Osteria de Peccatore:Unfortunately, our first choice restaurant was closed for August, so we wandered over to this place, with good Yelp reviews. It was a very touristy place, and if we didn’t know that from the ambiance and location, their ‘fettuccine Alfredo’ menu option would have told us. That said, the staff was very nice, and we went late enough that it wasn’t too crowded. We got the Tuscan crostini starter, which had three different toppings on crouton-bread: liver, eggplant, and some kind of pork. I went ahead and ordered the fettuccine—very good—and N had some kind of pasta. The dessert menu, which was translated into English, listed something called ‘cooked milk,’ and N was determined to try it. It turned out to be panna cotta, with which N became obsessed. Especially for a tourist area, this had decent food, great dessert, and very nice waiters.
PinGusto: We were working, so we wanted something fast. I read about a sushi place less than a block away, so we walked over and asked if they did takeout. They don’t, because they’re a sushi buffet, but we decided to stay anyway. The buffet was interesting, with three different styles. First, there was a slightly-Chinese-style area, which featured fried rice, lo mein, some fried veggies, cooked salmon, etc. Then, there was a section with raw seafood and veggies, to be selected and given to the kitchen to cook on a wok, a bit like Mongolian BBQ in the US. And finally, there was a sushi conveyer belt, with basics, like salmon or tuna nigiri and California rolls. Usually, buffet restaurants also have a menu, to augment the choices, but this wasn’t the case here. However, the food was surprisingly decent—perhaps because all of the ingredients were sourced fairly locally: branzino from Italy, salmon from Norway, etc. N liked the desserts in particular, which were of Italian origin. Not bad for a place that was like Mongolian BBQ + Ponderosa + a fancy sushi place, all rolled into one.
Al Tranvai: This was a smaller place, with about twelve tables and a back counter with two server/cooks. They were accommodating enough to tourists, but it wasn’t a tourist place. There was a bottle of red wine on the table, which was ‘pay-for-what-you-drink:’ though we had about 3-4 glasses, it was only €5! N ordered cod with leeks and potatoes in a casserole dish. The leeks and the healthy amount of oil in there made her happy. I ordered a chicken dish that I really liked, though I can’t recall the details. For dessert, N got her (new) favorite panna cotta, and I ordered their ‘tiramisu with strawberries,’ which turned out to be strawberry shortcake. No coffee flavor though, so somewhat misleading, but delicious nonetheless. One of my favorites, but N rated it decent.
Sushi Aurora: We got a slightly late start, but this place remained open – and on a Sunday! – for a late lunch. Yes, we elected to get sushi in Florence twice in three days. The buffet didn’t have many options — quickly disappearing maki rolls and some fried rice — but the fish was fresh and the value wasn’t too bad. If you’re looking for a late sushi lunch (and why aren’t you?), this isn’t a bad option.
Trattoria Acquacotta: After spending the day climbing 400+ steps and circling David several times, our main goal was to find a restaurant that wasn’t too far from home. N found three places near us, but both Trattoria Il Giova and Touch Florence were closed (some combination of Sunday and August, apparently), so we took the third option, Trattoria Acquacotta. We arrived at 10 PM (it closed at 10:30), but they managed to find a table for us, anyway. N decided on the lamb, but I chose the Florentine steak, which the menu priced per kg. Unfortunately, 1 kg (2.2 lb) turned out to be the only available size, so N graciously changed her plan and split the steak with me. Our preparation options were either rare or medium, and the waitress offered to do half rare for me and the other half medium for N (her assumed preferences were spot on). We never did get any of it cooked medium, but in the end, it was the best rare steak that either of us had ever had. We left just enough room for dessert (black forest cake with cherries, and meringue semifreddo with a chocoloate-and-sesame sauce), and we closed down the restaurant, with nary an evil look from our waitress. Highly recommended!
Acqua al 2: We set out for yet another late lunch (I don’t think we’ll ever learn), and landed here at about 2 PM. I enjoyed cannelloni with mushrooms and cheese (basically a long, tubular ravioli). N ordered a sampler of three salads—the fennel and radicchio was good, caprese was OK, and the house salad went unfinished. Not a bad place in my opinion, but maybe think twice about ordering the house salad.
Trattoria Antico Fattore: This restaurant marks the first time that we’ve had to wait for a seat. The wait was only about 15 minutes, though, and they gave us a couple glasses of champagne, so you’ll hear no complaints from me. I also won’t be complaining about my meatballs (another first in Italy for us)… they were excellent! N ordered osso buco that turned out to be underwhelming; it also inexplicably came with navy-like beans that were seasoned well and actually quite tasty. The desserts were a total reversal, though. N loved her panna cotta (again!). It was fun to dip my biscottini in liqueur, but it turns out that I’m not a huge fan of liqueur for dessert.
After spending the day climbing 400+ steps and circling David several times, our main goal was to find a restaurant that wasn’t too far from home. N found three places near us, but both Trattoria Il Giova and Touch Florence were closed (some combination of Sunday and August, apparently), so we took the third option, Trattoria Acquacotta. We arrived at 10 PM (it closed at 10:30), but they managed to find a table for us, anyway. N decided on the lamb, but I chose the Florentine steak, which the menu priced per kg. Unfortunately, 1 kg (2.2 lb) turned out to be the only available size, so N graciously changed her plan and split the steak with me. Our preparation options were either rare or medium, and the waitress offered to do half rare for me and the other half medium for N (her assumed preferences were spot on). We never did get any of it cooked medium, but in the end, it was the best rare steak that either of us had ever had. We left just enough room for dessert (black forest cake with cherries, and meringue semifreddo with a chocoloate-and-sesame sauce), and we closed down the restaurant, with nary an evil look from our waitress. Highly recommended!
This restaurant marks the first time that we’ve had to wait for a seat. The wait was only about 15 minutes, though, and they gave us a couple glasses of champagne, so you’ll hear no complaints from me. I also won’t be complaining about my meatballs (another first in Italy for us)… they were excellent! N ordered osso buco that turned out to be underwhelming; it also inexplicably came with navy-like beans that were seasoned well and actually quite tasty. The desserts were a total reversal, though. N loved her panna cotta (again!). It was fun to dip my biscottini in liqueur, but it turns out that I’m not a huge fan of liqueur for dessert.
