I recently sat down with Toni Mazzaglia, fellow Appetito contributor, and owner of Taste Florence, a series of food tastings and tours that allow guests to discover the best bites in Florence, Italy. Her tours take you to family-owned specialty shops and food stands, many of which are over 100 years old. In this story, Toni shared a few gems with Appetito readers.
If you could sum up one of your Taste Florence food tours in just a few words:
A delicious way to discover Florence.
Your go-to coffee and breakfast order in Florence:
A caffe macchiato in vetro, and a budino di riso (alto!).
How would you spend a perfect day in Florence (we want the eats and the scenes!)?
I live and work on the North side of town (near San Lorenzo), so in my free time I like to head into the Oltrarno and have a stroll in the morning to get a pastry and coffee, some shopping at the Santo Spirito market, then maybe a quick stop for a glass of wine and a crostone at Le Volpi e L'Uva. On the weekend, I like to head out into the Florentine hills to walk and look for wild asparagus in the spring or porcini mushrooms in the fall.
A favorite Florence memory:
A fabulous evening boat ride with friends on the Arno to see the San Giovanni fireworks.
One or two must-try bites before leaving from a visit to Florence:
Hands down the tortino di carciofi and the chicken in butter at Sostanza. Be sure to try a proper crostino toscano (toasted bread with chicken liver pate). I love them at Fiaschetteria Nuvoli and at La Casa del Vino. I often serve these crostini on the tours because I don't want guests to miss them during their stay!
What’s your favorite takeout spot right now in Florence?
I love a rosticceria, and we have several greats scattered around the city. Spada and Giuliano are near me, so I tend to count on them when I want a solid meal and don't have time to cook.
Favorite comfort food in Italy?
In Italy? Pasta. All the pasta, but for comfort, lasagna is the best. It takes time to prepare, and you can feel the love put into each layer. Also, a great bollito, like the boiled beef or lampredotto at Nerbone - or up around Modena where bollito is truly an art.
What’s on your playlist when walking around Florence?
I don’t listen to a playlist or wear earphones when I am walking around. I like to be able to hear the ambient noise in the place I’m in. It’s that feeling that happens when your senses know this place is different, even the air feels a little different, I want to be able to absorb all of that. I feel like it’s an injustice to the place to have earphones in.
What’s something you love about working at Taste Florence?
One of the things I love about my job is that I can see my guests having great experiences and having a great time. The beauty of living in a city of Italy is having access to wonderful food, coffee, and wine, and to be able to do all of it on foot. I get to keep reliving the tours through my guests’ eyes.
To learn more about Toni and to book one of her delicious tours next time you find yourself in Florence, visit Taste Florence.
To read Toni's contributions to Appetito, click here.
