Florence Food
Few people need convincing of the quality of Italian cuisine and when visiting the country a comprehensive crawl around an area's restaurants, cafes and markets should feature as highly on any sensible tourist's "to do" list as the local cultural and artistic treasures.
Many tourists may feel they are familiar with Italian food due to the predominance of Italian restaurants across the UK. However, there is much more to traditional Italian cooking than spaghetti bolognaise and Neapolitan pizza and Florentine food in particular presents an authentic "peasant" side of Italian cuisine.
When in Italy, it's always preferable to order dishes that are traditional to the region, not least because this helps ensure the freshest produce. Tuscan cuisine continues to adhere to many peasant traditions, combing basic ingredients and simple cooking methods. Nevertheless, the finished result is nothing if not impressive, producing richly flavoured dishes.
Tuscan staples include appetisers such as tuna and bean salad, fried sage leaves, broad beans and pecorino cheese and chicken liver crostini. Popular first courses range from bread and tomato soup and bread salad to pasta with oil sauces. Main courses are not for the faint-hearted, with the peasant traditions leading to an emphasis on some of the less instantly appetising cuts of meat. Tripe is a Tuscan favourite, as are pig's blood fritters, liver with sage and liver skewers.
When in Florence, visitors have a diverse choice between traditional trattorias, often run by old Italian families, tavern-style osterias and more formal ristorantes. It's worth wandering around to find restaurants off the beaten-tourist track and if you find something that looks as though it's popular with locals, you're probably onto a winner, both price and taste wise. Unfortunately some of the eateries in the main tourist centre have a reputation for over-priced, under-flavoured food, although the vast array of alternatives make such establishments easy to avoid.
There are also a large number of markets and small food shops selling a selection of mouth-watering local produce and artisan goods. One great way to sample real, simple Italian food is to purchase a selection of the tastiest looking vegetables, cheeses, meats and breads available and have an informal picnic in some of the city's quieter areas.
In terms of individual Florentine restaurants, Enoteca Pinchiorri is considered by many to be the "hallowed turf" of Italian eateries. The menu is full of contemporary twists on Tuscan traditions, producing "astonishingly tasty" results. Vegetarians are also well catered for, while a cellar stocked with some 80,000 wines should mean that every dish is washed down with the perfect accompaniment.
At the other end of the budgetary scale, Ristorante Natalino has been feeding happy locals and tourists alike for over 100 years. Established in a deconsecrated church, the restaurant makes for a pleasant and informal eating experience which easily caters for holiday makers on a budget. The menu changes regularly, but diners are urged to order the calves livers with sage when available.
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Eating and Drinking
