Few cities are more beautiful than Florence and Florence is never more beautiful than at dawn and during a recent visit, I awoke early to see the sun rising above the cathedral. The nicest thing was that I had absolutely nothing to do at this hour and, because being aimless in Florence is a good thing, my first act of the day was to head to Angelica's, my very favorite cafe in the city.

Tucked away in the Piazza Mentana this is probably the least pretentious cafe in the city and two types of early morning people are found here at this early hour. There are the working class people of the neighborhood who snatch their coffee before rushing off to work. And there are the prostitutes, some of whom are really quite beautiful, who, after a full night's work want a bit of physical sustenance to warm them until they make it home and to sleep.

Some of the earlier risers and late-nighters huddled around the counter to swallow their coffee, often mixed with cheap rum or grappa, and to munch fresh croissants. And, while presiding over the espresso machine, seventy-five year Signora Angelica supervised the decorum of the place. Angelica, every inch a businesswoman, knows that the friendly banter that goes on between the men and the hookers is good for business, but makes a point of keeping what goes on within strict limits. There is practically nothing the men cannot say to the women, but none of them is ever permitted by Angelica to lay a hand on any of them. The proprietress is not moved by moral considerations: she simply wants to avoid the inconvenience of having the police visit her too often if any sexual deals are actually closed on her premises.

Over the many years I have been visiting here, Angelica has accepted me as pretty much of a regular. On this particular day,, she gave me a warm kiss on the cheek and a pat on my backside. A few moments later, orange juice, cappuccino, sweet rolls and butter appeared on the small corner table that I always occupied. No one makes cappuccino as well as the Florentines.

After coffee, I drove to Fiesole, just a few kilometers from Florence, there to attend a wine tasting and lunch that was being hosted at the home of Contessa Anna de Medici. The garden at the Contessa's villa, in which the tasting and lunch were to take place is a marvelous place, a world that could exist nowhere but in Tuscany. Surrounded by vineyards, fields of wild flowers and overlooking the lush Arno valley, the garden itself is made up of shaped box-elder trees and a lawn so perfect that its final trimming is done by hand. Here too, only a few meters from the villa, are the remains of the small house where Niccolo Machiavelli is said to have retreated in 1499 to write "The Prince", his masterpiece of politics and manipulation.

Before we started our wine tasting we went onto the subject that every Florentine was discussing that day - the visit of Michelangelo's ghost the previous night. Before he died in 1564, the great artist had been working on a pieta that he intended for use at his own tomb. The pieta, never completed, is on permanent display at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, and every Florentine knows that from time to time the unhappy spirit of Michelangelo returns to add a few touches to his unfinished work.

All of which could be dismissed as nothing more than a good story except that museum curators have actually found that over time the work actually seems to be "developing" as if some ghostly hand were slowly bringing it to completion. Experts concur that the new touches bear distinct traces of Michelangelo's style. These visitations have been going on for over 250 years, but every event is taken as a valid cause for many hours of discussion.

From here, it was to the wine tasting that we made our way. Among the beautiful rolling hills, covered as much with olive trees as with grape vines, wine has been made here for at least 1,800 years. Now, as during earlier days, the wines of Tuscany vary in quality from the absolutely banal to the sublime. There are table wines that are fit only for alcoholics, mid-range wines that can be marvelous for all occasions and wines so good that they can make you cry for joy. Those that we tasted on this day, Brunello de Montalcino wines from the great years of 1990 and 1988, were in the second category, having come from such great producers as Salvioni-Cerbaiola, Pertimali, Costanti, Bondi Santi, Altesino, Il Poggione, Lisini, Val di Suga, Talenti and Soldera, all of which are among the region's greatest producers of this wine. Here, if it was ever needed, was the perfect demonstration that truly great Brunello should be at least a decade old before reaching its peak.

Dining in Tuscany

Apart from its wines and its natural beauty, Tuscany has a flourishing agricultural economy which gives us some of the world's best olive oil, most tender steaks and exquisitely fresh vegetables. Whether in Florence, Sienna or the villages of Tuscany, this abundance is reflected on tables in homes and restaurants, for the region has managed to add special refinement and subtlety to the most ordinary of dishes.

Everywhere, the food of the region has a rustic feeling to it. Delicious soups of vegetables, beans and meat are served in terra-cotta pots; nearly everything can be cooked on an open grill or in a log-fired bread oven. Among the justifiably best loved dishes of the are bistecca alla Fiorentina, a thick steak from the local Chianina cattle, that is charcoal grilled and flavored with olive oil, salt and pepper; fagioli al fiasco, beans that are simmered in empty wine bottles with water, olive oil and garlic; trippa alla Fiorentina, simmered tripe that is cut into strips and cooked in a casserole dish with tomato sauce and sprinkled over with grated Parmesan cheese. Closer to the coast, one finds seafood specialties - try especially the nicely seasoned soup-stew known as cacciucco. Also worth trying are the dishes made with baby eels. Also keep in mind that any dish that is served "alla Fiorentina" will contain spinach.

There are those who say that it is impossible to dine badly or receive a badly made cup of coffee in Tuscany. This is a bit of an exaggeration, for whether in Florence, Sienna or many of the villages in the area there are many tourist-oriented restaurants where the food is mediocre, the coffee is weak and the prices are outrageous. The truth is, though, that with a minimum of effort, one can find really great restaurants, many of which offer meals at surpisingly reasonable prices. Although the following list is far from complete, it include those restaurants that I consider among my personal favorites.

In Florence

Enoteca Pinchiorri, Via Ghibellina 87. The only restaurant in the city with two Michelin stars. Very expensive but definitely worth the investment. My suggestion, try the degustation menu. Reservations required - Phone 24-27-77.

Il Cibreo, via dei Macci 118 (near the two main food markets Mercato S. Ambrogio, northeast of Santa Croce). Small,intimate, bohemian, bistro...great antipasti, excellent soups, fantastic desserts. Expensive, but worth the money. Reservations required Telepnone 234-11-00.

Le Quattro Stagioni, Via Maggio 61R (near the piazza dei Pitti). Try the gnocchi, the unique Catherine de Medici salad, the veal dishes. Expensive but worth it. Reservations required. Telephone 21-89-06.

Cammillo, Borgo San Jacopo 57R. A noisy but excelent trattoria (in the Oltrarno part of te city). Any of the dishes are wort trying. One of my favorite places. Reasonably priced. Reservations suggested at night Telephone 21-24-27.

L'Antico Fattore - via Lambertesca 1 (around the corner from the Uffizi museum). Typical tuscan food, reasonably priced. Ultimately simple atmosphere but worth trying for the quality of the food.

Ristorante Corsini, Lungarno Corsini. Elegant Tuscan food in a very pleasant setting (an elegant, palatial interior). especialy for a very pleasant lunch. Telepnone 21-77-06.

Tuscany in General

In Volterra: The Etruria, opposite the Palazzo dei Priori. Nothing fancy but really nice and good food at reasonable prices Sit outside if possible and have a fun view of the town's main square.

At La Foce (10 minutes drive from Chianciano): L'Oasi, via della Vittoria 90. Typically Tuscan restaurant, especially good if you enjoy grilled steaks, grilled fish and robust local wines.

In Montemerano (7 km south of Saturnia): Laudomia a rustic, inexpensive trattoria (with rooms if you're in the mood). Delightful food. Be sure to try the acqua cotta, which is a Tuscan vegetable soup served with an egg. Also consider buying some of the jams for sale here to take home as gifts.

Caprese Michelangelo (26 km from Sansepolcro)...the village in which Michelangelo was born, sitting on a hillside and absolutely charming. Hotel and restaurant Fonte della Galletta is nothing fancy but a delightful escape from the real world and the food, which relies heavily on the marvelous porcini mushrooms picked locally is realy good. Best of all - hotel and restaurant are cheap. Telephone (0575) 79-39-25

Monteriggioni: il Pozzo - family run restaurant, with good food Try the panzerotti (crepes and cream), the meat dishes (make sure they cook them on the grill), and the grilled shrimps if they have them. Moderate prices.

In Montefollonico (fifteen minutes Northwest of Montepulciano) the Restaurant al chiusa - one of the best restaurants in Tuscany. Beautiful design, beautiful gardens, exquisite view. Definitely to be tried. Moderately expensive.

In Montalcino: try the Caffe Fiaschetteria Italiana, a belle eqopue wine bar and coffee house where you can taste and compare different Brunello de Montalcino wines by the glass. MUST TRY!

In the town of Radda (south of Greve). Relais Vignale. along the wine route, thus worth visiting. Lovely, good country style Tuscan food at moderate prices. Telephone (0577) 73-80-94.

In Siena: Alas, not much good to eat here, but the desserts are marvellous. Try Nannini on via Banchi de Sopra for fantastic cakes, cookies and coffee.

In Prato: (20 km Northwest of Florence). Il Pirana, an excellent fish and seafood restaurant. Try especially the spaghetti with lobster. Via Valentini 110

In Pisa: For cheap, unpretentious but realy fine dining try the Trattoria della Mescata, a tiny little place Behind the Hotel Victoria in the market square piazza delle Vettovaglie.

In Pisa: Al Ristoro dei Vecchi Macelli, 49 via Volturno. One of the region's best restaurants. Fish and seafood are the things to try here. Expensive. Reservations required Tel (050) 204-24.

For Two Traditional Tuscan Recipes, Click Here.

© Daniel Rogov