From my Secret {Gluten Free} Foodie Address Book
Gelato the ultimate in Italian cuisine…
In last week’s post I focused on the gluten free treats I discovered in Tuscany whilst there for a yoga retreat last month. In today’s post I offer you some of my top recommendations for where to eat in Tuscany & Cinque Terra. I have included some gluten free recommendations, some holiday indulgent, and some a little more healthful. I’ve covered towns throughout the Tuscan region I visited: Florence, Lucca, Siena & Volterra and then further north to the coastal Ligurian towns of the Cinque Terra.
I don’t always manage this in Italy, but on this trip I did my best to eat entirely gluten free. It was an experiment to see if it could be done, but also to see if it’s the gluten that stops me from feeling up to par when I travel on holiday – or whether it is actually just indulgence in general (cheese, and wine, and ice-cream…). The result – still have no idea. I also wanted to explore cuisine away from the gluten-loaded classics and prove there is so much more to Italian food.
I discovered Tagliata steak & plenty of fagioli (beans) in Florence, simply grilled fish with delicious sauces in the coastal areas, and of course an abundance of risotto – with peach and blue cheese being a first for me. I also discovered that in almost every single eatery from a beach shack to the finest restaurant, melon with prosciutto ham or a classic Caprese salad is always a perfect option for a simple whole foods meal. Tomatoes in Italy just taste better.
Peach Risotto | Caprese Salad
We were lucky to eat at many restaurants and often used our trusty travel guide book written by American travel author Rick Steves for recommendations. Never heard of the guy before, but boy, his recommendations were spot on. We really had nothing less than brilliant bite!
Here are some excerpts from my own Personal (now not so) Secret Foodie Address Book.
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Florence
Frescobaldi Restaurant & Wine Bar, Via Santo Spirito 11
This certainly wasn’t a budget meal, but oh, so worth every mouthful. With complementary gazpacho shots while you browsed the menu and a glass of vin santo to accompany the desserts, it was worth every penny. My travelling companions swore the fresh tagliatelle with fresh truffles was one of the best mouthfuls they had ever tried. I may or may not have decided to find out (disclaimer I did, and they were right).
Eataly, Martelli 22 (above the main market)
For tastings, foodie shopping, and eating from a variety of stalls under one roof.
Love Life Juice Bar, Piazza Spadolini 6 or Via dell’Oriuolo 26/r
I almost cried in pure multivitamin joy when I got my hands on a nourishing green juice to ward off tiredness and the midday sun on my final day in Florence. I’m impressed to discover juice bars are beginning to make their marks across the continent.
Green Juice!
We didn’t get the opportunity to visit any restaurants that offered gluten free pasta or pizza, but did stumble on a few in Florence, which appears to have more options for 100% GF eats than smaller towns. Since we didn’t eat there, I can’t personally recommend either of these, but do check out Trip Advisor or similar feedback sites for comments.
Panino Vegano, Via M. Bufalini 19r/21r
A gluten free & vegan panini snack bar
Quinoa, Piazza Santa Maria Maggiorie, 1.
A 100% gluten free restaurant in the center of Florence
Quinoa restaurant Florence
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Lucca
Trattoria da Leo, Via Tegrimi, 1
The most reasonably priced meal of the trip, and one of the most satisfying. The house wine was outstanding, on a Saturday night it was full of Italian families and locals, and the menu chock full of an amazing range of pasta and secondi piatti. I recommend the simple bresaola with rocket & Parmesan.
Bresaola | A closed Pizzeria in Lucca
Pizzeria da Felice, Via Buonamic 352 S. Anna
Apparently, this is the best pizzeria in Lucca, (as recommended by friend and photographer Candids by Jo). I didn’t find out, for alas it was closed – as it is every year for the second half of August. The website mentions gluten free pizza dough so if I’m ever back in Lucca, I’ll definitely go and find out. If any of you go, please report!
Local Food Market Lucca, Via San Paolino 116
If you want to browse and shop for local delicacies like chestnut flour, artisanal cheese, meats, truffles and ALL the baked goods this is a great find. There are wine tastings too.
Caniparoli Cioccolateria, ViaSan Paolino, 96
As featured in my last post, this is where I discovered Ossa da Mordere, well worth a visit for other Tuscan bakes and chocolates, too.
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Siena
I was only in Siena for a couple of hours, but the city is packed with good honest trattorias offering regional specialties. Avoid the main Piazza del Campo main square if you are looking for something out of the ordinary.
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Volterra
Pizzeria del Corso, Via Giacomo Matteotti 17
As with all these Tuscan hill top towns, a special meal can be found if you know where to look for it. We didn’t have enough time to explore Volterra to the max, but here is where I found the gluten free Torta di Ceci (chickpea pancake) I mentioned in my previous post.
Borgo Pignano, Loc. Pignano 6, 56048, Volterra
If you find yourself driving from Volterra to Florence or Siena, make sure to take time to stop at Villa Borgo Pignano – the estate where our yoga retreat was set. Here you can purchase some raw honey made by the bees on the estate as well as a delicious courgette pate.
Honey from Borgo Pignano
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Cinque Terra
Miky, Via Fegina 104, Monterosso al Mare – new town
Slightly up market, pricier that your average trattoria, but oh so good. I enjoyed one of the best meals on the trip here, a beautifully presented local tuna served with a tomato caper sauce. The squid with grilled aubergines looked equally enticing.
Tuna at Miky, Simple squid at Via Venti in Monterosso al Mare
Via Venti, Via XX Settembre 32, Monterosso al Mare – old town
You will find similar restaurant menus to Via Venti all over the region. The trick is to seek out the best ones. I’m fairly sure, thanks to Rick Steves, we did. Via Venti is located in the enchanting streets of old town Monterosso. I happily devoured simply grilled squid, whilst my friends tried the local speciality – a home made trofie pasta with fresh pesto.
Gelateria II Porticciolo, Piazza Marconi 12, Vernazza
I had some quite sketchy ice creams on the trip, that really weren’t worth the calories. When you taste a mouthful of perfectly crafted gelato from Porticciolo, it makes you never want to waste a euro or calorie eating substandard ice cream again! Porticciolo gelato is best eaten sitting on the dock over looking the beautiful town of Vernazza
I did spy a couple of places selling farinata (see my previous post) in Monterosso old town and Corniglia so if you get a chance to hunt them out – I’d love to know!
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And finally I’ll leave you with a top tip. When you’ve enjoyed food and want to say its very good, you use ‘buonissimo’ rather than ‘benissimo’. Both bene and buono mean good, but buono is applicable for food, bene isn’t, and I’m not sure of the reasoning behind this! Ah the joys of the Italian language. Buon Appetito!!
Have you ever visited this region? Did I miss off any favourites? Please do let me know by commenting below!
p.s. So who’s for the Summer (Estate) Salad??
Lost in translation…
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