Bacccarossa

In my opinion, it’s still the best place to get fresh seafood in Florence prepared simply (as in, not fussily or pretentiously) but with clean, exquisite flavors. The amuse bouche was (raw or barely cooked?) anchovies on toast. This may sound fishy or salty, but it wasn’t. Much more delicate in flavor than one would expect. We got some appropriate red wine pairings for the dishes. My pasta was a linguini with lobster and cherry tomatoes. Perfectly cooked, generous amounts of lobster and tomatoes and just-right al dente pasta. My main dish was a seabream island wrap, which means the fish was steamed in parchment with potatoes, tomatoes, capers, and two kinds of olives. It also was not the least bit fishy in taste but perfectly tender and light. We split a spicy chocolate mousse/pudding with drizzles of melted chocolate. The wine pairing was a Muscat that tasted apricot-y with the chocolate and honey raisin-y on its own. This was a true testament to the sommelier’s skill because the dish and the drink not only brought out each other’s flavors but enhanced them.

Via Ghibellina 46 Rosso
50122 Firenze, Italia
+39.055.240620
http://www.baccarossa.it

Alle Murate

Alle Murate is a beautiful place. Simple modern furniture underneath an ancient, frescoed ceiling. The tasting menu that night was based on both flavors and aromas. Every dish smelled amazing as it came out of the kitchen and made you want a taste. Obviously water, spumante, breads, and breadsticks came out first. The basket of baked things was so good it was hard to resist eating them and spoiling the appetite. Tara and I both had the tasting menu, but they tailored hers to fit her non-mammal diet.

1. First course, Sarconi white bean and shrimp soup. The shrimp were perfectly cooked. As moist and fresh as possible without being undercooked. The soup also had hints of sage and thyme.
2. Second course, bay-leaf-scented seared tuna (and fried pork chop for me) with an apple sauce and potatoes. This was a successful play on the classic pairing of pork chop and applesauce, but this apple sauce (notice the space in between the words) was very different and delicious.
3. Third course, paccheri pasta with prawn, mussel, seabass, and cuttlefish. All four of the seafood ingredients were the right texture and chopped to a pleasant size, the pasta was clearly homemade and done to the right level of al dente, and the sauce was tomato based. A wilted sage garnish and a bit of spicy heat accented it all to the perfect finish.
4. Fourth course, a pumpkin soufflé, with a chestnut on top and black cabbage sauce underneath. This was a perfect example of letting ingredients speak for themselves. The flavor of each component was clean and distinctive, the combination of three in-season ingredients proves we should eat the freshest things nature provides.
5. Fifth course, Casentino lamb three ways – stewed in tomato, fried cutlet of rack, and baked leg stuffed with black olives. These were all fantastic and so different, the fact that it was all lamb and the roast potatoes in between tied them all together. (Tara’s fifth course, baked seabass over vegetable caponata. The seabass was tender, buttery, and flaked if you just ran your fork across. Perfection. Caponata is a Sicilian preparation of eggplant, zucchini, and pepper. The veggies were the crisp-tender consistency that all cooked vegetables should have.)
6. Dessert course, a pear tiramisu over a chestnut pancake, topped with fresh pear cubes and chocolate shavings. Tara had said she was tired of tiramisu, but this was a refreshing and much lighter version. Once again with the argument in favor of using seasonal ingredients.

I don’t remember all the wine pairings, but they were fantastic too. If you’re looking to splurge on a meal in Florence, Alle Murate’s a great place to do it.

Via del Proconsolo, 16/Rosso
50122 Firenze, Toscana, Italia
+39.055.240618
Alle Murate Website

Buca di Sant'Antonio

This ristorante has been open since 1782, so they’ve had time to get things just right. The food is amazing. Of course, they quickly provide the water, breads, and breadsticks. They greeted us with glasses of spumante and two amuse bouches. One was a pastry filled with anchovies that was simultaneously, entertainingly flaky and salty. The second were deep fried little meatballs the size of marbles. With all the courses, we e drank a local DOC wine, Urlo di Lupo 2007. Duchessa di Lucca. Colline Lucchesi.
My first course was a cold rabbit salad with lettuce, tomato, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Sounds simple but so complexly good in its balance of flavors and textures. My pasta was a hare pappardelle, perfectly cooked homemade egg noodles and tender pieces of hare, which is a little gamier and leaner than rabbit but tastier. I’m not a big pork fan, but the waiter recommended the roast pork with truffle cream sauce, roast potatoes, and green bean soufflé. The pork was perfectly done, tender and juicy, the potatoes were sliced into perfect size bites, and the soufflé was surprisingly intense in taste. Oh and the truffle cream sauce? Does that even need explanation as to how good it is?
Dessert was baked caramelized fruit with chestnut gelato. So good. Hot and cold. Crisping and melting. Sweet and creamy. The Sauternes dessert wine we had went excellently with it also.

Via Della Cervia 3
55100 Lucca, Toscana, Italia
+39.0583.55881
+39.0583.3121999 Fax
http://www.bucadisantantonio.com
Closed Sunday evening and Monday

Il Belvedere

Who can resist the fresh and inexpensive seafood of Cinque Terre? Belvedere is on a Mediterranean beach, so no one should not order seafood here. We split all the generously sized plates. Monterosso’s famous anchovies, marinated and less salty than you’d think. Rice with squid in its ink, a perfect example of not trying to cover an ingredient’s natural tastes but enhancing their best qualities. Stuffed mussels, another local favorite. The stuffing makes them richer and more filling but not heavy. The Cinque Terre DOC white wine of course is the obvious and correct pairing to all this.

Piazza Garibaldi 38,
Monterosso, Cinque Terre, IT
+39.0187. 817033

Bacccarossa

In my opinion, it’s still the best place to get fresh seafood in Florence prepared simply (as in, not fussily or pretentiously) but with clean, exquisite flavors.
The amuse bouche was (raw or barely cooked?) anchovies on toast. This may sound fishy or salty, but it wasn’t. Much more delicate in flavor than one would expect. We got some appropriate red wine pairings for the dishes.
My pasta was a linguini with lobster and cherry tomatoes. Perfectly cooked, generous amounts of lobster and tomatoes and just-right al dente pasta.
My main dish was a seabream island wrap, which means the fish was steamed in parchment with potatoes, tomatoes, capers, and two kinds of olives. It also was not the least bit fishy in taste but perfectly tender and light.
My hot date and I split a spicy chocolate mousse/pudding with drizzles of melted chocolate. The wine pairing was a Muscat that tasted apricot-y with the chocolate and honey raisin-y on its own. This was a true testament to the sommelier’s skill because the dish and the drink not only brought out each other’s flavors but enhanced them.

Via Ghibellina 46 Rosso
50122 Firenze, Italia
+39.055.240620
http://www.baccarossa.it

uno momento

Due to a lack of internet connection, and in no way due to a lack of good food, this blog is going on hiatus.

Although... mad props to Eric Ripert's Westend Bistro, Ceiba, Acadiana, and Rossini, among others. I owe you amazing reviews.

La Mucca sul Tetto

La Mucca is an intimate, candlelit restaurant. I apologize for a lack of food pictures. I forgot my camera and only after eating remembered my phone has one. They came out a bit dark.

I almost ordered a risotto alla mela rosa con tallegio e olio al basilico (red apple risotto with tallegio cheese and basil oil). But the waiter told me a better option was the gnudi di ricotta e spinaci al burro e salvia (nude ricotta/spinach ravioli in sage butter). Nude ravioli means they’re without covering. It’s the filling without the pasta basically. There were also pine nuts which lent an extra texture to the melt-soft ricotta/spinach and the shreds of parm on top. The sage butter was subtle but nice. The nudi were like vegetarian meatballs, slightly bigger than golf balls.

After that I cleansed my palate with acqua naturale and some pane. (This saffron/pine nut/pistachio bread was so deftly cut it almost looked like my cousin’s play kitchen). T’was a nice change from the requisite Italian table bread, which they also served. The bread was so smooth and sponge-soft, I had to ask the waiter where they got it. Apparently they bake it fresh.

Carpaccio di manzo classico su insalata di carciofi e Parmigiano e vinagrette al worcester (classic beef carpaccio on artichoke and parmesan salad with Worchestershire vinaigrette). This was a very well-layered dish. From top to bottom: Large, generous but paper-thin shavings of parm. Slices of rare meat with beefy flavor unadulterated by salts and spices. Arugula leaves. Its spicy touch was, but being such a strong taste there was perhaps too much considering it’s not listed on the menu. It didn't spoil the dish though. I finished it save for a few leaves. (A few bites into it, I decided if I can ever recreate the bread, I’ll make a sandwich with it, rare roast beef, artichokes, parmesan, arugula, and Worchestershire.) My waiter recommended two red wines to go with it, so I tried them both and eventually selected a 2006 Val Rose – Morellino di Scansano.

For dessert, he recommended their tiramisu. Espresso-soaked cake, mascarpone cream, and cocoa powder. All distinct tastes and textures but they combine and melt sublimely in one’s mouth. The tiramisu not a slice, or even worse, a scoop. It’s served in a four-inch diameter, inch-thick dish and was the best tiramisu I’ve had here.

He offered limoncetta and grappa as digestifs, and I was grateful for both.

Via Ghibellina 134/RossoFirenze, Italia 50122
+39 (0)55.2344810