Am eating one of the cantucci (biscotti) I helped make eariler today at a cantucceri (sp), a specific bakery where they make cantucci/biscotti cookies. This morning early they were making chocolate cantucci with chocolate and nuts; pinoli cantucci (made with pine nuts), and almond spice ...plus a few other flavours I can´t recall. Small batches made by hand, baked, warm loafs set out on a cooling rack then cut into thick pieces, which were then slightly air cooled to dry them out a bit, then rebaked, then sold. The bakery smelled so good, and so are the cookies. As a dessert, they are served a few on a plate, served with a glass of vino santo, which tastes a bit like a fine cognac. The cookies are to be dipped in the vino santo, and eaten like that, and any leftover vino santo of course is to be enjoyed with or without more cantucci. Interesting watching the biscotti being made using all the traditional contraptions and machines, and what appeared to be a wood burning oven, a bit like a pizza oven but with a door and racks.
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Wings, Steak place near Santa Croce. Near the biblioteca centrale, great views of Duomo 8see previous posts)
Nabucco, via XXVII, wine bar, is where I had my breakfast: a cappuccino at the counter, with a delicious fresh pastry from the pastry display, and an espresso. About 3 Euros or 3.50 Euros. This wine bar, has wine from about 10 am (maybe early, 8am ...), but also has food, sandwiches, pastry, a full coffee bar area with espresso, coffee, cappuccino etc. Very friendly staff, excellent coffee etc, and pastries. Aperitivo, 6-9:30pm. Antipasto, salads, appetizers, fruit, breads, chips, dips and sauces; for the cost of a glass of wine.
I Toscano di Poli Paola, via Guelfa 70r (S Lorenzo)/ Toscano II
Dinner noon to 14:45. Supper 7pm til 23:00. V
Dove siamo: SMN, up Nazionale, rt on Guelfa, 1.5 blocks on left.
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Mario, via Rosina 2 (S. Lorenzo)
Lorenzo, on the other side of the same corner as Mario.
Both are caddycorner across from the Mercato Centrale/Central Market main entrance
Lorenzo: get the wild boar ragu pasta. Mario, bistecca is amazing! Share it. It´s very good with the roast chicken, and patata fritte. The seafood/fish ravioli, and fresh fish, both shared as an appetizer, before the steak and chicken with potatoes, that I shared there, was absolutely devine! Lots of water, wines, after drinks, and biscotti with the vino santo. more wine. Delicious! Both places are delicious.
La Dela Spada
Osteria del Gatto e la Volpe, via Ghibellina, Santa Croce. Tall rounded arch, slightly obscure, local place. Tortellini alle noci (meat and veggie tortellini in a walnut and cream sauce), risotto ai funghi, arugula-pomodoro-buffalo mozzarella-basil salad, gnocchi ai quattro formaggi, dessert. Tagliatelli with cream sauce.
Osteria Santa Spirito. gnocchi in the cream sauce, though has truffle, pretty good, considering I don´t really usually like white or black truffles.
And the other one, directly across from Pitti Palace closed for renovations:(.
Le Sorelle, via s. Niccoló 30r
Homestyle Tuscan food
La Padellaccia, via S Antonino. Lovely family atmosphere, had fun with a 4 course meal plus wine, water, dessert, espressos. Along with the usual Tuscan bread, they served a round fried bread, light airy, something akin to a slightly barely salty large donut hole type bread. Perfection. Incredibly delicious--we nearly "fought" over them,). House wine very good. Note, if you ask for a grande acqua, you will get a litre or larger bottle, so might want to ask for a piccolo.
Gelateria, sorbet and gelato. Huge roundabout, one place was open, not closed for season. Il gelato? pretty good, not sickly sweet as some are.
Lemon sorbet, gelato place down from Venchi. Enjoyed sitting down with a lemon sorbet piccolo in a sugar cone, eating my gelato and cone, watching the people walk past, and interacting with the locals, obviously regular customers, who came in strictly for their nightly walk´s quick double espresso:).
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ah yeah, the live music. Every night some places, with the aperitivo. Some once a week, various, including some book cafes. Excellent: music, atmosphere, apertivo foods and wines, and fairly easy to find. Some w art.
