Florentine Foodie

C.BIO

By Georgi Macomber C.BIO is a casual organic shop that sells fresh organic produce, prepared meals, raw meats, pastries, breads, desserts, jams, and beverages, etc. along with other organic non-food products. As soon as customers walk into the establishment they enter an extremely comfortable in the atmosphere. Everything is clean and organized but it gives […]


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 […]


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 […]


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 […]


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. […]


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 […]


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 […]


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 […]


Pizzeria Antica Porta

Review by Mallory Royer, Jack Cmaylo, Giulietta Brunetti, Carly Semack, Lena Ceccone We visited the establishment as a group on a Sunday night right at 7:00pm opening time. We were the first people in the restaurant and we were seated right away. There were about 20 tables in the entire establishment and less than 10 people […]


Targato FI

Review by Ciera Davis, Seth Bruce, Kylie Leberman, Kyle Adams Targato Fi is a smaller Mediterranean Bistro with an intimate setting. The venue was very well decorated with plants, decorations, dim lighting, and a very cozy Italian feel. The atmosphere of the restaurant had a very relaxed feel, with a medium number of seats and […]


Santarpia

Review by Hannah Mattson, Sheridan Mcclure, Jake Nelson, Chris Preleski, Patrick Sullivan Santarpia is a Neapolitan-style pizzeria in Firenze that our group had the pleasure of visiting. Upon first walking in, we were greeted with a modern atmosphere of dining and a lively crowd. People of all ages were eating, families as well as young adults […]


Vivanda

Review by Halle Geoghegan, Kyle Paradis, Julia Dillon, Ciera Davis, Tessa Hollister, Seth Bruce Vivanda is a restaurant located in the Oltrarno area that cateres to a local clientele and to anyone with organic, vegan, gluten, or vegetarian dietary preferences. The employees spoke English well, were able to suggest recommendations, and were attentive throughout the […]


Trattoria L’Ortone

Review by Erika Cristiano, Taylor Fellman, Katherine Jeffries, Madison Miller, Whitley Pearson, Madison Priest, Rachel Smoller The atmosphere of L’Ortone was unique because of the different location options within the restaurant.  The bar is a perfect place to enjoy a drink before being seated.  If there is a wait for the table, guests are encouraged […]