Florence Foodie Tour

I call myself a foodie. Not just because of the fact that I love to eat (I swear my diet starts the day I arrive home in Memphis), but rather because of the overarching experience that defines and complements the meals I enjoy. It’s not just the taste, but also the atmosphere, décor, culture, and people behind the dishes that etch true memories in my mind. That’s why I love my Jewish religion: we’re all about food, but we wouldn’t be that way without the family and greater community who prepare and enjoy it!

Our second day in Florence confirmed my foodie-ness fixation. We joined a guided, three-hour tour of the secrets of Florence’s local food and cultural treasures. Café after café and bite after bite, we “oohed” and “ahhed” at the tastes of unique delicacies that define Florence’s quaint and luxuriant lifestyle. I’ll never forget the taste of juicy roma tomatoes at Nerbone and the smell of the Robusto espresso shot, or the sweetness of vin santo wine and the laughter of our Utah group members when realizing how much wine we consumed before 1 p.m. When in Florence, people!

Here’s a summary of each stop on our Florence Foodie tour; and if you’re ever in Florence, please don’t miss these local delicacies. Or just go on the tour yourselves! You won’t find these places in a tourist guide…

Café Chiaroscuro

Known for its diverse blends and imported coffee beans from across the world, Café Chiaroscuro challenged my taste buds and introduced me to some truly bold Italian coffee!  We tried the Indian monsooned Robusto and Mexican Arabica espressos, both of which were very strong compared to my usual Starbucks. In fact, our guide told us that there is only ONE Starbucks in the entire country of Italy in Milan! And it’s not even doing well. Imagine that, fellow Americans.

“Espresso” denotes “express,” so most customers walk in and finish theirs in three sips at the bar to kickstart their day. Those busty flavors surely kickstarted our day too!

Procacci Firenze

A truffle shop. What more could you ask for.

White truffle (the rare, fancy shmancy kind that upscale restaurants like db bistro serve) is in fact found in Northern Italy.  We were served a 3-inch truffle sandwich (panini tartufati) with a secret filling that combines truffle-infused oil, truffle butter and some other yumminess. I savored every bite.

La Divina Enoteca

This treasured restaurant and specialty food store was founded in the early 1800s, serving everything from cheeses and meats to homemade regional pastas, spice blends, beers and wine. We were seated by the store owner at an antique wooden table and led through a delicious food and wine pairing.

Our first pairing was a Bianco di Toscana white with a slice of salty prosciutto on bread and a slice of sheep’s milk with pepper jam.  The second pairing was a ruby red Chianto classico (like the Corsini wine we had tried the day before at the vineyard) with fennel seed infused salami and a sharp but soft pecorino cheese.  I learned that Italians always pair white wines to balance a salty but light prosciutto, fish, veal or light pastas with olive oil. Their reds go with heartier meals from Bolognese to t-bone.

I walked out with a box of homemade pasta that I cannot wait to cook with at home. I’m going to craft an Italian-style recipe to share on the blog!

San Lorenzo Central Market

Our entrance into the San Lorenzo Market allowed us to immediately experience the hustle and bustle of fresh Italian cooking ingredients.  We tasted salted bread, which is unusual for Florence. We learned a rumor that when Florence and Pisa were in battle centuries ago, Pisa placed high tariffs on salt exports, which caused Florentines to cut out salt completely. Imagine that!

Da Nerbone

Within the Central Market sat this busy and exciting café founded in 1876 – the history is consistently so rich in this town!  I tried the best bruschetta (pronounced with a hard “c” – Giada would be proud) I have ever put in my mouth.  Drenched in olive oil, the sweetest chunks of tomatoes and torn basil covered my piece of crostini. I about went to heaven.

Marconcini

Julia, the sweet employee of this impressive wine and olive oil shop, brought dozens of pieces of bread, which she proceeded to drench in two types of olive oil. Both were peppery and much heavier than the typical olive oil at home; rather than using for cooking, these were meant to be dipped in to fully take advantage of the flavors.

Next was a treat. Strawberries were drizzled in 10-year-old aged balsamic vinegar and a pecorino was drizzled in a younger balsamic. As balsamic vinegar ferments, the liquid thickens and sweetens to the point where you can pour it directly on your fruit and ice cream! Such a delicacy.

Fresh prosciutto was next with a glass of Chianti; and then came the real surprise: almond biscotti dipped in vin santo dessert wine, which has aged for at least ten years and tasted close to a liquor. I found my new favorite dessert!

Antica Florentina Gelateria

I thought we had enough sweetness, but there was more. Our guide led us to a local gelateria to pick two flavors of our choice! I picked crema (sweet vanilla custard) and dolce latte (caramel coffee goodness) in a cone.

What a food-filled, fun-filled day! Thank you, Florence Food Tours.

Principe Corsini Winery

Before Friday, I had never ridden a horse, with the exception of a typical petting zoo where an adult would pull me and my pony in a circular motion at a painfully slow pace.

After Friday, I don’t think I can or will ever ride one again, because nothing—and I repeat, nothing—will compare to my horseback riding wine tour experience in the Chianti region of Tuscany, Italy.

We eagerly signed up for a full day in Tuscany through Florencetown tours, which hosts a handful of excursions throughout Italy with an exceptional staff. Their connections with the Corsini family (and their 650-acre estate) allowed us to enjoy almost six hours in the vineyards, gardens, production and fermentation facilities, and restaurant. I want to take full advantage of the bed and breakfast on the property next time; although the family’s nine-story villa wouldn’t be too shabby either.

Our group was a small but impressive mix: three of us from Austin, a 25-year-old couple from Australia and an older married couple from Ecuador. Connecting with the others made our day even more fulfilling. And, funny enough, we ran into Craig and Laura, the Australian couple, at the San Lorenzo Market the following day.

After meeting in the Florence city center and driving to Tuscany, we were introduced to our horses for the morning. My dark brown beauty was named Violina. Being an amateur, I had that tiny fear in the back of my mind that Violina would run free from the group, leaving me with no experience to handle her. It turns out my and Hannah’s horses were so lazy that we spent a majority of the morning kicking our heels to keep them moving with the rest of the group. I got a workout, but I loved that I could capture the ride on my camera without fear of losing balance.

A few hours and hundreds of photos later, we arrived back at the horse stable to part with the horses and partake in a traditional Tuscan meal with wine pairings from the Corsini vineyard.

The two wines, both Chianto Classicos, went fantastically with the melon & prosciutto, Bolognese pasta, and vegetable couscous with Corsini Olive Oil. I enjoyed the Le Conti red, which was not as heavy or robust as the Don Tommaso; however, both were lighter than the typical cabernet we drink in America. I was impressed with the bold flavors and even more impressed by the fact that we were sitting in this restaurant above the wine fermentation facility of these exact bottles. I had just seen where the grapes had been picked a few seasons ago. What an incredible feeling.

Our meal ended, and the tour of the facilities began. I saw where each bottle of wine and olive oil was fermented, store, bottled and labeled. As I admired the oak barrels that the Corsini family had used for centuries, I made up my mind at that moment: becoming a wine connoisseur is definitely a future goal of mine.

The final visit to the Corsini gardens, which held the most astounding array of flowers and plants, butterflies and bumblebees, completed the day. We approached our final view of the green, fruitful vineyard landscape. I had never seen something so beautiful, so peaceful, and so rich in my entire life. I cannot wait to come back one day…sooner rather than later.

L'as du Falafel and Giverny

Though my weekends are jam-packed with adventures around Europe (London last weekend and Florence in a few hours!), I have learned that taking advantage of every free moment during the weekday afternoons is the real way to see Paris. From the 4th district of Marais and a duck confit dinner at Le Petit Vendôme in the 2nd, to Versailles and Giverny, it's clear that we're doing our best to soak up every single minute.

Our Monday afternoon was spent wandering in the Marais neighborhood of Paris, which I had learned was the known Jewish quarter in the city. Left and right were kosher bakeries, orthodox boys and constant reminders of Israeli culture and my Jewish heritage. Memphis or Austin do not suggest any Jewish iconic symbols as you walk down those cities' streets, but something in the Marais neighborhood just made me feel like home.

Alas, we stopped at the famous L'As du Falafel. Boy, was that falafel sandwich freakin' good. And freakin' messy. Even David Lebovitz claims that “…you can’t come to Paris and not have a fallafel at L’As du Fallafel. It just isn’t done.” I really loved the combination of ingredients: a warm pita, spread of hummus, vegetable salad with cabbage and 8-9 steaming hot falafel balls. Talk about a bang for your buck, considering I only paid 7 euros for the most monstrous portion.

Yes, all four of us cleaned our plates.

On Tuesday, I entered the closest thing to heaven I had seen in a while. Literally. Giverny, a tiny town about 45 minutes outside of metropolitan Paris, holds the famed Impressionist painter Monet's home and gardens. We toured his chateau, gardens and water lily pad area in complete awe and amazement.

Words and pictures do not come close to describing the beauty of this paradise! Hannah and I wished we could stay at one of the many adorable bed & breakfasts and cottages in the surrounding area of the town. Or just live on the gardens' grounds. That would be pretty ideal, too.

Our last escapade of our three weekdays in Paris (on top of morning classes!) was Versailles. Oh, to be Marie Antoinette. She built an opera house simply because she loved the Opera and wanted to invite girlfriends over? Psh, in my dreams! 

The landscaping was unreal and went on for miles and miles. Madison, Hannah and I roamed the grounds aimlessly for hours...until we hit a rainstorm! We took shelter in Marie's estate until the "train" transportation arrived and took us back to the main building without getting us too soaked.

After touring the main chateau, the three of us stumbled upon Angelina, whose hot chocolate was on my list. I had no idea that a location existed at Versailles, but we jumped on the opportunity.

With a high of 85, we were hot...and drained. So when I saw that iced chocolate existed, I freaked. Three of those arrived at our table immediately, along with a vanilla bourbon millefeuille and berry almond torte. That torte could have easily been the most expensive dessert I have purchased, since it was the size of my small palm; but guys, it's worth it.

Cheers to another sweet week in Paris and an unforgettable weekend in Florence!

The Orangery at Kensington Palace (London)

My lovely weekend in London peaked as we entered the out-of-this-world Kensington Palace. I felt like the queen walking down the Gardens' cobblestone path to the famous Orangery restaurant for our lunch reservation. We were so enthralled by the airy white architecture and surrounding gardens, that we did not even need to order much off the menu. The setting in itself made this meal one to remember.

A bottle of Pinot Grigio was refreshing. We agreed it was five o'clock somewhere!

Even the butter was delicious. We couldn't stop eating it with the bread! This has been a theme of every meal though, in case you were wondering...

Back to the menu. Mel and I each got the salmon tartare, which was equally beautiful and tasteful. The molded dish began with raw salmon, then a layer of creamed herbs, then a layer of light greens and shaved cucumber, then a drizzle of vinaigrette. It satisfied my craving for Japanese-style tartare, but the English twist of herbs and cheese made me love each bite even more.

Hannah ordered the gazpacho with goat cheese toast. Molly loved her heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad, which put the typical American caprese to shame.

We felt like Royals, and we even SAW Royals driven into Kensington Palace on our way out. Yep, we're convinced it was William and Kate.

If you're feeling sophisticated and craving a royally wonderful meal, make a reservation in advance and walk through the Kensington Gardens to the Orangery. There's nothing quite like it.

Gail's Bakery at Portobello Road (London)

Notting Hill, the location of our dainty bed and breakfast, houses the well-known Portobello Market on weekend mornings with vendors and storefronts galore for every type of shopper.

The four of us spent Saturday morning roaming and admiring the clothing, china and antiques, and pastel buildings, but one little bakery caught our eye: Gail's.

The sign outside reads: "Grab a lovely warming breakfast inside." How can you pass that up?

So on Sunday morning, we ventured back to Gail's and beat the crowd at around 9:30 am. I was in disbelief at the eye-opening selection but very content with our choices.

Hannah and Mel ordered the porridge with blueberry compote. How perfect for London, right? I don't think I can even say porridge without a British accent...

Molly's "dense" scone was delicious. Served with butter and jam, of course.

I tried the organic Greek yogurt with homemade granola and blackberry compote. The granola, which I should've bought more of, had whole, sugared almonds and macadamia nuts with fruit and oat clusters. I could taste the honey in every spoonful.

Then, I realized I hadn't had eggs since Memphis, which is actually a VERY long time for an egg-lover like me. I went back up and ordered a side of two fried eggs. Doesn't the sprig of rosemary make it cute?

To drink, I had the cappuccino, Mel had the macchiato, Hannah had the latte, and Molly had fresh squeezed orange juice. All were presented beautifully - Hannah's foam was shaped in a heart.

Gail's provided a delightful final brunch in London. I wanted to stay for lunch to try one of these smoked salmon/avocado guys! Next time, I'm positive I will.

Fortnum and Mason (London)

Fortnum & Mason takes more than one ingredient to collectively describe its atmosphere and utter perfection. I'll do my best to share the wonders of this five-story specialty food store and cafe hub on Piccadilly.

The first ingredient is Alice in Wonderland. The winding center staircase made me feel as if I fell down a tree myself and ended up in a pastel paradise! Even the greenery on the storefront awning was shaped into iconic hats and tea pots. The cups, saucers and cutlery were the brightest of colors, and the silver china tea pots were stunning.

The second ingredient is royalty. We felt as if we had stepped into our palace of indulgent sweets and confectionaries. The title of our drink at Afternoon Tea was not just "tea," but ROYAL tea! Plus, our little waiter treated us with the utmost kindness, which of course added much to the experience.

The third ingredient is attention detail. Our scones and mini ice cream cakes - dark chocolate, mandarin orange and raspberry - were decorated with colorful flourishes, along with the overall store's decor. Crystal handeliers, gold lining and an inventory of thousands of chocolates or olive oils or liqueurs added to the overall store's expertise.

How incredible are these cookies?

And the last ingredient? It's a secret, like in every good quality recipe...but I will tell you that I couldn't stop smiling after every sip of tea, every taste of jam, and every food gadget or apron or cookbook I laid my eyes on.

I hope you too can experience the magic of F&M.