Trattoria da Sergio in San Lorenzo

I had a quick lunch in this super simple Trattoria right in the middle of the Market of San Lorenzo, you'll find it behind the curtains of the hundrends of colourfull stands, in the main street next to the right nave of the Church of San Lorenzo.
I know there is another Sergio, but on the other side of the river, I haven't tried it yet.

This place doesn't have a website, it is very casual, I'll put you the telephone number but I'm not sure they accept reservations...
They're quick, and even if you see it is super packed try to ask to the waiters how long you'll have to wait, they'll give you an idea.

The menu is written on a simple papershit, like the table cloth and the furniture in general, the service, everything is easygoing but the quality of the food is top high, and you have the chance to try the real tuscan trattoria.

I had a "braciola fritta con patate e pomodori" that means fried milanese cotoletta style, with tomatoes and fried potatoes - huge portion and excellent taste!

Da Sergio is open only for lunch, and it is closed on Sundays.

Trattoria da Gozzi Sergio
Since 1915 (wow!)
Piazza S. Lorenzo, 8r
055 281941
Closed every evening and Sunday at lunch

Osteria Cinghiale Bianco - White Wild Boar

Finally I'm posting one of my favourite place in town - Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco, better known among foregneirs as White Wild Boar, which is the exact translation of the italian name. Thereore, plenty of little white wild boars will be your friends during dinner, on the simple paper table cloth, the wine jug, on the walls, everywhere :)
And of course inside your dishes, since the boar is their typical and special ingredient: tagliatelle with wild boar, wild boar stewed, cold cuts made by boar..... yummi!

The menu is based on Tuscan traditions, so all the pasta you can imagine, cold cuts, "crostini" and "bruschetta" and of course meat - also vegetables and some fish, bt mostly meat: "tagliata" "bistecca" " peposo alla fornacina", all famous dishes of our tradition.

Great dessert also, especially the Tiramisu or Strawberries with Mascarpone cream.... God, I could die for it!!

The place is very cozy, small, located in an ancient medieval tower, in the beautiful Borgo San Jacopo street, in Oltrarno side, the real side of the river. Staff is the best, friendly, fun but very professional, trust them for your choices, and choose one of the many wine bottles they have.

Open just for dinners, starts serving at 06,30 pm, which is great if you have a theather show, or just leaving early next morning, since the 90% of places in town doesn't open until 07,30 pm.
During the weekends, saturdays and sundays, opens also for lunch.

Go there, and say HI to Massimo the owner or Mauro the Chef from my side, Elaiza!

Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco
Borgo San Jacopo, 43 red
Florence
+39 055 215706
www.cinghialebianco.it

Open for dinners from 06,30 to 10,30 pm
open for lunch also on Saturdays and Sundays
closed all day on Wednesdays

Bruschetta and crostini toscani

Cold cuts, pecorino cheese and burrata with truffle

Peposo cooked with Chianti


Tagliata with rosemary

Taste!

From March 12th to 14th at Stazione Leopolda it will take place the sixth edition of Taste, the place for food and wine lovers, especially for italian cuisine obviously :)

240 specialist of delightful products, it will be a divine trip into our culture, and its most known expression - the buon mangiare!

Check out the official website here - it will open to everybody from 10,30 am to 08,30 pm, 15 Euro the ticket

Enjoy it!

Santa Maria Novella Church

Today we are talking about a beautiful florentine Church, called by Michelangelo "my bride", quarterheads of Dominican Friars, who settled in this area just outside the city wall in 1220, when they came into Florence as all of the other friars orders, to help poor people who were living just outside the city and also to survey the ortodoxyof catholicism.

The huge medieval church is impressive - they used to have vibrant speaches that got together plenty of people, that had to stand also outside the church, therefore friars were choosing such big Piazzas.
This square was famous also because here a lot of public games were held, for example the Calcio in Costume (soccer similar to american rugby), or Palio dè Cocchi, a race of 4 two-horses chariots roman style, much beloved by Granduc Cosimo I.

The façade is a very important example of Renaissance - the main artist, Leon Battista Alberti, could mix the already existant medieval façade of the first level with armony and semplicity, working superbly on marble inlaids, using the roman language of columns, geometric shapes such as circles, squares, triangle etc.

Inside, you will be absorbed by a solemn calme and peace - you would admire masterpieces such as Giotto wood crucifix, or Masaccio Trinity, and of course the spectacular chapels frescoed by Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi, just to mention some...

Right behind, there is a place that I love in Florence, the Spanish Chapel and the Green Cloister - a pearl, hard to find in Florence, no crowds of people, colourfull and interesting frescoes, dedicated to the Dominican friars history.

Don't forget to visit in Via della Scala 16 the Officina Profumeria Farmacia Santa Maria Novella, famous all over the world for its products, creams, parfums and so on...

The beautiful façade

Spanish Chapel fresco




Green Cloister fresco by Paolo Uccello