The Panini in Firenze
As many conversations in Florence happen, I was with a friend yesterday and after a short time the talk inevitably turned to food. We were discussing our favorite places in Florence to find a good panino and which of the menu items made our mouths water.
First of all, a quick Italian lesson: panino is the singular for sandwich in Italian, and panini is the plural. If you are walking around Florence, or anywhere in Italy for that matter, and are on the hunt for a killer sandwich, look for keywords on the signs such as Panini, Trattoria or Salumeria.
Hot or cold, on schiacciata or French bread, I suggest trying new things and exploring all Florence sandwich spots have to offer. When I first arrived here, my sandwich choices went along the lines of “tomato with mozzerella and pesto” or “prosciutto and pecorino cheese.” There wasn’t much variety, I believe due to the fear of eating the unknown. Unknown both because I was not able to read the menu, and even if I had been able to, I had never eaten the 4th stomach of a cow before (lampredotto).
My new-found sandwich obsession only began last week when a coworker introduced me to the working man’s lunch spot near the intersection of Via Ghibellina and Via Giuseppe Verdi called Salumeria Verdi. With sandwiches costing only 3 Euros and a lovely deli of fresh meats, cheeses and veggies, you knew just by looking that this was going to be good. I ordered the veggie sandwich with pesto – a hefty serving of marinated and sautéed eggplant, peppers and onions on fresh schiacciata with pesto served warm. It was to die for. I went back the next day to get another. (If you don’t know about schiacciata – it is a flat bread often about 1” thick with a fluffly inside and hard outside. It is usually served oiled and salted.)
Another recent discovery called Bondi Facaccine is located behind the stalls in the San Lorenzo market on Via dell’Ariento near Via Nazionale. With picnic table seating, it’s a small and hidden spot for those looking for a quick, inexpensive and wonderful bite to eat. They have the sausage, ricotta and mint, or the eggplant parmigiana that will make you order a second one on the spot.
Others to try: Gusta Panini in Piazza Santo Spirito; the street cart at Via de’ Cerci and Via Dante Alighieri (try the Bollito), or inside Central Market in San Lorenzo at the stand in the Southeast corner of the building.
No matter where you go, or what you get, the most important thing is to just enjoy! Buon appetito!
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By Admin Apartments Florence (12/13/2010 9:45:11 AM, in Life & Culture, read 567 times)
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