simple
When I met my hubby Andrea, he lived in a wonderful neighborhood
near Santa Croce:
a block from Vivoli’s ice cream parlor
and a block down from Borgo degli Albizi,
which is one of my favorite shopping streets.
Any place to eat here would be great locationwise.
Where I used to buy my bread, at one of Florence’s original
Il Fornaio bakeries, where my neighbor Fedora Galli, the matriarch,
was at the cash register daily
now stands
GASTONE
a lovely new wine bar restaurant.
Federica and Dario
check out the incredible wine by the glass list.
I love having the choice of having a one course meal,
or a nice glass of wine with a sandwich or cheese.
They have combined it all here in a lovely modern space.
Our friend from Puglia, Giampiero, is working there during the day,
also prepares the incredible marinated veggies that came on my bagel plate;
roasted herbed cherry tomatoes, grilled green chili’s,
grilled marinated eggplant and marinated zucchii ribbons.
Besides the smoked salmon, there was also smoked herring which has always been a favorite
at Tuscan wine bars.
Plenty of cream cheese for my toasted bagel too.
I will go back just to have those again!
We had a huge chicken salad served with a very light curry sauce to dip
the fried chicken pieces in.
The salad was filled with interesting lettuces and wild greens, corn,
cherry tomatoes and mozzarella
and my dessert!
Everything was lovely
but of course I MUST finish on a sweet note.
A very light and lovely twist on Panna Cotta,
Latte in piedi, made with wonderful local milk instead of the richer heavy cream,
the version I had today was with carmelized banana’s and rum,
served with a port reduction.
PERFECTTO!
Gastone Wine Bar Restaurant.
Via Matteo Palmieri,26/r
055 2638763
wine bar open from 11-midnight
lunch from 12-3
dinner from 7-11
closed Sunday
Bagels and fried chicken?
If they have burgers, then I’m on my way!
david, I was tempted to try the burger, but they don’t do buns!!!
next time will try!
I too am amazed to see a bagel in an Italian wine bar – not against it at all, just amazed!
Rosa, my friend Giampiero from Puglia started the bagel company here in Florence years ago.
Selling them to hotels for brunches and student cafes for sandwiches.
They are very similar to the Freselle which is made in southern Italy, but baked to hard you have to soak them before eating.
Fun to get a bagel!
I used to live on this street and I’m wondering what business Gastone replaced. Perhaps it was my crazy drycleaner (he was fairly close to the intersection of Via della Vigna Vecchia).
Very interesting! It was a great place to live. I will check this vineria out next time I’m in the old neighborhood.
It is the il forniao!
I lived down in Via Ghibellina, and the owner of il fornaio was my neighbor, Fedora Galli, the grand matron!
We will be in Florence next week. Where would you recommend we have our first meal?
susan- write to me at divinacucina at gmail.com
all depends on how many days you will be here, when you arrive etc.
I have a dining guide on my website divinacucina.com for both Florence and Chianti