Review by Chelsea Keane, Caroline McCowen, John Hanifin, Kelly Huntley, and Sabrina Ciullo
For us, the establishment was definitely easy to reach and the walk to this establishment was scenic, which made it very enjoyable. From our experience visiting Trattoria Marione, the clientele seemed to definitely be more traditional, and had many locals. There seemed to not be many tourists at all, and the employees of the establishment were able to pick us out of the crowd as almost not fitting in. Then waiter asked us immediately where in America we were from, so it seemed they did not mind we were eating there and enjoying their food. When we first arrived, we were seated very quickly and throughout our entire stay at the establishment, we were served efficiently and kindly. Even though this establishment was extremely traditional and the employees spoke Italian, they were able to speak in English to us to better our stay.
Trattoria Marione offered an awesome array of food products. Dishes in the area of crostini, antipastos, pasta, chicken, turkey, steak, pork, and other meat products. We ordered a variety of Tuscan cold cuts as an antipasto, then the tortello di patate su cavolo nero e salsiccia (potato tortelli with black cabbage and sausage Pollo con patate (chicken with potatoes). The tortelli was fresh pasta which seemed to be extremely similar to a ravioli, that was filled with potato. On top of this pasta, was cavalo nero, which the waiter explained to be an assortment of vegetables, and sausage. This dish didn’t fail to impress us! The pasta was cooked perfectly, and the potato stuffing was a good touch as well since some of us don’t necessarily prefer cheese, this was an awesome replacement. The topping of the pasta, the cavolo nero and the sausage was awesome. The entire time eating this dish we were trying to decide which vegetables were contained in the mix. We decided that it tasted like escarole, radicchio, and broccoli rabe. However, we later found out that it was a form of kale. Either way, it was delicious and was a great way to add in a touch of greens to a carb-filled dish. Lastly, the sausage cooked perfectly, not too chewy, yet not undercooked. This was also satisfying to us students because we seem to miss sausage more than other meat products because we aren’t necessarily exposed to it as much. Overall, this dish was a great way to introduce us to a new form of pasta and different ways that pasta can be served. The chicken was cooked perfect; it was crispy on the outside with great seasoning and moist on the inside. In addition, there was a sort of gravy/sauce on the bottom of the platter that was terrific for dipping! Also, with the chicken came roasted potatoes. These were phenomenal as well, as they were also cooked perfectly to our liking. They were crispy on the outside, yet soft and warm on the inside. These two were a perfect pair. Lastly, we were extremely pleased with the portion size of this dish because we were each able to have a fine piece of chicken and a few potatoes.
The service was good and the quality of the meal was excellent! Everything seemed homemade and was almost out of an old family recipe. The dishes were filled with quality foods that were traditional and local to Florence. Everything was extremely fresh and seasonal. Our experience at Trattoria Marione was easy, low-key, delicious, and authentic. All in all, the restaurant was an extremely enjoyable experience. We got to enjoy delicious food, try new things, as well as enjoy the company of one another. I think we can to the conclusion that we would all definitely go back!
Trattoria Marione
Via della Spada 27
Tel.: 055214756
Hours: Daily Lunch 12:00-5:00pm; Dinner 7:00-11:00pm