Tom Douglas

Trattoria Quattro Leone, Florence, by Shelley Lance

Located in the Piazza della Passera, across the River Arno and a conveniently short walk from the Stazione Centrale (train station) where the bus let us off each day, Trattoria Quattro Leone is a charming, reliable place to stop for lunch while pursuing the many sights (L’academia! Uffizi! Duomo!…) of Florence.  The pleasant outdoor patio is lively with the clatter and chatter of both locals and tourists (many tourists due to the convenient location) yet we managed to snag a table each of the couple of times we stopped by.  One of the best things we ate here was a plateful of perfectly fried artichokes (photo bottom)- what a treat!  While fried food is not ubiquitous in Florence, it does have a presence.  (In fact, believe it or not, there is a traditional Florentine version of fried chicken which you sometimes find on restaurant menus.)  Other good things we ate here: fiocchetti (photo right), or pasta purses with a filling of pear, tallegio cheese, and asparagus (a surprisingly delicious filling combo!) sauced with cream.  We also enjoyed a nice plate of bresaola (Italilan air-dried beef) and bundles of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto (photo top). (Keep in mind  that my trip, in early June, was still asparagus season). Skip the espresso after your meal, though.  This is one of the few places in Tuscany where we were served a mediocre cup of coffee.

July 24th, 2009