Lunch in Florence

The other day I had to go to the US Consulate in Florence to renew my passport so Andrea and I decided to make a day of it.

We strolled around the city and finally ended up at the Trattoria Sostanza. This restaurants second name or nickname is Il Troia which is quite funny as it means the whore. The restaurant is one long, narrow room and as soon as you enter you can see all the way back to the open kitchen where quite often the chef, who also serves as the butcher, is wielding a cleaver and butchering the famous Fiorentina steak.

The Fiorentina, a Tuscan specialty, is the Cadillac of steaks. It is huge and it is normally served nearly raw and often quite bloody.

We ordered a quarter of a kilo - the smallest portion it was possible to order and which is normally intended for only one person.



This is my half of the steak along with the cime di rapa (broccoli rabe) and of course, vino rosso.

 As you can see they leave the steak quite rare in the middle - essentially they just char it on either side and call it good. Although I must say that this was probably the most well done Fiorentina I have ever seen. The taste was incredible! When they cook the meat they only add olive oil, salt and pepper and as a result the taste of the meat is showcased.

After lunch we went to Piazzale Michelangelo above the city to admire the panorama of Florence. The view never fails to take my breath away.

Ponte Vecchio is to the left and the Duomo in the center.