Perfect Bites from my Food Crawl through Italy

My first trip to Italy was full of wonderful moments, surprises and experiences.  Shopping in Florence, making pizza in Naples, wine tasting in Tuscany, wandering the small villages of Cinque Terre, a-maz-ing.  Every place had its own unique charms, but the one constant that never failed to impress – the food.  Every bite better than the last, Italy outdid itself on the food front.  I couldn’t think of a better way to capture it than in an Italian food diary.  If you’re headed to the country anytime soon, feel free to find your way to any (or all) of these places.  Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.  Buon Appetito!

Mercato Centrale (Florence)

I heard about Mercato Centrale from a co-worker before my trip to Florence.  Only a 10 minute walk from our apartment rental, it was one of my favorite places in Florence.   The second floor of Mercato Centrale is like an upscale version of a food court- with awesome food and a full bar.  Not only was the food great, if you’re indecisive about what kind of food you want (I usually am), you can order small bites from several places.  You can watch your pizza dough rolled out.  Watch chefs making pasta.  Choose sushi or burgers.

Servers circulate taking drink orders, as people chat and eat, music playing in the background.  In the evenings it has a lounge vibe.  There are deli and cheese counters, a wine shop and plenty of areas to sit and enjoy your food.

A few noteable snacks- I had some really fresh, yummy pasta with shaved truffles, a great pizza and the best burger I had in Florence.  On your way out, pick up some fresh bread, cheese and prosciutto… you’ll need it to balance out all the Chianti you’ll undoubtedly be drinking later!

Cibreo (Florence)

We stumbled upon Cibreo on our first night in Florence.  Our AirBnB host recommended a restaurant down the street that was packed for dinner and not taking any more reservations.  Cibreo looked like a good alternative, and it absolutely was.  I couldn’t tell you what I ate, I wasn’t even really sure while I was eating it… but it tasted awesome.

Canto De’Nelli (Florence)

I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by the cover; I imagine you shouldn’t judge restaurants that way either.  That said, on a 90 degree sunny day, the misters keeping people cool on the patio at Canto De’Nelli, coupled with the pizza I saw on people’s plates seemed like evidence enough for us to have a seat.  It was a solid decision.  This may have been my favorite pizza of the trip.  Enjoy a nice bottle of Chianti with your pizza.  I got so spoiled on this trip, great wine for less than $10 a bottle.  Sign me all the way up, please and thanks.

I’Pastaio (Florence)

We had an awesome AirBnB host in Florence who took us out for dinner and drinks one night.  After dinner, he took us to I’Pastaio, a tiny late night bakery.  It was on a one-way street, he went the wrong direction for a block, then turned around and drove in reverse for half a block just to get there.  Duccio was as serious about his sweets as I am, my kind of guy.  And more importantly, my type of sweets!

Grom (Florence)

Grom shows up on several ‘Best of” lists that I found before my trip, so I made sure to find it on the little alley just steps from the Duomo.  I won’t say that I went there several times- I will also not deny it.  Nothing is better than strolling on a warm evening through the streets of Florence, people watching and eating gelato- summer magic, all day.

Tenuta Torciano Winery (San Gimignano)

I didn’t plan many tours in advance for my 3 week trip to Europe.  That said, I knew I wanted to do a wine tour of Tuscany.  It was a must for me.  Our tour took us to 3 wineries and included a food and wine pairing at Tenuta Torciano. The main course was a lasagna, that looked deceivingly basic and unassuming.  TK, eyed it skeptically- even as our host drizzled truffle oil and balsamic over the top.  That first bite?  CRAZY!  Fresh pasta, put all the way OVER the top with that truffle oil and balsamic.  Needless to say, TK changed her mind and wanted to steal my piece after she finished hers.  We’ve talked about that lasagna ever since.

Gelateria Dondoli (San Gimignano)

Our Tuscan wine tour included a brief stop in San Gimignano for gelato, site seeing and shopping.  We made our way to Gelateria Dondoli and had some of the best gelato of our entire trip.  Trust me, I did the research.  Don’t we look happy?

Ceraldi Caffe’ (Naples)

I stumbled upon Ceraldi Caffé almost immediately on the first full day in Naples.  In case it wasn’t clear from my food crawls in Atlanta and New Orleans, I’m partial to my sweet treats.  Sugar and butter make the world go round.  So needless to say, as I passed by a café with a display case of sweets that ran the full length of the space, all full of pastries?  Yea, I’m goin’ in.   Standing at the counter, I asked the woman behind the counter a question about what something was.  She turned and proceeded to walk away.  I thought, ‘Well damn, was it something I said?  Did she really just walk off?’  No ma’am, she was coming from BEHIND the counter so she could walk me through all the deliciousness in front of me.

She walked me through that whole display case.  I got a good sampler plate of treats and managed to save a few for breakfast the next day.  There were multiple visits to this location on my three-day visit to Naples.  I am haunted in the best way by the chocolate pastries I found there.  If it makes you feel better about eating excessive amounts of baked goods, Ceraldi is in a busy shopping area; you can window shop and walk it off.

Casa Infante (Naples)

I took gelato really seriously while I was in Italy.  Like I ate it every day, sometimes more than once.  In my mind, it was totally appropriate to do so… would have been rude not to.  I ate enough of it, in enough places to have a few really solid favorites.  After dinner in Naples, on our way back to Grand Hotel Oriente, Casa Infante stopped TK in her tracks.  Literally- I ran into her back.  I guess her gelato radar went off.  Now, this place was special because in addition to having really good gelato, they also had perfect, fluffy cream puffs.  You need at least two.  Don’t limit yourself.  We sure didn’t.

I Monticiani (Rome)

Looking for a quick dinner near our hotel in Rome, TK found I Monticiani online.  Since it was within walking distance,  we decided to check it out.  We ended up eating at I Monticiani twice during our brief two day stay in Rome.  TK loved their fries, and I was all about the chicken and that chocolate cake.  Unpretentious, with friendly staff and good simple food, we felt right at home.

The Meat Market (Rome)

I spotted The Meat Market from the top deck of the Hop On Hop Off bus… it called out to me really.  And then it started raining, so it seemed like destiny to hop off the bus and grab a burger.  It turned out to be a great decision!  That truffle burger still haunts me in such a good way.  As you can see it’s huge- you might be able to share one… maybe.  After that first bite, you might regret not having your own.

Gelateria del Teatro (Rome)

On our journey through the streets of Rome, in search of TK’s custom made sandals, we made a stop along the way for gelato.  I was serious when I said I ate it every day.  As I was perusing the display at Gelateria del Teatro trying to decide on my order, I heard a woman order the wine and chocolate gelato.  Excuse me?  Did I hear her correctly?  Is there such a thing?!!  Needless to say, I ordered it too.  It was like the gum that tastes like a meal in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  That gelato tasted like a good glass of red wine followed by a bite of rich dark chocolate.  Truly magical.

So those are the highlights from my Italian food crawl!  Are you hungry?  This trip down memory lane has me ready to hop a plane to Europe myself.

If you’ve been to Italy, what were some of your perfect bites?  If Italy is on your foodie bucket list, what perfect bites are you excited to try?