Every once in a while, napaman takes a break from living in Paradise and travels to other wine-producing regions to get a dose of reality – to check out what’s happening in the hinterland, or the winterland (if I travel in December).
Having just returned from Tuscany, Italy, I can report that there IS life outside our mountain-sided valley (the Mayacamas and Vaca ranges hug Napa Valley like the parentheses around this partial sentence).
In short: Tuscany is alive with GREAT food, GREAT wine, GREAT people.
Carol, my wife, and I spent three days in each of three centers – Florence, Siena and Lucca. I ate better than I have on any previous trip to Tuscany, and drank better, too. Restaurants and wine-making practices have improved and there are many recommendations to share.
But first, let’s get the BIG wine question off the table; how was the just-completed 2007 harvest?
In Chianti and the surrounding central Tuscan region, winemakers are giddy about the quality of fruit they picked. Many winemakers told me that 2007 could be the greatest vintage in recent memory.
I asked, “Better than 2001?”
Every winemaker canvassed nodded yes.
“Better than 1999?”
They nodded in unanimity again.
“Better than 1997?”
Still more of that up-and-down head bobbing like a dashboard doll in a car going 60 over a series of speed bumps.
In short, we are in store for two terrific vintages of Sangiovese-based wines out of Tuscany; the 2006 harvest, still in tank, is expected to outperform 2003 and 2004, which produced impressive wines and some winemakers are suggesting that 2006 will equal, or surpass, 2001 in quality. Yikes.
And then there is 2007, which makes winemakers giddy with anticipation. When the 2007 Chianti Classicos are released in three years… and the Riservas are released in four years… be sure to be on pre-arrival lists, because consumer demand for these wines is likely to be huge.
Tuscan Food Highlights – Things not to miss
Florence
Everyone talks about Cibreo and Il Latini as the two traditional restaurants that you must visit, but our meals at Umberto Montano’s restaurants surpassed these traditional boites.
Montano is the Franco Prevedello of Florence. (If you have ever been to Toronto, Canada, you have been touched by Franco’s hand; he is the consummate restaurateur, originator or co-owner of nearly a dozen sensational restaurants in that town. Franco is Toronto’s Godfather of Gastronomy. He is energetic, outspoken, detail-driven. In the same way, it appears that Umberto Montano is Florence’s Gastronomy Guru.)
Alle Murate
Alle Murate is Montano’s greatest achievement; a restaurant built above an exposed Roman ruin and beneath a series of colorful, vaulted, 14th century frescoes. When the restaurant is closed, tourists can actually take an audio-guided trip through this impressive historical structure.
Alle Murate provides the most contemporary version of Tuscan cuisine that we found on our trip. For the record: the chef is female as is the sommelier. A double rarity in the food biz, but especially in Tuscany.
Basically, ALL Tuscan restaurants serve pretty much the same chicken, pork, beef and pasta dishes – but the renditions are what make some restaurants stand out and others worth the detour.
Alle Murate’s renditions are modern, light, perfectly flavored and seasoned. As Alle Murate is one of the more expensive restaurants in Florence, save it for a special occasion, like your last night in town; at that point, it will put everything else you have eaten into a culinary perspective.
One of the courses on the chef’s tasting menu at Alle Murate
I suggest you order one of the chef’s two tasting menus, as these feature many of the kitchen’s best dishes.
The first course on our tasting menu might appropriately be called The Traffic Light for its Red, Yellow and Green components.
The Red component that stops you in your tracks is perfectly cured Siena prosciutto.
The Yellow component is a generous pour of local, intoxicating, extra-virgin, olive oil, more yellow than green in hue.
The Green component is a bowl of ripe chunks of local avocado. Makes me think I am back in California.
This is followed by a spelt and cabbage bean soup that has our tongues clacking for more.
Pigeon pappardelle, our next course, is a small nest of broad, exquisitely cooked, homemade noodles napped with a very dark brown ragu of pigeon parts. The pasta is a perfect 10 out of 10 and there is an additional scrawl in the margin of my notebook:
“If you think you will ever find, or taste, better pasta, you are delusional.”
Of four types of local pecorino served for the cheese course, the winner is La Rota, which borders on Gruyere in richness and texture, but which has a pecorino-like length and finish. A stellar cheese moment.
Alle Murate is at Via del Proconsule 16R. Local phone 055-240-618.
Osteria del Caffe Italiano
This is another Montano restaurant, furnished as you expect his home might be – handsomely, intimately and in a rustic fashion. Oh, and the food is superb, too.
Dining in a 14th century palazzo is a joy in itself, but the fact that the food is so good is a bonus.
Don’t miss tagliolini with lamb ragout, an awesome (a much over-used word, but in this instance, a truly appropriate application) dish. The lamb gently hints of smoke and liver, is rich, satisfying and memorable. Unusual as it is to score restaurant dishes, I marked in my notebook “Score this dish an easy 95 points!”
Osteria del Caffe Italiano is at Via Isola delle Stinche 11-13R. Local phone is 055-289-368.
Il Latini
A crowd 5- to 6-people deep swarms the front door of Il Latini by 10 pm each night, revelers hoping to get a table at this famous restaurant. The fare is very local, very typical, very good, and very rich.
Dozens of hams hang from the ceiling of one of the dining rooms at Il Latini, a storage space of sorts – for the restaurant slices some 200 hams a week into prosciutto, according to the waitstaff! Each week!
Seating is casual and communal. We were seated at a 4-top with a couple from Sicily. She was pleasant and interesting. He was boring and quiet. So you gets what you get and you’d better be a social animal if you are dining at Il Latini, because there is no telling with whom you may sit.
One of the most famous dishes of Florence is ribollita, a hearty bean, bread and cavalo nero soup. The version at this noisy, churning eatery is thicker than porridge and has a sensational – and long – aftertaste. The roasted lamb, too, is not to be missed, prepared as it is with loads of garlic, fresh rosemary and chopped basil, then served with more roasted potatoes than you can eat in two sittings.
Il Latini is at Via del Palchetti 6R. Local phone 055-210-916.
Cibreo
There are actually three restaurants with the name Cibreo at the same intersection in the Santa Croce neighborhood of Florence.
There is an expensive restaurant, which was the only “Cibreo” we could get into the night we planned our visit. Then there is a Theater Cibreo, which provides a buffet dinner and theatrical experience to follow. And then there is Cibreo Café, a sort of Cibreo Light serving many of the dishes off the big restaurant’s menu but at substantially less cost.
The dining experience at Cibreo is certainly original, certainly memorable and certainly fucking nuts. Instead of giving you a printed menu and time to reflect upon what you might enjoy eating, the hostess comes to your table, pulls up a chair, sits down and recites the ENTIRE menu. Which is longer than all the latte offerings at your neighborhood Starbucks.
By the time the hostess has reached the end of her list – for the first course only -- you’ve already forgotten what were the accompaniments to any of the mentioned dishes. Imagine going to Gary Danko, or Michael Minna, in San Francisco, and having the menu read to you, instead of handed to you. What are they thinking?
And to make matters even more ridiculous, this is how the second course is offered, and then the cheese course and then the dessert course. No menus, only an oral litany of what is available.
Basically, there are a lot of animal parts on the oral menu that you may not previously have tried. We enjoyed steamed tripe, which was tasty and crunchy, flavored with hot chili oil.
The restaurant’s famous chicken liver mousse is served on a small square of crusty bread that is no bigger than a Scrabble letter. But it is SO flavorful that this Scrabble letter is worthy of bearing a 10-point score.
The evening of our visit, every single item offered in the first course had a baby food puree texture, including a potato and ricotta flan, a fresh porcini soup, and a tiny serving of Tuscany’s signature dish, pappa alla pomodoro (tomato sauce).
Be forewarned: just to be more provocative and a stand-out on the Italian gastrocultural road map, Cibreo makes it a policy – they serve NO pasta.
Everyone I spoke with before departing for Tuscany reiterated the same line: “Cibreo is a must-eat.” James Suckling, of Wine Spectator, calls it his favorite eatery in Florence, as does Michael Greenlee, wine director for Dean & DeLuca. But honestly, guys, other than a very expensive memory, very few of the individual dishes from our visit stand out. Maybe it’s different if you are on a corporate expense account. But if you only had time for two, or three, meals in Florence at your own expense, I don’t think I would tell a relative, friend, or visitor to this website that Cibreo is a “must-eat.” If anything, I would tell them that this is a “must-miss.”
But here is the paradox of this preceding statement; perhaps the most intense, addictive prepared dish that we had in our entire trip to Tuscany was the small serving of a slow-cooked tomato sauce that is SO good that it could be added to the Class 1 list of prohibited addictive substances. The tomato sauce is light, yet rich with olive oil and basil. A perfect 100-point tasting experience. But we had to go through a 4-hour audio-guided dinner to get to it.
Cibreo is at Via del Verrocchio 8R. Local phone is 055-234-1100.
Carolina, granddaughter of the founder of Trattoria Mario. Do not Stop, do not pass Go, without having at least one lunch at here. Trattoria Mario should be considered an Italian heritage diner.
Fiaschetteria & Trattoria Mario
They don’t make eateries, diners, or neighborhood boites like this any more. Adjacent to the central market, this tiny diner has been serving lunch to market stall keepers for more than 50 years. Today, two sons of Mario, the founder, and their children, run this bustling, delicious diner.
Patrons sit on small stools at communal tables. Lunch is the only meal served daily and don’t look for lunch here Sundays because the crew needs one day to restore their health after knocking themselves out for your benefit.
The menu reads like a typical Tuscan sampler – ribollita, zuppa di faro, zuppa di fagoli, pastas, and patate fritte. But the food here is anything but typical. It is prepared with care, as the owners are subscribers to the Slow Food movement. Which means sustainable, or organic, ingredients that are carefully prepared.
We discovered Trattoria Mario while talking to a shopkeeper at Baroni, a stall in the central market, which specializes in condiments, meats, cheeses and chocolates (where we found the two exquisite brands discussed in next week’s posting).
The shopkeeper was Carolina, whose family owns Trattoria Mario; when we asked where we might find a tasty meal in the neighborhood, she introduced us to Trattoria Mario – walked us over to the restaurant, seated us, went to get her apron, and took our order.
Everything is yum.
Trattoria Mario is at Via Rosina 2R, just off the Mercato Central (Central Market). Local phone is 055-218-550.
Grom versus Vivoli
When I last visited Florence, the undisputed King of Gelati was Vivoli, where we would head at midnight after a late, large dinner. Their ice creams were stupendous. But that was then and this is now.
On our visit to Vivoli, we were greeted by a mean-spirited, stingy counter server who had no passion for the product she was scooping. She scorned us when we asked for samples (in the old days, you could try as many flavors from the 30-odd selection as you wished) and told us that we could have ONE tiny taste BETWEEN us! None of the three flavors we subsequently bought were particularly good or memorable.
Contrast this to Grom, the new Gelati Kid on the Block, where the servers are passionate about their work, reciting stories about the source of ingredients, the method of production (no ice cream is more than 2-days old), etc.
The ice creams at Grom are in a different league altogether from those at Vivoli. The flavors are sensual, the textures are sensuous, bordering on sexy. My favorites: nocciola (hazelnut), chocolate (there are three different strengths – dark dark, not so dark, and milk chocolate).
Run, don’t walk, to Grom. Every visit to Florence REQUIRES a stop at this gelateria.
Grom is at Via delle Oche 25R. Local phone is 055-216-158.
Rivoire
Rivoire was Florence’s first chocolatier and even today, while the chocolates are stunningly good, what the locals head here for is coffee. Or as they call it – caffe. AKA espresso.
In ten days of touring Tuscany, only one other shop (Di Simo in Lucca) served an espresso the caliber of those made at Rivoire. I ordered many tiny cups of this tasty elixir, then started to order them stained with a precious spill of whole milk (macchiato) to temper the blackness. One after another.
And the tiny sandwiches they offer, called pannini, to go with espresso as a snack, are the best I’ve ever had. My favorites are the small, soft, torpedo-shaped buns filled with Siena prosciutto, costing 1.5 Euros (about $2.25) each. If I were asked to name the single best taste on our trip, it would be the first prosciutto pannini I had at Rivoire. It was a taste hit of unexpected simplicity and joy.
But don’t miss the cantucci here, either, the best version of Italy’s classic biscotti that we found in our ten-day treasure hunt.
If you come across this structure in your wanderings through Florence, you’ve reached the Piazza della Signoria, home of Florence’s best espresso, at the Rivoire. This structure, called Palazzo Vecchio, or the Old Palace, was built in 1298 – 700+ years ago! – to house and protect the ministry of the republican government, or the Signoria. Rivoire is located just west of it in the Piazza. If you see one, you see the other.
Rivoire is not to be missed. On the west side of Piazza della Signoria. Local phone 055-214-412.
Siena
Trattoria Papei
Ask a local where to eat if you really want to find the hidden gems. We asked Alessandra, the attractive, clothing buyer at Liberty in downtown Siena, for her favorites. Her top billing went to Papei, behind the Piazza del Campo (the town’s main square), off the central market.
We LOVED her choice. This typical Tuscan eatery, offered great fare without pretension. Our waiter, on two visits, was Amadeo, a colorful, humorous, English-speaking lad who was as entertaining as the food was good.
At Papei, we succumbed to our urge to try Tuscany’s local steak dish – bistecca alla fiorentina – which is a minimum 2.2-pound (1 kg) Porterhouse cut from the Chianina steer (a white, regional cow with longer than normal legs). The version at Papei stands out as the best we sampled in our ten-day excursion through Tuscany. The just-pink, grilled steak melted in the mouth and had a fabulous meaty flavor that was different from any steak we’ve eaten in America. I noted in my book: “One of the tastiest steaks that I have ever had.”
Trattoria Papei is at Piazza del Mercato 6. Local phone 0577-28-08-94.
Lucca
While meals in Lucca, our sweetest urban visit, were good, nothing screamed out, “Share these dishes with readers!”
But two food experiences do merit mention. One is to be had at Antico Caffe Di Simo, a heritage coffee house that exudes warmth. It is to Lucca what Rivoire (see above) is to Florence. A MUST-VISIT coffee shop. The other taste hit is to be found at a neighborhood deli called Pizzicheria La Grotta.
Di Simo
I have never seen anyone make a better espresso, or macchiato, in a commercial establishment. Not anywhere. Each cup is a work of art.
Plan to stop at Di Simo when you visit the beautiful walled city of Lucca. The coffee house is at Via Fillungo 58. Local phone is 0583-496-234.
Pizzicheria La Grotta
One day, having missed the lunch period that restaurants are open (after 3 pm they close until dinner), we had no option other than to hunt down a local deli to buy some fixin’s to make our own sandwiches. How fortuitous! Otherwise we would never have discovered Pizzicheria La Grotta, a source of amazing deli meats, cheeses and exceptional focaccia.
La Grotta is filled with authentic regional foods; four kinds of local prosciutto, each better (and different) than the next. Six local pecorino cheeses, some old, some fresh and young, all delicious.
And the focaccia – a lesson in bread making. The Italians invented focaccia (which comes from the Latin “focus,” meaning “hearth,” which was where these flatbreads were first cooked -- in people’s homes). Focaccia is, historically, a FLATbread, not thicker than the first knuckle on your pinky. Even though this thin, Italians still cut this bread HORIZONTALLY, not vertically, to make their sandwiches.
I do not understand why most focaccia made in America is tall, puffy, and sliced vertically like loaves of fluffy white bread. Focaccia at La Grotta are liberally flavored with a delicious extra-virgin olive oil and coarse sea salt. Anything you put between the horizontally cut halves is delicious because the bread itself is stunning.
The local olives are also a must-try at La Grotta. The best we had on our trip.
Pizzicheria La Grotta is at Via Anfiteatro, just off Via Fillungo. Local phone is 0583-467-595.
Whew! That’s it for Part 1 of our Tuscan Discoveries. Next week, come back for Part 2 – a look at the wines and chocolates of the region.
