Restaurants in Florence: Osteria da Giovanni
November 10, 2009
MR My Resort B&B is located in the historic center of Florence, which is full of good places to eat: one of these is Osteria da Giovanni.
We went there last week-end and I have to say that it is a great place for the florentine steak!
I had the pappa al pomodoro, delicious and very similar to the one home-cooked by mom. My husband had the tortelli alle pere e pecorino, with porri and paprika, an excellent combination of seasonal fruit and vegetables.
As second courses we had one beef-steak “tagliata” with vegetables and porcini, and one fillet (filetto di manzo) grilled together with a big entire porcino covered all meat.
You must try their fried vegetables and the roast potatoes, the best in all city center togeher with the fried vegetables of Pepo’s!
We had just one dessert (you will eat a lot!), the apple cake (warm!) with some vanilla ice-cream, and it was very good; sometimes they are sed to offer a small glass of vinsanto and some cantuccini before the traditional “espresso” after dinner.
Price range (it always depends on beef-steak and wine, the most expensive in all menu): euros 45,00 – 60,00 per person. High quality place with an excellent food and a good choice of wines. Truly Tuscan cuisine. Warm athmosphere, elegant but not formal. ** The fireplace is working in winter, and it is sooo romantic!
OSTERIA DI GIOVANNI
Via del Moro 22
http://www.osteriadigiovanni.it
Also see
2. Chocolates and hot chocolate in Florence, B&B MR My Resort’s tips
November 5, 2009
After Coccole Cioccolato, MR My Resort accomodation is happy to give you another good address where to find an excellent cup of hot chocolate and pralines: Rivoire.
This is one of the most famous places in Florence city center, right in Piazza della Signoria, with a great spot on the square. The Café is located about 15 minutes walk from MR My Resort , and it’s easy to find it since is the most elegant in this large square. bed and breakfast
The decor is elegant old-stylished, in pink and ivory colors. The rooms inside can be crowded in winter, also because its location and its drinks quality. I have to say that pastries could be better, but the chocolate is super.
You can also enjoy your glass of wine, or an aperitiv, while admiring the Signoria square and the Palazzo Vecchio.
RIVOIRE
Piazza della Signoria, 15 min. walk from MR My Resort B&B, Florence historic centerAlso see:
COCCOLE CIOCCOLATO
1. Chocolates and hot chocolate in Florence, B&B MR My Resort’s tips
October 31, 2009
Winter is coming and hot chocolate is a must, and Florence offers good places where you can sip a gorgeous hot chocolate, with or without “panna”.
The first place close to MR My Resort, right in Florence center, and it is on your way to go to San Lorenzo Chruch and the Duomo, is Coccole Cioccolato. It is an old-style place with brown and white tables, where you can find various kind of chocolates with mousse, home-made biscuits, small cakes, fine chocolate tablets, dark, white…
The espresso italian coffee is excellent, and you can also ask for a cappuccino; small delicious pastries are available (brioches, muffins, chocolate small cheese cake…), as black or green teas. If you’re here for the hot chocolate, you’re in the right place! In summer you can’t miss the frozen chocolate, a real surprise to drink.
COCCOLE CIOCCOLATO Via dei Ginori 55/57 R two steps from Mr My Resort, Florence downtown
Also see:
Rivoire
October 3, Organic Market in St. Croce sq.
October 1, 2009
It worth a visit!
Not only the Santa Croce Cathedral, with the Michelangelo tomb and its frescoes, and not only the square, with the Dante‘s statue.
From 8.00 am to 7.00 pm you will enjoy the organic products of 60 tuscan farms, right in the Santa Croce square.
All the Tuscan cheese, olive oil, organic jams, wines, juices, seasonal fruit, bread, home-made cakes, “zolfini” beans (a specialty)… you can taste and buy what you want at a very convenient price, since this is a real market, not a “boutique”
IL MERCATALE DI FIRENZE
Piazza Santa Croce
Sept. 5 from 8.00 am to 7.00 pm
and October 3, same time
Sept. 25-26-27 Florence Wine Event
September 22, 2009
Wine lovers we’re waiting for you!
This year, from sept. 25 to sept. 27 you have the opportunity to meet more than 100 small high quality wine producers from Florence and Tuscany, and have your wine tastings. Each producer will offer 2 wines: a “young” and a “riserva”.
Together with wines stands you will find events about food and music, and most of the restaurants located in the area will offer special menu related with the wines you will find at the stands.
This great event has its onwn location in the Oltrarno area, which is about 20 minutes walk from our bandb, and it is located on the other side of the river Arno, crossing the Ponte Vecchio Old Bridge or one of the other bridges.
The main squares which will hosts the producers are Piazza Pitti (with the famous museum of Palazzo Pitti), Piazza della Passera, Piazza Santo Spirito (with its church), Piazza Santa Felicita with its own important church (frescoed by Pontormo), and San Niccolò tower and square.
FLORENCE WINE EVENT
Friday sept. 25th, from 3 pm to 10 pm
Staurday sept. 26th, from 11 am to 10 pm
Sunday sept. 27th, from 11 am to 10 pm
Places to eat in Florence: I’ tozzo di pane
September 9, 2009
The place is cozy and nice, and it has a garden, which is a good surprise, in Florence center.
And the owners Andrea and Antonio are two young men, so kind and friendly, great food lovers (and excellent jazz musicians).
Good tuscan food, from the appetizers to the pasta; what to say about the beef-steak? It’s simply perfect, and the price is excellent.
Then you can have your bruschetta, the mushrooms, the tuscan cheese, the home made cakes…
Go there, and tell them you’re our guests, they will be happy to offer a glass of prosecco while you’re reading the menu.
The name I’ tozzo di pane means: a piece of bread, and the trattoria is located very very close to the Relais Grand Tour and MR My Resort.
Here is the address:
I TOZZO DI PANE
Via Guelfa (close to the corner with Via Panicale)
Closed Sunday all day and Monday on lunch.
Opening time: 12.00-2.00pm and 7.00-10.30pm
SEE ALSO:
- Osteria Pepò
- Osteria da Giovanni
Best Gelato in Florence (4)
September 7, 2009
Yesterday evening I had a fantastic ice-cream by “Il Re Gelato“.
The shop is located close to Piazza Indipendenza and the Fortezza da Basso, 5 minutes walk from our 2 B&B Relais Grand Tour and MR My Resort.
It is not on your way to the Duomo or the David, but it worth a visit, and you can spend some time in the green small park of the Fortezza da Basso, or under the trees of Piazza Indipendenza. And, after all, it’s just a few steps from your location and it’s a place Florentine adore.
My flavours were: ricotta e gelsomino (ricotta cheese and jasmin), pere e noci (pears and nuts) e cioccolato con peperoncino, rhum e cannella (dark chocholate with pepper, rhum and cinnamom).
I loved the ricotta cheese & jasmin, so unusual, so fresh, it seems you can eat a delicate sweet parfume.
What to say about our classic pears & nuts? Perfect and simple.
Dark pepper chocholate with rhum and cinnamom will impress you: it’s a REAL pepper, a real rhum, and a real cinnamom. Luxury, sensual, strong.
Don’t you see the photo?
That’s why we finished all the 500 gr. my husband brought at home!!!
IL RE GELATO
Via Cosimo Ridolfi – corner with Viale Strozzi
Open all days morning-late evening
Restaurants in Florence: Osteria Pepò
July 8, 2009
Pepo‘s is one of our favourite places, a trattoria with excellent tuscan food and wine, at very reasonable prices.
The restaurant is located very very close to MR My Resort and Relais Grand Tour, less than a couple of minutes walk, close to the square of Piazza del Mercato Centrale and San Lorenzo church
The athmosphere is warm , the candle is on your table, the service is welcoming without to be too informal. Everything makes you stay at the table with pleasure, after a long day…
There is a lunch menu at lower prices, and there is the dinner menu, where a good express pasta is between 7,00 and 10,00 euros, and a main course is between 11,00 and 17,00 euros, while the dessert is 5,00 (chicolate cake, cantuccini id Prato and Vin Santo, or cream pudding…).
If you’re not used to drink a bottle of wine in 2, then you can ask for just a glass.
Try the coccoli, prosciutto and stracchino (small balls of fried bread, prosciutti and fresh cream cheese), the pappa al pomodoro, the ribollita (good in winter), the fresh noodles, the ossibuchi with tomato sauce, or the beef steak Florentine style.
Their mixed fried vegetables are superb!
Pepò
Via Rosina 4R
T. +39 055 283259
open everyday 12.30pm-2.30pm/7.00pm-10.30pm
Other places to eat we recommend:
My barattolini cake
July 5, 2009
What does barattolini mean?
The barattolino is a small pot, in this case I consider our standar yoghurt pot which is 125 gr (4,40 oz). Here is the recipe:
- 1 barattolino 125 gr. pot of natural yoghurt
- 2 barattolino of sugar (250 gr.)
- 1 barattolino of olive oil (125 gr.)
- 3 barattolino of flour (375 gr.)
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 lemon juice + grated peel
- 1 baking powder
Mix eggs with sugar, then add the yoghurt, slowly pour the olive oil, then add the lemon juice with the grated peel, the flour and the baking powder.
Use a mould of 25 cm diameter (about 10 inches); grase the cake tin with butter and then flour it.
Put the mixture into the oven (preheated) at 160 european Celsius (325 Farheneit), for about 50 minutes.
A very simple cake, perfect for breakfast.
Raw tomatoes in the pot
July 1, 2009
There are many ways to make a tomato sauce.
Here is the first, and the most simple, with raw summer tomatoes
- fresh tomatoes
- boiled water
- glass pots
Wash the tomatoes and put them in the boiled water for 3-5 minutes.
After that take the tomatoes away from te water and skin them.
Cut the tomatoes in medium pieces, and put them in the pots, and press them a little with hand. At the end, if the read tomatoes water is more than 3 spoons on top, take it out. Add a basil leaf.
After that you can corck the pots and put them in a large saucepan, and let them boil in the water for about 10 minutes. Leave the pots inside water until it become cool.
This is a good way to have a raw tomato all year, and it is an excellent way to prepare a light (cooked) tomato sauce for pasta or meat, or pappa al pomodoro…
(to be continued)