Are you planning a trip to Florence but are afraid of tourist traps? Don't worry, in the post you will find excellent tips to taste - at a good price - the first courses typical of Florentine cuisine.
La Florentine cuisine more traditional is not just made of steak. And in fact we will not talk about it here. This article aims to guide you to discover the first courses, soups or pasta, which are prepared in the city according to traditional recipes.
These are dishes linked to peasant traditions, above all soups: they shouldn't always be available, if the restaurateur is serious, why not sell black cabbage in the summer to make ribollite very out of place. And in fact we will speak here above all of ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, panzanella, pappardelle, and also some tortelli from Mugello.
The basis of the soups mentioned is the Tuscan bread, which is without salt: mixed vegetables are placed on this “neutral” basis, according to availability. In winter, ribollita: cannellini beans, black cabbage, carrots, potatoes, cabbage ... all boiled and boiled, even the next day. A delicious soup that you can order - in season! - in various rooms.
True Florentine cuisine: low cost ribollita
In a city so touristy and of international tourism, the trap is always around the corner, especially now that dozens of completely improvised clubs and bars have opened under the air of a "true Tuscan". I'm sure you have your own "buffalo detector" ... from the furnishings to the menu, to figure out where not to stop and eat. I point out some dish-restaurant combinations, where you can eat Tuscan for real and without spending a fortune.
The lowest cost solution is the Porrati all'Arco di San Pierino: a gastronomy with a few tables where you can eat the dishes available of the day in peace. Here the ribollita is at home, along with the baby food.
You can also find the ribollita from Sabatino, a historic trattoria at Porta San Frediano, where what Lonely Planet has defined begins the coolest way of the planet.
Ribollita and Florentine style at will also in Piazza Tasso, from the “free-range” Al Tranvai: we are still in San Frediano, we are in the midst of the most authentic Florentines, in a somewhat restricted space (like being on the tram…).
Not just ribollita: farinata, pappa al pomodoro and panzanella
A variant of the ribollita is the farinata with black cabbage: instead of bread, the soup is prepared with yellow flour, the consistency is thick and the taste more intense.
Another bread dish is the famous tomato soup: onion, tomatoes, stale bread, extra virgin olive oil. A very simple dish that can be extremely tasty if made with quality ingredients.
The summer version of the baby food is the Panzanella, prepared cold with the addition of cucumber: some find it heavy due to the presence of raw onion and cucumbers, but even in this case the flavors, few and well mixed, are divine. You can taste the pappa al pomodoro - as well as from the aforementioned - also in one historical workshop, La Mescita, which is located in Via degli Alfani, a few steps from Piazza Santissima Annunziata and the University. The pappa al pomodoro here is really excellent.
Fresh pasta from Florentine cuisine
Let's change gender and move on to pasta: in the menus of the trattorias there are ravioli and tagliatelle, but the most typical thing are the pappardelle, which are a kind of extra large noodle that can hold a lot of sauce.
The sauces, in addition to the classic meat sauce, are made with hare or duck. The pappardelle on the hare are seasoned with abundant meat sauce (keep in mind that it is a slightly important taste). The pappardelle with duck sauce can be tasted for example atOsteria Wines and old flavors, which is located in via dei Magazzini, just behind Piazza della Signoria.
Speaking of fresh pasta it seems only right to mention i Mugello ravioli, stuffed with potatoes and seasoned with butter and sage, meat sauce or tomato: they are delicious especially if eaten in Mugello, which in any case is not far from Florence.
Taking the via Bolognese, after about ten kilometers from Piazza della LibertĂ , you are already in the area and the trattorias along the road are worth trying. If you also find them in a restaurant in Florence, order them: a good tortello has a square shape, thin dough and very filling.
Finally, the last tip: a first that is also done in families, for holidays, are the Florentine-style crepes. Basically crepes stuffed with ricotta and spinach, baked au gratin with béchamel. They are delicious but - apparently - hard to find in restaurants. But you are warned!
In summary:
Ask Antonio - piazza Salvemini 30 open for lunch and in the evening until 19pm
Sabatino - via Pisana 2R open for lunch and dinner
Al Tranvai - piazza Tasso 14R open for lunch and dinner
The pouring - via degli Alfani 70R open for lunch
Wines and old flavors - via dei Magazzini 3R
