Five things I ate in Florence 🍨
Buongiorno and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, I share my favorite eats in Firenze. Check out past posts here, and please follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate.
Yellow plums and purple prunes from a small “bodega”
A back alley in Florence
I have eaten
The plums
That were in
The little bodega
And which
You probably
Cannot
Get in the US
Forgive me
They were delicious
So sweet
And so yellow
And only one euro for two kilograms.
“Brioche” at Bar Pasticceria Piccioli
Borgo Ognissanti, 118/red, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
There’s about as many pasticceria in Florence as there are gelatarias, which can make settling on a breakfast spot difficult. I knew Piccioli was the right choice because there were three Italians chain smoking at 8am in the front. Inside, the crowd was also bustling— full of people cradling 3 tiny lavazza cups in the crook of their arms. A glass case shows off a dozen varieties of “brioche,” which is not French brioche at all, but rather, little croissants with various fillings. Can I just say that baked goods in Italy are portioned just right for me? They fit snugly in the palm of my hand, unlike the oversize versions in coffee shops here. Every morning, I pointed at my favorite brioche in the window — the one with a bit of orange zest cream — and carried it home, where I took small bites of it with a hot cup of tea under a sunny window. If only that was how I could begin every day.
Torta della nonna at Trattoria Dall'Oste - Oricellari
Via Luigi Alamanni, 29R, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
When in Florence, you’d be remiss if you didn’t reserve an evening (and your entire stomach) for a feast of bistecca alla fiorentina, or a glorious steak of dry-aged beef. Trattoria Dall'Oste is right near the train station, and at first glance, it appears to be a tourist trap, with red slabs of meat hanging in a big case near the window. But even if it is a tourist trap, I’d be happily trapped here anytime; maybe the prices are higher than other places but it’s incredibly cheap by New York standards, where I think I’ve only eaten at a steakhouse once, and spent half my month’s rent on it. The three course meal came with an overflowing plate of prosciutto and salami, roasted potatoes, and just when you think you can’t eat anymore, the pièce de résistance — a slice of torta della nonna. It’s both incredibly rich and fresh and light in flavor; shortcrust pastry and pine nuts envelope a filling of thick, creamy lemon-scented custard.
Prosciutto and porcini pizza at La Grotta Di Leo Srl
Via della Scala, 41/43r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Another shop right near the train station, La Grotta Di Leo is tourist-friendly without being local-averse. The pizzeria is warm and friendly, with plenty of seating and good prices. My dad and I split a pizza, one half with prosciutto, and the other with porcini mushrooms, my clear favorite flavor of the trip. It was a beautifully made thin-crust ordeal, tasting like a pie with a three-hour wait and a three-dollar price tag in Brooklyn.
Fior di latte gelato at Gelataria La Carraia
Piazza Nazario Sauro, 25/r, 50124 Firenze FI, Italy
Fior di latte (“flower of milk”) is the “measuring stick” of gelato flavors. Without the distractions of chocolate or fruit, you get the purest and sweetest flavor of dairy. It manages to be light and clean, even though it’s mostly just cream. On your last day in Florence, get a scoop of fior di latte at Gelateria La Carraia during golden hour, then walk across the bridge. If you time it just right, the sun will set as your ice cream melts — along with any memories of the trash fires burning at home.
Ciao!
Soph