Weird Food
By Madison Marshall
Very weird food in Florence…
When one thinks about food in Italy, the usual suspects that come to mind include dishes such as home-made pasta, mouth-watering margherita pizzas, and fresh seafood. However, a new restaurant that has just opened in Florence has been catching a lot of “buzz” recently. The restaurant, wittily named Bug Appétit, serves a variety of insect-based dishes that have been taking the city by storm. I was finally able to get in touch with the owner, Marco Perini, who was happy to sit down with me and explain the reasoning behind his uncanny restaurant. I learned that he traveled across the world exploring new foods and was intrigued by the thought of serving insect-based dishes in a country where tradition is treasured more than anything else. He explained that the Italian diet from birth to death consists of pasta, cheese, cured meats, and seafood. He wanted to provide Italians a completely different culinary experience that strayed away from what they were used to. In his words he stated, “many individuals live their whole life never traveling, never exploring, and never leaving their comfort zones. What I am trying to do is bring all of those elements together in my cuisine to give customers a taste of the world.” From dishes such as queen ant egg tostadas to cricket, mealworm, and grasshopper burgers, the residents of Florence have fallen in love with Bug Appétit. I waited outside the restaurant after a busy Friday dinner service and spoke with Virginia and Bailey, a couple who had just left. They said they were hesitant to try something so foreign to them, but after having indulging in the caramel cricket cheesecake they couldn’t have higher praise for Perini’s restaurant. As for myself, I can’t wait to return to try the newest addition to the menu, black ant guacamole.