Starbene
By: Sarah MahonStarbene is a specialty food store in Florence Italy that serves only gluten free pastries. They have a range of gluten free options from pastries to sandwiches. I enjoyed a chocolate croissant that was delicious! I have never attempted to eat gluten free and was skeptical of this establishment but it turned out […]
The Big Night
By: Victoria LeBlanc The Italian Sounding theory runs rampant in the United States, with companies marketing their food and products as classically Italian, though they would never be found on actual Italian soil. This week at AperiGanzo, thetheme for Table 21 was Big Night, a movie based on this very concept. In the film, two […]
Pizzeria Il Vico del Carmine
Review by Lindsay Antaya, Janine Schwendemann, Charlotte Smith, William Gildea and Andrew BrazelOur 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 […]
Bite Size Me
By Mary Claire Ickes and Stephen GargasIn 2004, Morgan Spurlock’s film “Super Size Me” became a popular topic of discussion among dietitians, fast food fans, and education professionals in America.Spurlock ate McDonald’s fast food for 30 days and filmed his experience. Viewers marvel and gasp in disgust as Morgan Spurlock struggles to eat only McDonald’s, […]
Cooking shows: From past to present
By: Rachel Goodwin & Jamie WilliamsonFrom 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, […]
Raffaella Galamini Visited Us!
By Carly EggersIn 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 […]
BURNT!
By: Morgan Duncan and Sam EberlyWhen we walked into Ganzo, we were both pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere and decor of the restaurant. It was cool and casual and a great place to have conversations with new faces. We had the pleasure of meeting with one of the chefs, Lorenzo. He took us step by […]
Famous Recipes and Their Diffusion
By Isabella De Palma and Lauren Demaree In today’s society, food has become less of a survival necessity and more of a cultural expression. We form connections over a good meal and a glass of wine. We pass on familial recipes to keep traditions alive, or even meals based in literature. Kate Young, award winning […]
I’ Brindellone
Review by Madison Tincher, Kristin Good, Julia Berlinger, Michelle Deveau, Anne Conway We had planned to go to dinner here on a Tuesday, and when we had arrived, we were told they were all booked for that night. The gentleman who was delivering this message was Italian but spoke to us very politely in English. […]
Veni Vidi Mangia!
By Rosie Crave and Bailey Davis Ganzo goes beyond the impressive food & themed dishes. Ganzo is about the talent of students and the knowledge of their professors who challenge them to new boundaries. Each week the students are given a different theme or recipe by the head chef and they create different dishes for […]
Zeb Ristorante Gastronomia
Review by Courtney Strauss, Kristen Sinicropi, Charlie Dreher We visited Zeb Gastronomia in Florence which is located on the south side of Florence, near the Arno River on a Tuesday around 1 PM. The establishment itself was rather small, but very clean, modern, and elegant. Customers were served at the bar that wraps around the entire restaurant. […]
Books vs Food
BY SHANNON CORRIGAN + CATIE COLLIN The presence of a bar or restaurant inside a bookstore can change the entire environment of the store and can make it more welcoming. A bookstore by itself is just a place where people browse for books, possibly buy something, and then leave. However, a bookstore that offers food […]
A Theme That Leaves You Hungry for More
BY VICTORIA CANADA + CAITLIN CLONAN Why stay in your comfort zone when you can let your creativity shine? AperiGANZO allows students in the Master Program at the APICIUS School of Hospitality to do just that. Each week students are challenged to create dishes that fit within the theme chosen by the Head Chef, Massimo […]
The Artusi Cookbook and its impact on Italian gastronomy and society
By SIMON BRADY + LAUREN BUSARDO Pellegrino Artusi wrote a cookbook called “Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well” but was not a cook. So how did his cookbook become so popular that it is translated hundreds of thousands of times, sold in every Italian bookstore and found in every Italian home? Let’s […]
Fermento 1889
Review by Jess Baracelli, Elisa Grommisch, Gabrielea Perdomoo, Catherine Randles and Emily Skaug When we first walked into the small, however, quaint pizzeria, it was clear this establishment knows what they are doing. The pizzeria itself was decorated with worn neutral tiles that gave it a homey and rustic atmosphere. The fixtures, in contrast to […]
Dr Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham
By SIMON BRADY + LAUREN BUSARDO Aperiti-what? Aperiti-who? Aperitivo! An Italian cocktail hour where for a couple of hours people can relax and for a few euros buy drinks and get a bonus of either a plate of snacks served to their table or access to a small buffet of food. This occurs at FUA’s […]
Osteria Antica Mescita San Niccolò
Review by Madeline Fodor, Madeline Gendreau, Mckenna Kowalik, Cara McCarthy, Katlyn Martin Osteria Antica Mescita San Niccolò was a hidden culinary gem of Florence. We didn’t have much of a particular expectation upon dining there, other than knowing there are really authentic restaurants on the other side of the Arno. Antica Mescita was very quaint and […]
La Cova Tapas Bar
Review by Julia Marshall, Stephanie Hebert, Michaela Vivian, Isabella Falco, Daley Burke, Evan Sabin La Cova is a Spanish tapas bar located across the river; it is an easy to reach location. The clientele of the restaurant is mixed between students, adults, families, teenagers, etc. It has a very welcoming environment. As soon as we walked in we heard Spanish music […]
Finisterrae
Review by Kelley Brennan, Linnea Gustafsson, Leigh Heinemann, Caitlin Falvey, Alexis Gigliello, Nicolas Tiezzi Finisterrae is an Italian/Mediterranean restaurant that offers a lunch and dinner menu, as well as the option to order pastries and paninis from their front case. Reservations are recommended and only taken until 2pm of the requested day. Reservations can be […]
Bar Pasticceria Caldana
Review by Ross Powers, Amanda Guido, Annie Farley, Meghan Steines and Danielle Jones Caldana was the largest pasticceria we have visited in Florence, and when we walked in, we immediately saw so many beautiful and tasty looking pastries, sandwiches, and so much more, along with an ample amount of seating. Most of customers were local Italians, not tourists. It was also very […]
Universo Vegano
Review by Shira Levin, Julia Safir, Leila Aframian, Lauren Srour We were all skeptical about trying a vegan restaurant, especially in Italy. We visited Universo Vegano at two different times: on a Monday afternoon and a Tuesday night. The restaurant was very easy to find. The restaurant had a lovely aesthetic and felt bright and […]
Pizzeria O’Munaciello
Review by Olivia Angerosa, Morgan English, Marissa Moorhead, Bridget Moran For our second food critique, our group was assigned the pizzeria, O’Munaciello. We liked how it felt cozy and not too fancy, yet not too casual. Before our meal, the waiter brought us a complimentary appetizer. We were all a little bit confused about this […]
Osteria Santo Spirito
Review by Maggie Salandra, Kaley Rudicus, Maggie Fair, Julia McMenamy As a group, we think Osteria Santo Spirito is a very beautiful, cozy place. It is an Osteria, so it sells mainly food, with a selection of wines to accompany the dishes. The food is served at shared tables in an informal setting. You can sit […]
Kalimera L’Angolo Greco
Review by Jordan Schwartz, Olivia Enscoe, Allison Edmonds, Scott Desmarais, Hannah Etter, Leah Greenberg We immediately recognized the shop with the Greek letters on the window and all of the greenery out front. Entering into Kalimera, we were immediately welcomed by the owner. The first thing he did was move together a few tables to […]