Siena and Florence for Beginners...

[butterscotch]

Looking through the threads there are mostly older posts for Siena and lots of very big ticket steak dinners in Florence, which is not our thing. I am going to have a much too short stay and the sights there are, i am embarrassed to admit, almost as important as the food.

I was hoping you all could help me to combine both.. and also bring some good stuff home. To that end- anyone have any must eats close enough to the Duomo, Uffuzi and Acadameia so I can literally have it all?

I understand Siena is small enough to recommend anywhere in town- so please do. Also, for both towns- what would be the best or most special foodie gifts to look for? What would you want me to bring back for you?

Thanks in advance!

[tsquare]

I think sweets from Siena (Panforte comes to mind) and Balsamico from Florence. And check Divina's Florence website.

[hathor]

Here's a link to Divina Cucina's website

Judy is fantastic and has excellent, excellent info on her website regarding Florence.

Although the Florentine beefsteak is divine, most restaurants will offer you lots of other choices. Here is another link to a recent blog post of mine that gives addresses for two of our favorite little trattorias in Florence.

If you live in the US, you will want to be careful about what you bring back. You can bring back hard cheeses like parmigana, but nothing soft or fresh. I'm not sure about oils, but in any event, the disaster leakage factor is pretty high with olive oil! I'm a little out of touch with what can and cannot be brought back into the States, but you can probably google up some good info.

And clearly it's time for us to head back to Sienna so that we can update our food files.

Have a lovely trip!

[markemorse]

I would pick up some ricciarelli from Siena....moist almond cookies.

and we used to love Enoteca I Terzi when we lived in Siena it's a very honest locals-only place that never had a written menu when we were there...

Edited July 6, 2008 by markemorse (log)

[weinoo]

You can always bring back a big back of dried porcini...I'd save the balsamico for that trip to Modena.

[butterscotch]

You can always bring back a big back of dried porcini...I'd save the balsamico for that trip to Modena.

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that's a great suggestion, who wouldn't love that! i'm a little afraid of customs though...I have to read up on what's allowed. dried musgrooms could look suspicious, maybe if they are sealed and labeled.

i cannot tell you the hasslse i have endured over the years.

once they added up all the little receipts in my bag for every breakfast lunch and dinner (why i had saved them is a whole other awful story- i had been accused of shop lifting cheese and crackers!) i had in my possession, and they made me pay import tax on it because the recepits were non specific and in french. the customs guy argued all of my possesions could possibly be matched up with receipts. that cost about two hours and more than a hundred dollars extra.

i think i just sort of look guilty. but every time i go through customs, they seem to take something away from me, i'm going to try hard to avoid that this time.

Edited July 6, 2008 by butterscotch (log)

[butterscotch]

If you live in the US, you will want to be careful about what you bring back. You can bring back hard cheeses like parmigana, but nothing soft or fresh. I'm not sure about oils, but in any event, the disaster leakage factor is pretty high with olive oil! I'm a little out of touch with what can and cannot be brought back into the States, but you can probably google up some good info.

.....

Have a lovely trip!

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thanks for the links! wonderfull stuff that takes care of breakfast and one dinner!

and ahh shoes! this maybe my downfall.

I am going to do some more googling on the cheese issue, and for the mushrooms too.

hopefully i will bring back some wonderful suggestions for evryone here. thanks for the well wishes/

Edited July 6, 2008 by butterscotch (log)

[butterscotch]

I would pick up some ricciarelli from Siena....moist almond cookies.

and we used to love Enoteca I Terzi when we lived in Siena it's a very honest locals-only place that never had a written menu when we were there...

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I think sweets from Siena (Panforte comes to mind) and Balsamico from Florence. And check Divina's Florence website.

Thank you Mark + Mr T !

and bravo! You both figured out, quite correctly, that I have very sweet tooth!

Pan forte would be a great treat for my nephew the boyscout- sort of the crusders version of Gorp- he will totally love that.

And the Almond cookies are for me.

[Adam Balic]

Looking through the threads there are mostly older posts for Siena and lots of very big ticket steak dinners in Florence, which is not our thing.  I am going to have a  much too short stay and the sights there are, i am embarrassed to admit,  almost as important as the food. 

I was hoping you all could help me to combine both.. and also bring some good stuff home. To that end- anyone have any must eats close enough to the Duomo, Uffuzi and Acadameia so I can literally have it all?

I understand Siena is small enough to recommend anywhere in town- so please do. Also, for both towns- what would be the best or most special foodie gifts to look for?  What would you want me to bring back for you?

Thanks in advance!

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The James Joyce Irish pub Piazza del Duomo has one small table on a small balcony over looking the Battistero di San Giovanni (the wikipedia enty fro this building shows a photo taken from this position). Excellent place for a prosecco/beer and a bit of people watching.

[kayswv]

You can always bring back a big back of dried porcini...I'd save the balsamico for that trip to Modena.

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that's a great suggestion, who wouldn't love that! i'm a little afraid of customs though...I have to read up on what's allowed. dried musgrooms could look suspicious, maybe if they are sealed and labeled.

We came back from Italy including stops in Siena and Florence in early April. Brought back a large package of dried porcini with no problems. It was sealed and I left the label on the top.

Kay

[divina]

Ciao here I am!

From Florence's Central Market at San Lorenzo you can get stuff vacuum packed to bring home, and bubble wrapped for breakables!

As people have mentioned I have a dining guide, by neighborhoods!

Another nice place I haven't put on my site is in piazza San Marco near the Accademia called Accademia, it is quite popular! and if you go there you MUST try the Schiacciata bread from Pugi in the piazza!!!

Near the Duomo is GROM gelato, and on the same street is Coquinarius wine bar!

wine bars are great for lighter meals!

on my site is also a guide for Chianti, and Siena is there too!

As for bringing stuff home, no mozzarella, no ricotta.. other cheeses are fine vacuum packed ( I go to Baroni Alimentari and to Conti who is right in front)

olive oil, dried porcini, dried sicilian cherry tomatoes, etc....)

and there is a recipe for riccarelli on my website!

I make them not as sweet as the Siena version.

There is a new chocolate ricciarelli now too, one is dipped the other has cocoa!

Enjoy!

[Mayhaw Man]

My friend Pableaux Johnson wrote a piece a couple of years ago about food and things to do in Siena. It's got some really good information on a general trip and some specific places to eat. I hope that it helps.

[ambra]

I always bring oil. Wrap it in much plastic (usually bags) and roll the bottles in my clothes and I have never never had a problem. I have heard horror stories though.

Siena Recs:

Ricciarelli are wonderful! But in my opinion, they are not delicious everywhere. I particularly like Pierini's version, they are the lightest version I have tried. They are my absolute favorite and always a winner when I bring them back to family and friends in the States. Unfortunately, the bakery is outside the walls of Siena in San Prospero or on the way to Acqua Calda. Another great place for Ricciarelli is Sinatti. They have a bakery inside the walls, and the cookies are delicious but sweeter than Pierini. There are a couple of other good ones, but I forget the names- I can ask my husband later.

To me, Panforte is an acquired taste, a taste I don't have! So no recs on my part. But I am sure Pierini and Sinatti have great versions. Sorry!

If you don't like Ricciarelli, you can always bring back Vin Santo and Cantuccini!

Some good restaurants are Taverna di San Giuseppe (good brick chicken, tableside cut steaks, wonderul pastas,) and Boccon del Prete (I had fish cooked al cartoccio which was to die for!) I like them both very much and have always eaten well. A good place for decent pizza is Nonno Mede. Let me know if you need more....

P.S. Divina's guide has great recs! When I first moved here, I used it alot.

[tupac17616]

I'll second Taverna di San Giuseppe in Siena

And in Florence, you could check out Santa Croce before or after stopping at Vivoli for gelato

[llc45]

Near the Duomo is GROM gelato, and on the same street is Coquinarius wine bar!

wine bars are great for lighter meals!

I just got back from 2 weeks in Rome and Tuscany. We ate at Coquinarius wine bar for lunch one day in Florence and it was wonderful. Great salads and pastas plus the starters were great. It was also very reasonable. Wish I knew about the gelato place - next time!! In Siena, we only spent one day and we just got pizza on the Piazza while watching them set up for the Palio. The pizza was great although I don't remember the name. We typically ate dinner closer to where we were staying in the Chianti region.

[I_call_the_duck]

And in Florence, you could check out Santa Croce before or after stopping at Vivoli for gelato

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What's wrong with before and after?

[tupac17616]

nothing at all, of course

[butterscotch]

My friend Pableaux Johnson wrote a piece a couple of years ago about food and things to do in Siena. It's got some really good information on a general trip and some specific places to eat. I hope that it helps.

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Wow Brooks thanks so much! This is great stuff!