My trip to Europe: Gelato in Florence, Italy

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You cannot go in Italy and not eat Gelato! We had gelato probably every day, but not at Eataly that was there, Via dei Martelli.

And not in the multiple gelateria we saw while walking in the street, some of them with a spectacular presentation...

One of the gelateria we found was in the opposite side of Eataly. It was called Caffè Del Battistero.

There, we simply ordered our flavors and the guy serving us (I wonder if he ever smiled in his life), gave us a huge gelato that ended up on our hands, the ice cream melting fairly quickly because of the outside temperature. Jodi got the coconut gelato:

And I got the hazelnut one:

The gelato was good, but I wish they asked us for the size we wanted, 10 euros being a bit expensive for what it was anyway.

Caffè Del Battistero

Via Martelli 13 Florence, Florence, Italy

But then, we went to Vivoli, a gelateria recommended by Jodi's friend Sabrina.

When we arrived, there was a group of tourists there, making me think that it is probably in lots of guide books. The way it works there is that first you pay and then you go to the gelato counter and order your flavor. Jodi ordered her coconut gelato that was deliciously creamy.

On my side, I did not order my usual hazelnut flavor, but a pear and caramel scoop that was amazing. Ok, I did not really taste the caramel, but the pear taste was incredible: I bet they make their ice cream with real pears there.

This was the best gelato we had in Florence and I truly recommend Vivoli. Know that they have a location at Macy's in New York. We went there, but I admit that it did not look that appealing and we did not see any tempting flavors. I guess I will stick with Grom...

Vivoli

Via Dell'Isola delle Stinche, 7r, 50122 Florence, Italy

http://www.vivoli.it

The last gelateria I would mention is Carabé that I found surfing on the internet (it was recommended by Condé Nast Traveller).

There, Jodi ordered two scoops: coconut and chocolate.

Although not as creamy as Vivoli, I thought it was pretty good.

On my side, I ordered the pear gelato:

I liked it, but, again, Vivoli was better.

Carabé

Via Ricasoli, 60, Florence, Italy

http://www.gelatocarabe.com

So, do not miss out on gelato in Florence and if you can, go to Vivoli: it is definitely worth it!

Enjoy (I did)!

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My trip to Europe:Trattoria Sostanza, communal dining in Florence, Italy

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After few days in Florence, it was time to go back home. Florence is such a beautiful city, that even people who don't like art would appreciate it.

So for our last dinner, we went to Trattoria Sostanza that was, after Trattoria Mario, our second experience with a restaurant that serves food on communal table. We heard about this restaurant after doing some research on the good places to eat in Florence. One of the recommended dishes was the buttered chicken. I was for sure going to try it!

For dinner, they have two sittings: 7:30pm and 9pm. We decided to go to the earlier one and showed up 10 minutes before, just in case they opened the door in advance to hungry customers. As we arrived, there was already a small group of people waiting. 

7:30pm, they opened their doors. We did not have a reservation and I was scared they would not have any availability. But, luckily, after just a couple if minutes, they brought us to a table where there was seated an American Family, as well as a Belgian couple. 

7:50pm: all tables are taken (they sit approximately 35 guests).

Few minutes after, they brought us some bread; no bread basket: they simply put it in front of you with their bare hands, making the family next to us talk...

As the menu was in Italian and Jodi and I do not speak the language, I asked for an English version: they did not have any, forcing them to describe dishes to tourists. But hey, this is part of the experience!

To start, I decided to try one of their Italian beers.

And we ordered some delicious salami:

For her entree, Jodi ordered the tortellini al burro or tortellini with butter:

It was very good, the amount of butter not being stranger to that. But for sure, these pasta seemed store bought. 

On my side, I got the buttered chicken:

I admit that, when I ordered it, I was a bit anxious, because everybody was ordering either the chicken or the bistecca a la Fiorentina that is simply a grilled T-bone steak you can find all over the city. I did not try it, preferring to try more traditional dishes. 

When the buttered chicken arrived, it was still sizzling, a delightful smell of butter emanating from the very hot skillet. I did not try the chicken first, but rather dipped a piece of bread in the sauce that was simply butter; and I mean a lot if butter. This was divine. Of course, I could not not notice the envious looks from my neighbors. The American family ordered the chicken too, for three people and it came in a larger skillet, but they served the chicken in dishes, so they had much less butter than me, hence more envious looks on their part...

The piece of bread dipped in the butter was delicious, but when I tried the chicken, I was in heaven: it was so good! Perfectly cooked, it was moist and I noticed a nice slight salty taste on the surface of the breast that was breaded with eggs, flour, salt and pepper. They probably sear it for several minutes before cooking it in the oven. 

This is a fantastic dish, a bit pricey (18 euros) as there was no side, but so delicious that I would definitely reorder it, even if it is a heart attack on a plate. 

I still had some room for dessert. We decided to go for their signature dessert: 

It was made of very small strawberries (first time I saw them), meringue, chocolate and whipped cream. It was very good: not too sweet, not too heavy (although Jodi would say that my conception of heavy might be different from anybody else...). At 10 euros, this dessert was also pricey. 

I really liked my meal at Sostanza and would definitely go back to try some other specialties, although I found the prices to be on the high side. The communal table is also a fun social experience that clearly depends on who you are sitting with. But anyway, you do not have to talk to people and can just enjoy the meal. And I enjoyed, I did!

Trattoria Sostanza
Via del Porcellana
25/R, 50123 Florence, Italy

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My trip to Europe: Osteria Santo Spirito in Florence, Italy

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For our last day in Florence, we decided to walk around the city and check the Piazzale Michelangelo where one can admire the panorama of Florence, as well as a second replica of The David. 

I admit that I was disappointed in a way, as I was expecting a square with a park and the statue in the middle, and not a parking lot and small shops for tourists...

It was a nice walk though and from there, we went back to Piazza Di Santo Spirito where we dined the second day in Florence. Our restaurant of choice was Osteria Santo Spirito that Jodi's friend, Missy, recommended.

It was a nice place, with a neighborhood feel, and the service was very good.

Right after we sat, they brought us some bread and tapenade.

The bread being unsalted, it was perfect with the tapenade.

Then, we went for a tomato and mozzarella salad.

The mozzarella di buffala was deliciously soft; I am not sure if they make it there or buy it at the store. Anyway, as you can see on the photo, the plates used to serve the food were a bit...used, similar to Grandma's kitchen!

We then ordered the Polpete Al Sugo or meatballs with tomato sauce.

The tomato sauce was cooked with onions and carrots, probably for few hours.

But the star of the dish were the meatballs: they were succulent, moist and tasty. This is definitely a dish I recommend.

We also tried the Minestra di Farro or spelt bean soup:

I ordered the small size and did not expect to get a large bowl.

It was also very good and very comforting. I also recommend that dish that I finished without any problem.

When we finished, they brought us some cherries.

We definitely had a wonderful meal at Osteria Santo Spirito, a place that I definitely recommend.

Osteria Santo Spirito
Piazza Santo Spirito, 19 r, Florence, Italy
http://www.osteriasantospirito.it

Enjoy (I did)!

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My trip to Europe: Caffè Scudieri in Florence, Italy

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After our dinner at Trattoria ZàZà, we decided to stop at Caffè Scudieri, to check their pastries. It is a big place with a large terrace and plenty of pastries to try.

We chose to sit inside instead of at the terrace.

We decided to order couple of pastries, as well as a tea for Jodi

And a macchiato for me.

It was good, but not as good as the one at Caffè Gilli that was tastier.

Then, the pastries came, and I was ready...

We decided to order:

A chocolate eclair:

A baba:

And a cannoli:

The eclair and baba were delicious and fresh, but the cannoli was not good: as it was not filled to order, the shell was soggy. The ricotta filling however was good, but not as good as the one at Caffè Gilli.

It was nice anyway, but I definitely prefer Caffè Gilli over Caffè Scudieri.

Caffè Scudieri

Piazza di San Giovanni, 19, 50129 Florence, Italy

Enjoy (I did)!

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