Meat Me In Florence – FARRO SOUP

Florence

Leaving our cozy digs in Massarosa, we were excited to spend our last two days of the Italian leg of this tour in Florence.  Although we both love being in the country we also love the energy of a big city.

A huge museum

Firenze is like being in a huge museum. Every street is a history lesson and every gallery holds incredible works of art.  In fact, you don’t even need to enter a gallery to see some magnificent artwork, as we would soon find out.

Locanda dei Poeti

Dropping off our trusty Fiat (which I loved!), we made the hike to our lovely little B&B called “Locanda dei Poeti” and its owner Massimiliano. After an informative conversation about places to visit and to eat, our map was chock-full of notes and scribbles. We quickly checked in to our room and then set off. If we were going to see everything we wanted to in one and a half days we had to get a move on.

Accademia Gallery

Knowing that the Uffizi Gallery would be closed while we were there, we decided to go and see “David” at the Accademia Gallery along with the Bartolini exhibit.

Basilica Della Santissima Annunziata

On our way, a piazza caught our eye and drew us in for a couple of pictures. Across the piazza, we saw a number of locals going into what looked like a government building (very non-descript) yet our map indicated it was a church and monastery called Basilica Della Santissima Annunziata. We decided it was worth a look and we were so glad we did because behind those doors was an unbelievable space filled with gold and art that held us, along with a handful of others, in awe.

Basilica della Santissima Annunziata

Palazzo Vecchio

Stumbling across this Basilica turned out to be one of the highlights of Florence for us but we would continue to be blown away by the lavishly decorated rooms hidden within the gorgeous architecture of Firenze. In the massive rooms of the Museo di Palazzo Vecchio where we put a permanent crook in our necks, straining to take in the outrageous works of art on the forty foot high ceilings. I could go on and on about the art and architecture of this beautiful city but I am a chef and I wanted to see the art of food in Florence.

Palazzo Vecchio

Steak Florentine

Every guidebook you read talks about the famous “Steak Florentine” but having eaten many steaks, I was not interested in what every other tourist orders. For that reason, we chose to visit a small trattoria that Massimiliano had recommended, Osteria dei Pazzi, had some traditional dishes including some that had been modernized.

Osteria dei Pazzi

Truffle salsa

In particular, my attention was drawn to the beef carpaccio with truffle salsa. We accompanied this with a young pecorino with homemade hot pepper chutney.

Beef Carpaccio with Truffle Salsa

For our main course, I had pear and pecorino ravioli with wilted trevisano and Nat had a spaghetti alla carrettiera, a typical Florentine spaghetti with spicy sauce. The meal was simple, delicious and a great way to end our first day in Florence.

Pecorino Ravioli with Wilted Trevisano

Spaghetti alla Carrettiera

Santa Maria del Fiore

The next morning we got up early to visit the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and try and beat the crowds.

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore

Unfortunately, you can not get up early enough to beat the crowds, so we joined the line and waited patiently. It wasn’t long before we got inside but were slightly disappointed since all of the treasures had been moved to museums, in this case, we were more enthralled with the exterior.

Inside Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore

Piazzale Michelangelo

Lunch came quickly after a long walk to Piazzale Michelangelo overlooking the city and the amazing church of San Miniato al Monte (construction started in 1013).

San Miniato al Monte

Florence

Due Fratellini

We again took the innkeepers advice and visited a sandwich shop (Due Fratellini) that was just a dent in the alley it inhabited.  The long line said something about the quality of its food and we were delighted with our porchetta (for me) and bresaola sandwiches that we ate sitting along the curb with the rest of their patrons.

Alley by Due Fratellini

Due Fratellini Sandwich Shop

Ponte Vecchio

Back to sightseeing, we diligently ticked off most of the rest of our desires including the famous Ponte Vecchio, the lucky Porcelino statue (rubbing it and sticking a coin in its mouth is said to assure your return to Florence) and the Pharmacy/Perfumery of Santa Maria Novella (founded in 1221 by Dominican friars).

ponte vecchio

Porcelino and fans

Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella

Hosteria il Desco

Wasted from the miles we had walked and the unrelenting Tuscan sun, we retreated to our room for a nap and to freshen up before our late dinner at the beautiful Hosteria il Desco. Specifically recommended for a romantic and excellent dining experience, we figured it would be a great last meal in Italy.

Hosteria il Desco

The Florentine

Arriving for our reservation we were seated at a quiet table in the back of the restaurant and poured a complimentary glass of prosecco. Scanning the menu everything looked awesome so I turned to our waiter for advice asking the same old refrain “What do you do that is unique?”, “You must have the steak Florentine,” he said. I hung my head and chuckled. “That’s not too unique,” I said. “Maybe, but it is a dish you must try when you visit Florence and ours is the best.” Not being able to refuse a good piece of meat, we took his word and went for it.

Tuscan farro soup

Included in the meal was an assortment of Tuscan crostini preceded by a small bowl of traditional Tuscan farro soup garnished with a steamed mussel. Our stomachs a third full, the steak arrived at the table with murmurs from other patrons peeking over at the huge piece of beef.

farro soup

Steak Florentine

Porterhouse or T-bone

Traditionally, steak Florentine is what Americans call a porterhouse or T-bone steak. Ours, a good two inches thick was carved and reassembled on a hot cast iron platter that would keep it warm as we worked our way through this marathon of meat.  On the side, we had some lovely roast potatoes and sautéed broccoli accompanied by a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and two glasses of delicious house red (all included).

Blackened edges

The steak was charred with blackened edges but remained a perfect rare within. Taking our first bite we both paused and moaned. As I have said before we have both eaten and cooked our fair share of steaks but this one, grilled over olive wood, seasoned with sea salt and drizzled with olive oil was succulent. The sheer size of this cut of meat on the bone allows a chef to char the outside with all its caramelized deliciousness while still keeping the inside rare. Couple that with a seriously marbled piece of grade A beef, a dose of Florence ambience, my lovely wife and you have a truly unforgettable meal.

Overdosed on art

So we left Italy with a full stomach and overdosed on art, already looking forward to our return. Italians truly know how to live, let’s hope the rest of Europe can compare.

For a taste of Florence at home, I have included a recipe for the farro soup that started off our last meal in Italy. The recipe for steak florentine is easy, fly to Florence.