Florence Food

Just got back from an overnight in Firenze. It is no surprise that the food was great. Upon exiting The Uffizi on the first day, we were handed an advertisement for a restaurant just a few meters down the street. The ad stated that the waiters spoke English and there was no service charge. We did not have to think twice. I ordered a cheese calzone and a 1/4 litre of house wine (red, of course). Within minutes our food was on the table. I enjoyed my calzone immensely while everyone else complained that their food tasted like Chef Boyardee out of a can. I could not have been more satisfied with my calzone. The dough was soft and ricotta cheese was oozing out of every opening. I thought I had died and gone to Heaven.

On the second day in Florence, our lively tour guide, Marcello, recommended that we give Osteria Pepo (Figure 3) a chance for lunch as they only use local ingredients purchased from the nearby Mercato Centrale (Figures 1 & 2) to make their food. We took Marcello's advice since he is a local Florentine and surely knows the good restaurants in the area. I ate spaghetti with clams (Figure 4) and drank some Diet Coke. The plate was huge. I definitely got my monies worth. I just wish someone had told me that I had basil stuck in my teeth afterwards.

Just before boarding the train to go back to Verona, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat since the train ride was going to be nearly 3 hours long. The words "quick bite to eat" are synonymous with McDonald's. With that said, we found ourselves standing in line at McDonald's a few minutes later. For only 2,00, I got a cheeseburger and a strawberry milkshake (Figure 5). It was the perfect snack and I felt like I was at home in the States.

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

Figure 5.