasted the turf menu but if they do the fish like the do the plates I did taste, you can go secure that it will be down with a unique home style flare.

Parking is tough in Bibbiena - you should really look for a place outside of town and walk in. The town is not that big and actually there are lots of cute little shops and beautifully restored historic building to view. To find the restaurant - just walk all the way up to the main square (there is only one) and look up facing the clock. Turn to your left in the far corner and you will find a restaurant with a large white tent in front.


Specialty is Fish

Piazzetta Mario Pierazzuoli, 4

Bibbiena Arezzo

Phone +39 0575 536209

Closed on Thursday

Restaurants in Arezzo:La Torre di Gnicche

It`s a small little place just right for friends who want to laze about and drink some wine and try some tasty finger foods - or an easy paced lunch / dinner or even mid afternoon snack. The menu is particular and changes every week depending on what the cook feels like creating.

This restaurant does NOT do pasta of any type - but in compensation they do some fantastic bruschettas: toasted bread with varies delicious toppings. One of my favorites is a soft Italian cheese, raddico rosso and lardo di colonata. Two hefty size sliced of bread - you choose the topping and you have a good substitue for a plate of spaghetti - and the possibiity to taste the wide selection of Italian cheeses and cold cuts.


Order bit by bit - because the portions are a good size and your eyes may definitely see more things than your stomach can hold. You can order your wine by the glass - which allows you the freedom to select many types. I have personally tasted the Polpetone - the American meatloaf probably came out of this prototype. You can taste that it is home cooked, with a nice brown gravy. I have also tasted the mixed cheese plate - very abundant - and the cheeses where definitely out of the ordinary.


Don`t skip the desserts - they are all made in house and merit a taste with a good glass of Moscato or Vin Santo. They can help you choose, just let them know if you like it sweet or dry.

La Torre di Gnicche means the Tower of Gnicche, and Gnicche was the name of a modern day Robin Hood who lived in the Casentinoo area. He existed around the mid 1800`s and a a reputation from stealing only from those who could afford it. He would keep his share (of course) and distribute the left-overs. In fact many young Italian boys from that area earned the nickname Gnicche (pronounced Nick-eh) when they were found to be just a little more active than others!


If you are in Arezzo and have had enough of everyday typical meals - then I suggest you search this place out. Its cozy atmosphere, and rather laid back look to it makes it easy to settle down order a glass of wine and watch the locals filter in and out. Though in the summer it can attract some tourist you will find the mainstay of this place are Italians and the quality of food and the moderate prices are proof of that.

Please find Below more information about this restaurant

La Torre di Gnicche

Piaggia S. Martino 8

52100 Arezzo

Phone Number: +39 0575 35 20 35

Closed on Wednesday

Where to eat in Pienza

Pienza is a lovely town in the south of Tuscany where art and nature live in perfect harmony. If you have the chance to visit this wonderful place I would like to suggest same places that you should not miss at all. The first one is the The Restaurant Il Chiostro an incredible place inside an old convent just in the center of the little Village. You can acces to the restaurant from an incredible garden overviewing the Orcia Vally. You should go to this restaurant in summer or spring because the best of the restaurant is the terrace from where it is possible to enjoy a superb landscape of Tuscany countryside. The food is also good and Maurizio the owner will do the rest to make your dinner or lunch unforgotable. Anonther place that you should not miss at all is "Latte di Luna" a very nice restaurant just at the end of the village. This place is famouse for serving the best "maialino di latte" (pork) in the area. More information about Pienza can be found at the officialweb site of Pienza

Trattoria Zaza Florence

Trattoria ZàZà set behind the San Lorenzo Market, was an old wine-shop when it opened in 1977. At the time you could just get “crostini neri” or a slice of salami with your wine, but with time it naturally transformed into a rustic tavern where the knowing locals could eat traditional dishes like Pappa al Pomodoro, Ribollita, Baccalà alla Livornese and finish with Tiramisù served in a wine glass - all in a welcoming, no-fuss atmosphere.

Today ZàZà has a website from which you can make your reservation and even shop on line.

Trattoria Zaza

Trattoria ZàZà is located in Piazza del Mercato Centrale in Florence, right near Trattoria da Mario.

Fish Fair is near Siena

At Badesse Fresh Good Fish on the Cheap!!

This little town near Siena (Badesse is the name of the town) hosts this fair that every year returns to present increasingly better dishes and service. That is what our friends told us, anyway.
And I must say I believe them, since the taste of fish was really good (kinda Marcellino's in NY, just to compare) but with much less flare than a regular restaurant and just a bit more uppity than a regular fair. Cloth napkins and table cloths, porcelain dishes, and silverware contrasted with teh plastic chairs, but at the end the quality of the fish was really good. I had some pasta with pesto and little squids, while someone else tried the black seabass.


All good I have to say and the service was fast. The Greco di Tufo was really good and the Watermellon at the end sweet as it should be. The cotton candy maker was just perfect for the kids (and not only for them !). We spent an average of 20 Euros each, really cheap compared to similar quality restaurants. Something I would really recommend is the "Moscardini in Crosta", small octupus in spicy tomato sauce and on toasted bread. Yummy!!


The fish fair in Badesse runs each year from the beginning of July for two weeks. Better if you go during weekdays.

Pulcianese, good Tuscan Food and Nature

Home Food in a green valley

This week I have been in Pulcianese, a lovely eat-outside place very close to Siena. Surrounded by lovely green hills where sheeps and lambs eat grasslands freely, is this lovely nature spot where you can eat great gourmet Tuscan food and stay in touch with nature. The price is around 20 Euro per person, all included. If you wish you can also bring your own food and enjoy it at one of the many outside tables without having to pay a dime. However, I truly advice to try the Tuscan bean soup the owner prepares every day. DELICIOUS! and also the many Tuscan cold cuts, hams, prosciutto, and good hearty wine. Around the place there is plenty of woods to explore, courtyard animals and plenty of separated parking space. A great experience if you are travelling through Tuscany! Open everyday.

where to eat in Valdorcia

Last weekend I went for the first time in my life in a very nice restaurant at Radicofani in Valdorcia. The restaurant is called "Le Grotte" and it is situated almost on the top of the village of Radicofani. The restaurant offers traditional Tuscan food like hand made pici different kinds of meats and prices are very reasonable. My girlfriend and I had 3 entrees heach, a bottle of read wine a panna cotta cake two coffees and we only spent 16 euros. The food was excellent and I would recommend this restaurant to everybody who is in Valdorcia and wants to try real Tuscan food. Unfortunately the restaurant does not have any webpage but you will able to find it once there, the village is very small.
The direction is this one:
RISTORANTE LE GROTTE, RADICOFANI province of SIENA

Bread for all tastes in Traditional Tuscany

Tradition and taste

in Tuscan Bread

When I got to Tuscany I had heard about the Tuscan Bread a lot, and I had also tried it sometimes in some Italian Restaurant where I live, but it didn't compare to the description that my friends had given me about Tuscan bread as it's made in Tuscany.
So, my trip to Tuscany started out (after having settled in a beautiful villa near Siena)in a nice restaurant in Siena, at Trattoria da Divo. The dishes were gorgeous, but the thing I wanted to try was the oven baked Tuscan bread: it was DELICIOUS!!

The owner of the restaurant is a very easy-going lady that happens to know a lot about Tuscan bread. She told a little about the ancient origins of the Tuscan bread. It seems like it started from the baking of acorn flour, and eventually developed to the modern state (made of wheat and other cereal flours) around the year 1100. The peculiarity of Tuscan bread is that is the only Italian bread made without salt. In my opinion Tuscan bread is good that way, as Tuscan food is so tasty itself.



I wanted the recipe to make Tuscan bread at home in my brick oven and impress my friends, but I could not find anyone able to tell me the exact recipe. It seems like Tuscan bread, "the good one", comes from oral traditions and will stay that way.

Mario in Florence

Lunch in Florence - Trattoria da Mario!

So I had gone round and round Florence visiting Uffizi (in line for 4 hours!!!) then strolled around the center to get in touch with the contemporary world again. It was a nice June day and small place filled with people sitting at their table and apparently enjoying each other in conversations like I had rarely seen in other Italian restaurants.

So I gave my name and was asked how many people. I said "one" and thought I would be told "sorry sir, you're gonna have to wait a long time!" Not at all! I was sitted right away ahead of a lot of people in groups. Puzzled, I was looking for my lone table set for one. To my surprise I was sitted at a table with total strangers (which I thought were friends) and given a brown paper placemat, a paper towel, , and I saw myself as the other people I saw at the other tables and understood that here everyone sits with anyone. Good idea, I've never seen anyone enjoy a homemade meal like this.
Yes because here Tuscan food is at its most original of all Tuscany. To compare you have to eat at an old Tuscan lady house.
The Fiorentina steak, oh so delicious, thick, tender, jucy, big, with a healthy bone, cut and cooked at the moment at your shoulders (you can check if you want, the kitchen is right there, enclosed only by glass walls. You can talk to the chef and negociate with him the dimensions and the weight. The rest of the food is just a s good. The menu changes everyday (as I returned here four days in a row before leaving Florence!) and you have the choice of three four dishes for each course and side dish. But be early! The best dishes go fast! And they delete them from the chalk black board.



After the lunch was over I greeted my acquaintances, and after exchanging emails, I paid the very inexpensive check (20 Euro without steak, 50 Euro with a two pound steak), and went on my way to discover Florence some more. Good choice!

Trattoria da Mario
Via Rosina 23r, Piazza del Mercato
Firenze

Porta Giustizia

Porta Giustizia - The door to just enjoyment!

When in Siena the place to go is Porta Giustizia (Justice Door). The tea-room is set where the ancient Justice Door of Siena is located. A small door with a lot of artistic and political importance. Ambrogio Lorenzetti puts it in his "bad government" fresco inside the Public Palace in Siena.


The not-so-big hidden tea-room opens almost every day at the end of old stairs that take you to the omonimous city door. No street signs taking you there, not even a sign outside the entrance. But when you step in you suddenly feel like you have rediscovered an old friend's house you had forgotten was there. The big leather and vellur couches with big old leather armchairs and a large, low coffee table on the right invite your sight and make you move your first steps to sit with your friends to play a game or just sip a nice coktail, or a one of the many fine teas from all over the world (a must-try is the mat-cha, fine powdered tea, used in the Japanese tea ceremony), or eat a piece of homemade cake or pie (hard to tell which kind, they always change and the variety is wide). One thing that may need improvement is the Chai Tea. The spices are just right, but the consistency is a little too watery.

The fireplace warms up the environment rich with old wooden bookshelves filled with books. From the walls hang paintings, the vault brick ceilings is adorned with old chandeliers, the furniture reminds that of an explorer that has travelled all over and is now retired and enjoys fine food and drinks in the comfort of his own house. There are several tables, but the environment does not result overcrowded, also because it is distributed on many levels.

Some tables are on the twosteps platform where the piano and sax are casually left and sometimes played. One private living room is carved out the little grotto-cellar, where couches and a large coffee table can host many friends altogether for a fun chill out night.

The music is mainly jazz, bossa nova, some blues, bossa alegre, and rarely soul.
s not unusual to find here an aged rum from Costa Rica, or a fine vodka.

The Porta Giustizia is open from 8 to 2,30-3,00 on weekends. Til a little earlier during the week.

This is a fine place to go at all times during all seasons!

Siena Taste

Siena is a small city unrolling on hills in Tuscany. But do not let it fool you with its town looks. It preserves the taste of old traditions, that is true, but it is a place sweltering with cultural events and modern happenings.
An example where tradions meet modern is the cuisine. The Tuscan cusine is traditionally based on simple ingredients such as wheat flour, corn flour, garlic, season vegetables, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley, and occasional meat.
And it's good, trust me. Simple dishes such as Ribollita, or Bruschetta can leave you satisfied without asking too much of your tongue.
Modern dishes, however, combine more and more spices such as cumin, cinnamon, fruits and honey to get a result that at times surprises, at times shocks.

So former trattoria Da Divo is born and offers dishes such as the "Duck breast paired with mashed saffron potatoes", or the "Gnocchi in melted pecorino cheese and chives sauce". Even the ambient trascends the exterior world. The dining room is carved out nude rock and "t u f o" stones. The inferior rooms are actual Etruscan tombs preserved in perfect state. The tables are set with elegant clothes and fine tableware. Servers address customers with a friendly but composed attitude. Prices are really not expensive for the quality and the unique environment. A must-try!
(SIENA ANTICA OSTERIA DA DIVO- Via Franciosa 25 Tel 0577 284381)