Review: Acquacotta in Florence

I was thinking about what to write today and I was looking around for inspiration. I ran into this wonderful blog, "offtoseetheworld.net" and was struck by her content. I love the tips and great pics and just her travel view. I am also a sucker for someone reaching for their dreams and turning their passion into a career. She mentioned that she would do reviews for hotels, tour companies, restaurants, etc. and I thought, now that is a perfect way to inspire people....tell them your experience and let them be entertained.

So that's what I'm going to do - besides sharing pictures and quotes that inspire me and tips I've used along the way, I'm going to write about my personal experiences as well. They are in no way meant to do anything other than inform - I'm not paid for my opinions.

It was September 2005 and it had been hot, sweaty, muggy, dirty, and crowded in Rome - so our arrival in the cool, overcast city of Florence felt like a refreshing reboot to our trip. We had booked a room in the Residenza Manzoni for the next 4 days and spoke to the person at the front desk about finding somewhere to eat. I didn't want the typical touristy pit stop...after spending the previous 5 days in Rome, where we had made some bad food choices, I just wanted something really, really good.

Using a list she gave, we set out to find some grub....that sounds terrible...but I wanted some classical Florentine fare at this point. As you may know, food from this area is typically beef steaks that are cooked to perfection and bread-based dishes, like Ribollita and Panzanella...yum!!!!

I'm not sure how we stumbled upon this little place - looking at the map, I can't even figure out how we made it all the way over there....it's not too far, but it's rather tricky to get in that neighborhood from where we were. This eatery wasn't on the list (the options were good, but not quite what we were looking for). The street itself, Via dei Pilastri is not exactly busy and rather dark in some places. Honestly, it wouldn't be somewhere that I would naturally venture down looking for a place to eat...but when we saw this little window, the quaint red and white checkered tablecloths on the tables, and the open kitchen, we couldn't help but want to stop and take a seat inside.

Acquacotta 1

Acquacotta 2

Acquacotta 3

There were only about 12 tables inside and the menu was strictly Italian - all signs we were on the right path to bliss....the hostess/waitress was more than pleasant, explaining in broken English to the best of her ability, that she and her husband owned and ran the newly acquired restaurant…he in the kitchen and she in the front of house.

We started with a quick antipasti and they served us fresh focaccia - straight from the oven - with sea salt and tarragon. Next, we had the Primi Piatti - a shrimp risotto which was beyond delicious. I've eaten and made plenty of risotto dishes in my life, but never have they been so perfect. Along with the Chianti Classico that was deliciously paired by the owner, I could have been satisfied to finish there. Then to our amazement - the Bistecca alla Fiorentina appeared. It was a good thing we only ordered one between us. I was already delightfully sated, but happily stuffed myself to take part in this celebration of the rich history of Tuscany. They say that the cow itself along with special aging and the particular flames used to prepare the porterhouse cut create an undeniable classic contribution to Italian gastronomy and they are not wrong. It melted off the top of the fork and into my mouth. I had found foodie Nirvana. That first night, I was too full to think about dessert, but we promised to return and so left for our B&B.

We returned the next night and sampled the charcuterie plate; again with fresh from the oven focaccia and spinach salad – lighter than the last meal, but a wonderful end to a rather busy day. Italians by nature, eat their heaviest meal at lunch, but sometimes, when you’re busy trying to see everything on your list, a long break in the middle of the day doesn’t work. They opened around 7 pm so it was nice to have the option to stay and linger or grab something lighter. And then once more we returned - we had left Florence for our next destination, but we drove back from Barga for a special birthday dinner later that week. The tiramisu is to die for, by the way.

I honestly can’t say enough good things about this chef and his family and how they’ve accomplished taking a passion and making it a livelihood. Each night, they took care of us with such wonderful service and attention – it was like visiting our own family.

It doesn’t appear that they have a website, but they do take reservations now. Yelp and Tripadvisor have great things to say. Be prepared to take your time and simply enjoy la dolce vita.

Via dei Pilastri, 51r, 50121, Florence, Italy

+39 055 242907

#Reveiw #FlorenceItaly