A Taste of Florence
Let me take you to a whirlwind gastronomic journey through Florence, starting off with San Lorenzo Central Market.
After smelling the genuine leather goods from the outdoor vendors and the fresh morning air, I strolled in the indoor market on the ground floor. The hustle and bustle of the meat shop and spice owners greeted me. During the evening, I came back to visit the upper floor where their glorified cafeteria and a classroom for cooking classes exist.
Our next pit stop is at the Yellow Bar. A few steps away from the tourist crowd at the Plaza Signoria and the Duomo, this establishment delivered high quality pizza and pasta. I give them plus points for their friendly (and pretty) staff as well.
Not to be missed is Cibreo Trattoria located off the tourist track. For a less formal food experience and cheaper alternative to their restaurant, which is right beside it, the Trattoria ignited my love with Italian porcini mushrooms- so flavorful and aromatic- and chicken meatballs. My intense meal ended with a rich, dense chocolate cake compliments of the chef. Grazie!
For lunch, the Michelin rated Ora d'Aria introduced me to contemporary Italian cuisine. Read more about it here. Then, after crossing the Ponte Vecchio and snapping countless of photos, I window shopped for more Italian pastries for another for-my-eyes-only moment.
Til we meet again, Firenze!
After smelling the genuine leather goods from the outdoor vendors and the fresh morning air, I strolled in the indoor market on the ground floor. The hustle and bustle of the meat shop and spice owners greeted me. During the evening, I came back to visit the upper floor where their glorified cafeteria and a classroom for cooking classes exist.
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| Ordered crispy cannoli with orange, pistachio and chocolate sprinkles as snack to open my appetite. Ha! |
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| The interior decor reminds me of Filipino furniture made with rattan. |
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| The quirky side of San Lorenzo central market. |
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| Time to learn to cook Italian food. |
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| Fresh seafood |
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| The Florentine meat is popular in this part of the world. |
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| My most intriguing find was the 330k euro truffle- for my eyes only. |
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| Loving the themes for each stall. |
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| My vegetarian pasta with tomato and cheese. Not the best compared to what I got in La Spezia. |
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| Healthy pulpo with potatoes |
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| Thin crust cheese pizza. |
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| Al dente pasta with vegetables. |
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| Simple decor at the Cibreo Trattoria. |
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| Creamy mushroom soup with truffle oil. |
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| Day dreaming of chicken meatballs in cheesy, tomato soup with fresh basil. Where can I get this recipe? |
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| Cleaned up all my plates like what a good food blogger should! |
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| On the Ponte Vecchio bridge lives many gold jewelry shops. |
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| If only I could bring fill up my luggage with Italian pastries. |
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| Always a sucker for European donuts which are lighter compared to its American counterpart. |
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| A very photogenic fruit cake. |
Before you leave Italy, you must experience what an Italian aperitivo really is. This is not your regular happy hour drinks only. A proper aperitivo comes with multiple free snack foods. I convinced my friend to sit for an aperitivo with me inside the lounge of the Gallery Art Hotel. Lo and behold, after many hours of chatting, our complimentary bento snack appeared on top of the chips and peanuts.
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| That smoked salmon came with my drink. Intensified the smokiness of the gin for sure. |
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| My friend's lovely mojito. |
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| The free bento snack I waited for! |
Til we meet again, Firenze!
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