Eataly: Devoted to Quality Food and Quality Living

by Laura Tressel

High quality food is directly connected with a high quality life. This is a very strong belief throughout Italy, and with the products offered here, it is easy to understand why. Eating something that explodes with flavor can bring a great amount of happiness to a small moment. Families gather around dinner, making it a ritual that is as much about the preparation of homemade dishes as about the conversation and enjoyment of the meal itself. When looking for the ingredients for a quality meal and a quality life, where can you find the right products? The first place you might try is Eataly, a brand devoted to promoting food and the pleasure it brings to people.

The wall of pasta, with the best brands in the business.

A wide variety of fresh cheese is offered.

Eataly was developed in 2007 with its base concept being to promote and distribute the highest quality agricultural products that keep in mind the ideals of sustainability, responsibility, and sharing. Their first store opened in Turin, Italy, and now the brand has spread throughout the world. There are stores and restaurants in many of the big cities in Italy as well as New York, Chicago, Istanbul, Dubai, Japan, and Brazil. It's good to know that the comforts of authentic Italian food are available worldwide!

The store sells cooking, health, and lifestyle books. 

Giant tomatoes, labeled with their region of production. 

Walking into the Florence location (located on via die Martelli, right past Piazza Duomo) is like walking into a foodie dream. The bright space and white shelves create a clean backdrop for the products being offered. The store itself is divided by types of food. These include jams, pasta, sauces, olive oil, cheese, vegetables, meats, chocolate, wine, and more! The products are of the highest quality, and many of them are from the local region. On the walls, there are maps of Tuscany that point to the cities that certain products come from, assuring customers that the products are authentic.

Throughout the store there are different stands that offer fresh products such as coffee and sweets, pizza and bread, and fruit juices. The restaurants are upstairs, and the menus tempt hungry food lovers with their fresh ingredients and classic combinations. Also located in the Eataly building is a gourmet restaurant, Da Vinci. This restaurant shares the values of sustainability and locally sourced ingredients, and offers amazing, high end meals in a knowledgable, friendly environment.

Eataly prides itself on being very knowledgable about the products that it offers, and what makes a quality ingredient so good. Whether you go to shop or eat, you will discover something about food and food culture that you did not know before. Eataly is a place which promotes high quality Italian food and more importantly, high quality living.

At the bakery, you can purchase slices of pizza and freshly baked bread.

Da Vinci Restaurant. 

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Caffè Italiano, la mejor pizza en pleno centro de Florencia

Caffè italiano, una de las pizzerías más famosas de Florencia por sus exquisitas pizzas y su bonito ambiente napolitano.

Por Ana Peinado

En pleno centro de Florencia, a pocos minutos de Santa Croce, se encuentra el Café italiano, una de las pizzerías más antiguas de la ciudad y más sencillas.

El negocio, se dice que es familiar, cuenta con dos establecimientos, un restaurante y otro puesto pequeño donde sólo se sirven pizzas, ambos sitios comunicados entre sí.

Este post va dirigido al establecimiento pequeño, donde como mucho habrán diez mesas pequeñas, todas de madera y en un ambiente muy familiar. 

La decoración del lugar recrea una pizzería típica napolitana, con cestas de mimbres, telas de cuadros rojos y blancas y velas, y como no un gran horno artesanal.

En la carta del Caffé italiano, sólo encontraremos tres tipos de pizzas: margarita, napolitana y marinara. Todas ellas con masa artesanal y con los mejores productos frescos.

Realmente es una delicia de pizza (he de confesar que para mí es la mejor de Florencia) y la masa es exquisita.

Respecto al precio, cada pizza cuesta 8 Euros, teniendo en cuenta la calidad y la ubicación, es bastante asequible.

Se recomienda llegar pronto (19.30-20.00) ya que se forman grandes colas. 

Ubicación: Via Dell'Isola Delle Stinche

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TOP 5 Pizzerias in Florence

by Ilaria Gelichi

A pizza is made with water, flour, salt and yeast and flavoured with various ingredients. Quite simple, but behind an ordinary margherita there is much more: tradition, sun, colours, taste, in one word Italy. Pizza is a synonymous of Italian culinary tradition and Italy itself, especially the southern regions. However, even in Florence you can find excellent pizzerias: here is a top 5 list – of course in our opinion.

1. Il Pizzaiuolo - Via de’Macci 113, Firenze

This is a classic Neapolitan pizzeria, and is located in the centre of Florence, in the neighbourhood of S. Ambrogio. I suggest to reserve a table, especially during the weekend, because it is always very crowded – otherwise you will have to stay in line waiting for a table. For this reason, the service and the waiters are very quick. The pizza here is the classic one, with high dough and genuine ingredients. Strongly recommended: Neapolitan mixed fried appetizers and burrata.

2. Il Vico del Carmine – Via Pisana 40r, Firenze

It is another classic Neapolitan pizzeria in Oltrarno (the other side of the river Arno), furnished in the style of Naples’ alleys. The pizza dough is again high, as traditionally. Fish dishes are also very good. Excellent the pizza with sausage and friarielli, a typical vegetable. If you go, reserve a table in advance.

3. Spera – Via della Cernaia 9r, Firenze

This small pizzeria is located just outside of the centre, between Piazza della Libertà and Piazza Leopoldo. However, it is worth a visit: the owner won some international prizes with her pizzas. The dough is soft, similar to bread and it is possible to choose between classic, wholegrain and kamut. Ingredients put on the pizza are either classic or creative. It is not possible to reserve a table, so you just have to be patient and wait for your turn.

4. O’Munaciello – Via Maffia 31r, Firenze

O’Munaciello is another Neapolitan pizzeria, well-known in Florence. It is located in S. Spirito neighbourhood, in an ancient cloister of XVII century, and furnished in Neapolitan style. Beside the classic high-dough pizza, here you can find a lot of typical dishes of Neapolitan tradition: appetizers, fish, etc. Reservation suggested, especially during the weekend.

5. Gustapizza – Via Maggio 46r, Firenze

This pizzeria is located in the same neighbourhood of O’Munaciello, near Palazzo Pitti and S. Spirito church. The atmosphere is friendly and cheerful and the place is crowded, there is usually a line outside the door. They do not serve at the table – a wine barrel adapted to a table – and you will share it with others. They also have the take-away service, so you can buy your pizza and eat it outside in the beautiful Piazza S. Spirito. Each day there is a couple “pizza of the day”; the dough is very soft and tasty.

And you? Which pizzeria would you recommend in Florence? We wait for your comments!