cibochat

Review by Lindsay Antaya, Janine Schwendemann, Charlotte Smith, William Gildea and Andrew Brazel
Our group had a wonderful experience dining at Vico del Carmine. Before our meal, we were excited to attend a pizzeria as it is a favorite dish and a bit more casual. We made reservations online based on recommendations from past customers, and were happy that we did not need to wait for a table. The restaurant was busy but not overcrowded, so the reservation was not necessary when we went. Located across the river, the pizzeria was filled with locals, which we enjoyed. Upon arrival, the wait staff was friendly and we felt welcomed despite being American students. It was a little further than what we are used to, but it was nice to see that side of Florence.
The menu of this establishment is dedicated to creating Neapolitan-style dishes, and the speciality is undoubtedly the pizza. The menu did include other traditional dishes however, such as spaghetti with seafood, and gnocchi with clams. To start, we ordered the cheese dish with salami and honey. Everything tasted extremely fresh, especially the cheese. The honey was also tasty and several group members thought it was the best honey they’ve had in Florence. For our main courses, we ordered two pizzas to split amongst the table. First, we got the Margarita co “Piennolo,” which was similar to regular margarita pizza but with fresh tomatoes. We were able to observe that the pizzas made at this restaurant are cooked in a wood-fired oven, which resulted in a soft crust, a classic characteristic of authentic, Neapolitan style pizza. We also got the Four Stagioni pizza, which had tomatoes, ham, mozzarella, mushrooms, and fish. The fish was extremely fresh, and our group was surprised by how much we enjoyed this dish. To drink, we got a bottle of the house white wine which was sensibly priced, yet was still great quality.
Overall, the establishment was amazing and we fully recommend this place to anyone looking for a more casual place to dine, that still serves authentic pizza with the freshest ingredients. All of the staff is very friendly, willing go out of their way to accommodate you, while serving some of the most authentic-style pizzas in Florence.

Pizzeria Il Vico del Carmine
Address: Via Pisana 40/r
Tel.: 055 233 6862
Hours: Daily dinner 7:30pm – Midnight; Sundays Lunch 12:45pm – 2:45pm

By: Rachel Goodwin & Jamie Williamson
From as early as the medieval times, food has been a way to show a family’s wealth, style, and general wellbeing. Food can be used to entertain, dazzle, or even can be used simply as a means of survival. Today, individuals travel the world to try foods from different cultures. However, it is easier than ever to prepare international dishes from the comfort on one’s own home due to the overwhelming amount of cooking shows, books, and blogs available to the general public.
Cooking shows got their start on the radio, transitioning to television in the 1940s. The first televised cooking show in the world was in the United Kingdom, aired on BBC on Wednesday June 12, 1946. This program was called “cookery” and was only ten minutes long, where the chef in the first episode made lobster. In the beginning of cooking TV shows, they were often used to promote rationing-friendly meals during WWII. Now, cooking shows range from competitions, to how to videos, to even creating extravagant and specialty meals and cakes for display. Cooking shows have even started to move off television and into individual’s everyday lives through the internet. There are many companies showing short “how to” style videos for recipes on blogs and social media websites. Some individuals may watch these shows and videos to learn how to cook the dish, while many watch for the art form that is cooking. Beautifully created dishes can both be pleasing to the eye and stomach, and it is mesmerizing to watch a chef create these stunning dishes.

By Carly Eggers
In our class discussion with visitor Raffaella, we learned first hand what a food journalist is all about. Throughout her career she has worked with various newspapers but currently writes for Agrodolce, 2Night, Lungarno, Courier Extra-Vivi Firenze and Toscana. These websitesrepresent articles that are about food,events and top restaurants to visit. These blogs, posts and articles successfully keep up with the customer expectations today. In this world today everyone is reaching out to the internet to search the best restaurants. Whether it be reading the reviews, searching for the best pizza, or a local food event people are constantly thinking of food. We are constantly looking up recipes as well as trying new places that adhere to our palette. If we want to have an option of take away, we can search which places have that option. Desert, lunch, dinner, and drinks are all options on these websites so that you can have the best experience no matter what meal or beverage. Reading blogs and posts about local restaurants in your area will help explore your options while getting your moneys worth. Whether you are on vacation or want to get immersed in your local culture you can always search to see whats happening around you. Food is such a big part of our culture. We are on a new trend of blogging about it and sharing the top places to eat. Making it so accessible to anyone who wants recommendations or the best of the best is an important aspect of today’s society.