New Bridge Pizza

For dinner we decided to get some pizza as the last time we had it was back in Rome.  But instead of staying within the touristy spots or going for something that was considered traditional, we went new school with New Bridge Pizza that was a little bit out of the busy square.  The place is certainly modern with young hip staff and solid beats.  Love the pricing too as it is reasonable.  I guess the biggest question is what about the food?  Well, they do state on their webpage that they are both traditional and innovative.  Also, I apologize for the crappy pics as my camera was on the wrong setting!  Doh!

Well interestingly enough, it started off with the Caesar Salad which was actually more expensive than the rest of the food.  We were a bit confused at first but then discovered the bevy of sliced fried chicken breast hidden beneath the combination of parmesan, tomatoes, romaine, avocado and olives.  Yes, this was their interpretation of a Caesar and I didn't mind it.  It certainly ate like a meal with tender pieces of crispy seasoned chicken.  The ingredients were fresh and there was enough flavourful dressing that had a nice saltiness to it.

As for the pizzas, we had the Prosciutto Cotto et Funghi that featured ham and mushrooms with tomato sauce and mozzarella.  The crust was quite good with crunchy edges that had sufficient leoparding from their high-powered electric ovens.  There was nuttiness to it and it was seasoned properly.  Naturally, the crust got more tender closer to the centre, but that is expected and normal.  Tomato sauce was balanced and the amount of toppings were enough to keep every bite interesting.

We also got the Maialona which was their meat lovers consisting of tomato sauce, mozzarella, hot dog pieces, spicy salami, roasted ham and sausage.  Naturally, with all these toppings, the pizza was rather robust and filling.  I found the slices of sausage to be appealingly spicy and meaty.  Yep, there was actually hot dog pieces on the pizza and this is where the modern part comes in because no traditional pizza would have that!   I liked this one since it was all meat and the kids agreed.

Last pizza was the Capricciosa with tomato sauce, mozzarella, artichokes, fresh mushrooms, spicy salami, roasted ham.  This was somewhat of a mix between the first 2 pizzas and benefited from the spice from the salami.  Adding in artichokes provided a bit of tang and freshness.  Overall, the pizza here at New Bridge gives respect to tradition with a wonderful crust and delicious tomato sauce.  It does do some modern takes on things and that is not necessarily a bad thing.  Prices are reasonable too.

The Good:
- Solid pizzas
- Reasonable-pricing
- Nice people

The Bad:
- May offend some traditionalists

Gelateria Carabè Firenze

Continuing on our quest for the best gelato on our trip to Italy, we stopped by Gelateria Carabè Firenze nearby our apartment.  This was recommended by a friend who stated that it was a lighter gelato that was less creamy yet at the same time, more refreshing.  They specialize in Sicilian-style gelato that employs some form of starch as a thickener. For myself, I personally prefer it to be more creamy and less sweet, but I have an open mind and had to see for myself.  

I decided to get a cup with a refreshing combination of Limone Sorbetto and some wine gelato that I forgot to note down (maybe Cassis?).  Whatever the case, the gelato was indeed lighter and less creamy.  I wouldn't call it icy, but there was a definite difference in the texture compared to the ones I had in Rome.  I found it sweeter with milder flavours.  I could see some people enjoying this in the heat, but for me I'm all about the creaminess.

Viv went all fruity going with the Mango and Peach Sorbetto.  These were smooth and almost fluffy.  The light texture of the sorbetto meant it was very quickly devoured and helped us beat the warm 37 degrees Celsius it was in Florence.  Mind you, the real way to beat the heat is to eat something hot to induce sweating, but we weren't going to do that.  In terms of flavour, they really came through.  I'm not sure if this was necessarily sweeter than another sorbetto we've had, but it was less tangy, so maybe that is why we felt it was sweeter?

My son is all about consistency and he once again had both the Chocolate and Straciatella Gelato.  Just by looking at it, you can tell the straciatella was less creamy and looked much lighter.  These indeed ate as such with an almost icy consistency without being so.  Flavours were on the sweeter side and the impact of the chocolate was lessened due to the texture.  

My daughter did her fruity options as well with the Strawberry and Passionfruit Sorbettos.  Maybe due to the use of different ingredients, these felt less fluffy, but then again, they weren't dense either.  Flavours were good and the sweetness was a little bit more muted possibly due to the added tanginess of the strawberry and passionfruit.  She gobbled it up pretty fast we agreed the sorbetto was more to our liking than the gelato.  Of course everything is subjective and again, I can see how some people would like this lighter version of gelato.  After all, the place has many accolades.  But for me personally, I like the one I had at Frigidarium in Rome the most.  Yes, I know, different city and different region.

The Good:

- Natural-tasting

- Light and refereshing

The Bad:

- Not as creamy

F.N. Pasta Fresca

While we were munching on meats and cheeses at Enoteca Salumeria Lombardi, we were staring at the huge lineup at the F.N. Pasta Fresca kitty corner in the Mercato Centrale in Florence.  That really piqued my interest and I vowed to return to try it.  After touring the Uffizi Gallery in the morning, we made our way back to the market and lined up for fresh pasta at only 6 Euros each.  You pick your pasta and your sauce and it is made freshly in their small kitchen. Sure, there isn't really anywhere to eat this other than some counter seating or if you brought it upstairs to the food court.  Fortunately, we were staying nearby and merely brought it back to our apartment.

I decided to get the chef's recommendation in the Ravioli al Limone with olio e parmigiano.  This was really good featuring big raviolis stuffed with ricotta cheese and lemon.  I found that the lemon really came through in an aromatic sense rather than being tangy.  The pasta itself was firmly al dente and held up even with the short walk back to the apartment.  Dressed merely in olive oil and parmesan, the flavours were nutty and slightly salty.  But not strong enough to take away from the subtlties of the pasta.

While in line, I noticed someone scoffing down some Spaghetti alla Chitarra with ragu di cinghiale.  I found this to be appealingly firm which was partially due to the perfect preparation but also the squared cross section rather than being round.  This robust texture went well with the wild boar ragu.  The ragu itself was rich and thick with the deep flavours of the meat and fat coming through.  It was a bit salty, yet at the same time that helped flavour the firm pasta.

The biggest portion of pasta happened to be the Gnocchi with ragu bolognese.  Honestly, for 6 Euros, this would definitely fill someone up.  Beyond the value, this was also delicious with the gnocchi being tender with a bite.  This was even better than the one we had in Rome on our first night (at a restaurant).  As for the ragu, it was plenty meaty with lots of body and natural flavours from the meat and tomatoes.  This was a less creamy bolognese and was much tangier.  This was also a touch salty.

Our last pasta was the Fagottini di Carne with pomodoro.  This was a good pairing of pasta and sauce since the meat-filled pasta was already robust and meaty.  The light pomodoro with plenty of fresh tomatoes acted as a counter-balance provided a lighter and brighter finish.  The pasta itself was thin and al dente while being delicate.  We felt that the pasta at F.N. Pasta Fresca to be more than acceptable given the price point.  Compared to the pasta I had at the Mercato Centrale in Rome, this was light-years ahead in quality and execution (comparing apples to apples).  Would gladly eat again if I was back in Florence.

The Good:

- Cheap

- Well-prepared

- More than acceptable given the price and venue

The Bad:

- A bit salty

- Long line (but moves)

Ristorante Romantico il Paiolo

Since we were trying to dine on something quintessential to Florence, we were on the hunt for Bistecca alla Florentine.  This famous item consists of an adult Tuscan ribeye that is aged and has to be minimum 1.2kg in size.  Furthermore, the thickness has to be 3-4 fingers high and can be only cooked to rare.  Well all of this sounded awesome to us as and we decided to give il Paiolo a try since it is highly-rated and wasn't far from our apartment.  Similar to many other restaurants serving bistecca, they have a display at the front with all of the whole prime ribs.

Of course we had to eat other dishes too, so we started with another Tuscan specialty in the Crostini Misti su Polenta Grigliata featuring toasted polenta topped with chicken liver, blue cheese, mushrooms and meat sauce.  Really enjoyed this as the polenta was firm, yet wasn't hard.  The chunky chicken liver Pâté is something I've had before from Fiorino in Vancouver and this was similar, if not better.  The bits of liver were tender while the rest was buttery and well-seasoned with the sweetness of masala.  Even though blue cheese can be pretty sharp, this one here was creamy and well-balanced.  I particularly loved the bolognese as it was meaty and rich, going well with the polenta.

Next, we had the Sformato di Carciofi con Fonduta di Burrata or Artichoke flan with burrata fondue.  This was certainly something different that we've never had before.  I didn't find the flan particularly fluffy due to the amount of artichokes compared to the amount of eggs.  However, I didn't mind that as it gave the flan more substance.  Even before we talk about the burrata fondue, the flan itself was plenty nutty and cheesy.  However, it got even more creamy and cheese with the fondue.

Trying to get all of the greatest hits, we had another Tuscan specialty in the La Nostra "Ribollita" Toscana or Traditional Tuscan Bread Soup with mixed vegetables.  This was certainly hearty due to the addition of bread but it was hardly dense and not heavy.  Rather, the bread had soaked up all of the sweetness of the vegetables.  We actually could eat this with a fork and it was so comforting with the mix of tender veggies and fluffy bread.

Before we got to the steak, we had a few pastas first in the Pappardelle al Ragù di Cinghiale.  This featured extremely al dente pappardelle which was fine by us.  It was simply tossed in stewed wild boar and the accompanying stewing liquid.  Hence, this was a rather meaty dish with chunks of lean wild boar and the sweetness of the sauce.  Although lean, the boar was still plenty tender and moist.

Just because the kids love it, we also got the Lasagna Tradizionali al Forno.  This was actually very good with a bevy of thin sheets of fresh pasta with a noticeably creamy bolognese.  We found the pasta to be firm despite being layered with meat, cheese and sauce.  About that sauce, it was plenty meaty with the aforementeioned creaminess.  Hence, any tomato flavour was completely tempered.

Now to the 1.2kg Florentine Steak cooked on the bone.  This was cooked to rare as evidenced in the picture.  We found the meat sufficiently tender, yet it had a bit of a chew.  Not surprising since it is a ribeye.  It had good natural meat flavour while mildly salted.  There was a good char on the outside.  In the end, we found the food pretty good, but was wanting a bit more.  Service was friendly, yet very slow.  It took us quite long to finish our meal and to get the bill.

The Good:

- Super friendly staff

- Decent eats

The Bad:

- Friendly, but super slow service

Perché No!

Most popular versions of the story say that the birthplace of Gelato is in Florence by Bernardo Buontalenti.  For those unfamiliar, gelato is not ice cream because it is made with milk.  Hence it has less fat, but in turn it has more sugar.  So don't suddenly think it is a health food.  It also has less air in it as it is churned more slowly than ice cream.  So the first thing after lunch in Florence was to hit up Perché No! and get us some gelato!

For myself, I didn't do any sorbetto this time around, not because I didn't want any, but the person preparing my cup didn't hear me asking for Mora (which is blackberry).  Rather, my whole cup was only Pistachio Gelato.  Not necessarily a bad thing as the flavour was quite good with the aromatic nuttiness of pistachio coming through.  I found this gelato to be a bit less creamy though and sweeter.

Viv went for some Matcha and Coffee thinking it was breakfast time?  You can have gelato for breakfast right?  Anyways, as you can see, this was melting real fast since Florence was a toasty 37 degrees Celsius.  Furthermore, gelato is supposed to melt fast due to the lack of any stabilizers added.  With that being said, this was very soft and not as creamy as Frigidarium in Rome.  Flavours were nice though as the matcha came through without being too bitter and the coffee was rather aromatic.

For my son, he didn't stray from his favourites in the Strachiatella and Chocolate.  Once again, the flavours were really impactful as the sweetness of the strachiatella was appealing.  We could taste the natural sweetness and flavour of the milk further enhanced by the sugar.  Of course the chocolate shavings were welcomed.  The chocolate was also sweet and due to that, it was less bitter and not at dark as he would've liked.

Lastly, my daughter had the Limone and Strawberry Sorbettos.  She is more into that rather than gelato due to the heat.  It is more refreshing and for her, she needs that as she hates the heat.  Should've went to Greenland instead right?  She found her sorbetto to be light and smooth.  Both flavours were sweet with the limone being less tangy than others we've had.  Overall, the gelato at Perché No! was good, but we still like Frigidarium more (yes I know it is in a totally different region and city in Italy..).

The Good:

- Lighter if that is your preference

- Flavours were apparent

The Bad:

- Sweeter than others we've had

Salumeria Enoteca Lombardi

Having arrived in Florence and just barely meeting our Airbnb host in time, we made our way to the Mercato Centrale for some lunch.  We settled on Salumeria Enoteca Lombardi due in part that we weren't super hungry but knew we had to eat. Okay, we were well-aware that is is a tourist trap.  You can see it from far away, as it is located right at the market entrance and there are more tourists dining there than locals.  However, upstairs was unbearably hot and completely packed.  Since we love meat and cheese, we just went for it.

We ended up with the Salumi e Formaggi Platter for 4 people at 50 Euros.  Was it pricey?  Sure it was, but again, we knew what we were getting into.  This consisted of prosciutto toscano, sopprasata, salami, toscano, bresoala, pancetta, provolone, olives, artichokes, sundried tomatoes and a side of bread.  This was a good amount of sliced meats and they were more or less good.  Being Tuscan prosciutto, it was definitely salty, but had some more complex flavours.

On the side, we found EVOO as well as Aged Balsamic for the bread and to compliment the meats and cheeses.  Sure, these may not seem important, but for some of the saltier meats, the balsamic provides some balance.  As for the EVOO, definitely great to drizzle on the bread for both aroma and moisture.  So yes, we could've been more creative with our lunch spot, but ultimately, the meats and cheeses did the trick.  Sometimes simple works best and in this case, it was better than being in the sauna upstairs.

The Good:

- Located downstairs and is less hot than upstairs (during the Summer)

- Meats & cheeses were more than acceptable

- Divided amongst 4 people, it really wasn't that expensive

The Bad:

- If you are hungrier and need more food, then this isn't the place

Cantinetta Cavour

Since we were pretty exhausted on our last night in Florence (and also we had to wake up early the next morning to head to Pisa), we decided to hit up Cantinetta Cavour right across the street from our apartment.  Hey, it wasn't giving up on good food either as the place has positive reviews.  However, reviews aren't the end all, so we needed to assess this with our own lens.  We enjoyed our Bistecca Florentine so much the first night, we decided to have it again at this meal!

But before, that we started with the Crostini Toscani with chicken liver pâté.  Unlike the one we had a few meals before, this one was a bit smoother, yet still had plenty of texture such as the Tuscan-style of this dish.  I much preferred this one as the pâté was more balanced in flavour and aromatic.  The crostini was crunchy, yet not hard while holding up to the wet ingredient on top.  Also liked how they weren't shy with slathering that pâté on top. 

For our mains, we wanted to get something to compliment the beef, so we chose the Filetto di Orata alla Mediterranea (Sea Bream).  We enjoyed this dish as the fish itself was flaky and moist while beautifully prepared.  It was seasoned properly and had a nutty flavour from the sear. However, the sauce on top really put it over the top with so much flavour including the tang from the olives and sweetness from the veggies.

Onto what we were really here for - the Bistecca alla Florentine!  This was 1.2kg as it should be at minimum to qualify as such steak.  For some reason, it seemed like more meat than the meal we had the first night.  I also thought the steak was even better in terms of texture.  Although it was rare (as it should be), the meat was buttery and soft with lots of meaty flavour.  It was salted enough and I enjoyed how it was thicker than the first steak we had. 

Even thought their Beef Tartare with mustard, dried tomatoes and stracciatella was a pretty hefty main dish size, we decided to do that as an appetizer.  This was pretty good with a nice mix of flavours including the tang from the mustard, sharpness from the red onions and additional sweet zip from the tomatoes.  Add in the stringy cheesiness from the stracciatella, this was delicious and went well with our bread.  The beef itself was tender and didn't require much effort to chew.

Moving onto the pasta course, we had the Spaghetti alla Chitarra with pomodoro and burrata.  Sporting a bright and mild tomato sauce, this didn't eat very heavy despite the burrata on top.  The natural sweetness of the tomatoes came through as well as a nice dose of background acidity.  Of course the burrata was a nice addition to provided depth to the pasta.  About that pasta, it was firmly al dente, just how we like it.  If we had to compare with our meal at Ristorante Romantico il Paiolo, the one here was far superior and I felt our steak was really 1.2kg or maybe even bigger.

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Beautiful Florentine steak

- Super nice people

The Bad:

- Gets a bit busy and they are trying their best to attend to every table, but you have to be patient

My Sugar Gelato Artigianale

Our last visit to a gelato shop in Florence ended up at My Sugar just a block from our apartment.  So far, we hit up the other 2 more popular spots in Perché No! and Carabé.  I guess third times a charm as we felt this was the best of the bunch in terms of texture and taste (as well as the sweetness).  Just a note to others visiting Florence, there was a dollar store right across from My Sugar and be sure to hit it up for all your needs including water and souvenirs. Anyways, back to the gelato, we each got a cup to test out the flavours.

For myself, I went for the Mango Sorbetto and the Black Sesame Gelato.  I thought the mango was natural-tasting and purposefully sweet.  It had all of the aromatics and fruitiness of mango while being smooth and not icy.  The black sesame gelato was creamy but not thick.  It was also just sweet enough with lots of nuttiness and classic aroma.  This has been one of my favourite flavours of gelato so far on this trip.

Viv chose Coffee Gelato as well as Lime & Mandarin Sorbetto.  We found the coffee to be smooth and creamy but again, not heavy.  It was lightly sweet with a pleasant coffee aroma that had a nice finish.  The star of the show was the lime & mandarin as it was the perfect combination of tangy and sweet.  The essence of lime really came through while the floral sweetness of the mandarin provided balance.

For my daughter, she didn't stay far from her favourites including both the Lemon and Strawberry Sorbetto.  Once again, these were blended smooth and were just sweet enough.  The lemon was tangy but not as acidic as some other versions we've tried.  The strawberry was naturally-flavoured and had a good tanginess to balance off the sweetness (which wasn't overpowering).

Just like my daughter, my son went with his go to combination of Dark Chocolate and Strachiatella Gelato.  Okay, if you are wondering what that grey stuff is, it is in fact the Strachiatella.  Both that and the chocolate were smooth and creamy.  Not as heavy as some others we've had, but also not super light such as the one from Carabé.  Chocolate was plenty flavourful with deep notes.  As mentioned, this was our favourite gelato in Florence.  But I need to mention, Frigidarium in Rome is still our favourite despite being in a different city and region.

The Good:
- Smooth and creamy
- Not too rich or sweet
- Natural flavours

The Bad:
- For those looking for very creamy, this is a bit lighter than that

All'Antico Vinaio

We woke up early to catch the Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace before it got hot as it was a toasty 37 degrees Celsius the day before.  Even with that, we were still plenty sweating after those 2 tourist attractions.  We made our way over the Ponte Vecchio to a very popular sandwich shop called All'Antico Vinaio.  It was just a smidge past 10:00am and the lineup was already forming.  They actually have 4 storefronts near each other and they have staggered opening to help move the lines.

We got a sandwich each with mine being the Tartufo Uno with mortadella with truffles, stracchino, mushroom cream and arugula.  This was all served on freshly-baked focaccia that was rather firm and crunchy.  With all of the wet ingredients, this bread did serve it's purpose by keeping its shape and keeping things within.  There was a good amount of mortadella that had the unmistakable taste of black truffles.  The mushroom cream added both moisture and another layer of earthiness.  The arugula provided some bitter brightness.

For Viv, she went with the Summer consisting of prosciutto crudo, 

mozzarella fior di latte, tomato and basil.  Due to the use of raw prosciutto, it was a bit more difficult to chew without yanking the entire slice out of the sandwich.  However, the firm bread made it easier to not destroy the whole thing.  Mild ingredients such as the mozzarella, tomato and basil helped temper the saltiness and added texture and moisture as well as aromatics.

My son had probably the best oft the bunch with the Number 5 with porchetta, roast potato cream and parmesan cream.  Beyond the thin fatty slices of the roast pork, the best part of this sandwich was the roast potato cream.  It was certainly smooth and creamy with depth of flavour as well as adding a binding agent to the sandwich.  It held things together and the whole thing felt like a roast pork plate in a sandwich.

My daughter ended up with the Manolo with prosciutto cotto, mushroom cream, mozzarella fior di latte and basil.  This one, as well as mine, was the easiest to eat since the ham was tender.  The saltiness was tempered by the mozzarella as well as the fresh aromatics of the basil.  Just like my sandwich, this featured the same earthy mushroom cream.  So does this place live up to the hype?  I would say yes because the sammies were tasty and stuffed full of excellent ingredients.  An affordable and quick lunch that won't interrupt your sightseeing or wallet.

The Good:

- Quality ingredients

- Tasty ingredients

- Inexpensive considering everything

The Bad:

- Of course the dreaded lineup

- I liked the bread and it served a purpose, but for some, it might be too firm