florence

[Scooter22]

I am in florence right now and am looking for interesting places to eat. Anyone have any good suggestions. I will be here a couple of days. How about salumerias. Help please. Much appreciated.

[seal]

If you have not yet been, go to Mercado Centrale. First off, as you have hopefully read here on this board, get a Bollito sandwich at Nerbone. Ask for it bagnato and get both sauces. Best 5 euro you will spend in Florence.

Also in the Mercado are several good stalls selling salumi, cheese, and pretty much everything edible. We stocked up more than once and made ourselves a nice picnic.

[DavidT]

Be sure to do a "Search this board" search for Florence. You should be able to pull up dozens and dozens of helpful posts on eating in Florence made here over the past 6-12 months.

[CJT]

By all means, look at recent posts here. You will find several references to Teatro del Sale, which you should not miss.

[Joe H]

The best steak on earth is not in Brooklyn at Peter Luger nor in Argentina. It is in the city you are in, at Sostanza. There are numerous threads on here about it. It is also the oldest trattoria in Firenze and, unfortunately, a difficult reservation despite it being so casual. Go early. Superb Bisteca Fiorentina.

[intrepid]

best steak on earth at sostanza???? guess you havent eaten at il buco in chianciano

[timport]

Chicken Sostanza is the best on the planet...Very basic Trattoria

[frankki]

Def visit casalingua (inexpensive) and cavolo nero (expensive), both on the oltrarno side near piazza santo spirito.

[CJT]

Casalinga (not Casalingua) is worthwhile to try. On the other side of the Arno, try the following:

VINI E VECCHI SAPORI Via dei Magazzini 3/R So small it's not easy to find at the end of this small street, just before you go into the Piazza della Signoria. Look for the word OSTERIA over the door and an oval sign in the window with the name on it. Seats no more than 16-18 people and you might have to share a table with others. Most of the clientele appear to be personal friends of the owners, so it is a very real Florentine place. If it’s full when you go there, come back in a half-hour and there might be seats for you.
Our primi were: tagliatelle con anatra (freshly made flat noodles with duck meat) and bucatini con carciofi (pasta with chopped cooked artichoke – not chunks of artichoke but little pieces blended into the pasta sauce). Both were priced at 8 Euros per plate in sizable portions, very delicious and flavorful. For secondo, we shared puntarelle stuffed with ground meat (veal and pork with spices and tomato pieces) – like cabbage rolls – but more subtle in flavors and texture (puntarelle is a winter chicory). Price was 9 Euros and we had enough for two to eat and enjoy.
This is a great restaurant to sample home cooking of good quality at a reasonable price. We would definitely go back for more.

TRATTORIA IL CONTADINO Via Palazzuolo 69-71r I posted on this place in December 2004 and many chowhounders have posted that they enjoyed eating here as well. An excellent bargain: low price, very good food! Fixed price menu is 11 Euros and includes a primo, a secondo, bread, plus wine or bottled water. We had: freshly made fettucini with fresh pesto (best plate of fettucini I ever ate!) and spinach-stuffed ravioli in a meat sauce. Secondi: grilled swordfish (fresh and nicely grilled) and veal stew with tiny peas and potatoes. Both secondi came with side orders of vegetables so we shared a plate of mixed cooked veggies (potatoes, carrots, artichokes, green beans) and a mixed greens salad with radicchio, fennel, chicory, and lettuce.
Some changes from last posting in 2004: the restaurant décor has been spiffed up, but still plain and clean, fixed price no longer includes dessert and coffee, many more Americans eating there. In 2004, it was more of a working man’s restaurant with few foreigners. BEST PRICE/QUALITY VALUE IN FLORENCE