LA CUCINA DEL GARGA -- PART 9

OCTOPUS AND OTHER SEA DELIGHTS SO 

FRESH AND FANTASTIC THAT YOU'LL SWEAR FLORENCE MUST BE A SEASIDE CITY

A chef-suggested (we're idiots for not jotting down the label, but we were too relaxed to pay attention to fine details) red wine fueled us through the primi and secondi.

We were too sated to be tempted by dessert, but we couldn't pass up on a couple strong Italian espressos.

The shots were as rich and powerful as our hometown Cuban Coffee but without the tons of sugar that automatically comes in the cafe favored by our Cubano brethren.

The verdict -- we are as likely to return to Florence for the artistry of La Cucina Del Garga and Chef Alessandro Gargani as we are for the master works of Botticelli, Brunelleschi, Donatello and Giotto.

http://www.garga.it/english.html

Via San Zanobi 33/a r

055/475286

info@lacucinadelgarga.it

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA -- PART 8

OCTOPUS AND OTHER SEA DELIGHTS SO 
FRESH AND FANTASTIC THAT YOU'LL SWEAR FLORENCE MUST BE A SEASIDE CITY

We don't want to give away the secret, but we're almost certain that the rich red sauce is made without tomatoes.

We'd venture to say the savory gravy is about equal parts beef, red wine and onion.

That I liked it is a testament to La Cucina Del Garga's wizardry.

I'm not big on meat sauce for pasta and onions usually give me fits in larger quantities.

But this sauce was divine and the ravioli was homemade.

We would be remiss if we didn't mention that we eased into our lavish lunch with a perfectly sparkling dry prosecco to wash down a fabulous fresh bread with outstanding olive oil.

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA REVIEW

CONTINUES TOMORROW -- AUGUST 9

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA -- PART 7

OCTOPUS AND OTHER SEA DELIGHTS SO 

FRESH AND FANTASTIC THAT YOU'LL SWEAR FLORENCE MUST BE A SEASIDE CITY

Heidi, not nearly so big a starch eater as I am (and with the girlish figure to prove it), was fighting me for the last roasted potato on the plate.

Crispy on the inside and perfectly delicate on the inside, the lemon and rosemary was the perfect touch to transcend the taters into something succulent but not overpowered with too much infused flavoring.

The primi we ordered as a starter actually batted cleanup in our culinary lineup, after we'd finished the seafood.

While we scored points for ordering the eclectic seafood, we touched the chef's heart when we asked to share a small plate of pasta.

Garga's Ravioli al sugo di carne -- Spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli with meat sauce -- really is from Alessandro's father's father secret red meat sauce recipe.

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA REVIEW

CONTINUES TOMORROW -- AUGUST 8

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA -- PART 6

OCTOPUS AND OTHER SEA DELIGHTS SO 

FRESH AND FANTASTIC THAT YOU'LL SWEAR FLORENCE MUST BE A SEASIDE CITY

La Cucina Del Garga's spicy creation was the freshest-sourced, most delicately-prepared octopus we'd ever tasted.

The bed of beans was no throwaway either. 

You can't get anymore Tuscan than beans in olive oil and Garga's are as perfect as you'll find in the whole region.

Our contorni (side dish) patate al forno con rosmarino al profumo di limoni -- roasted lemon and rosemary infused potatoes.

We wanted to put Alessandro Gargani to the test with something simple.

Roasted potatoes are about as simple as it gets.

They also happen to be one of the most butchered side dishes on the planet.

We have gone to countless 5-star restaurants that have turned simple roast potatoes into something bland as sawdust.

Not so with La Cucina Del Garga.

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA REVIEW

CONTINUES TOMORROW -- AUGUST 6

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA -- PART 5

OCTOPUS AND OTHER SEA DELIGHTS SO 

FRESH AND FANTASTIC THAT YOU'LL SWEAR FLORENCE MUST BE A SEASIDE CITY

I opted for composta tiepida di mare -- a mix of sautéed boneless seafood salad served warm with cherry tomatoes and celery.

My bountiful warm seafood salad had octopus, squid, mussels, clams and more.

I thought I had scored the most delightful Italian seafood in all the nation....until my wife Heidi shared a bit of her main dish.

Her polpo piccante alla piastra con fagioli saltati --
Seared marinated spicy octopus served over sautéed beans -- was to die for.

If my meal deserved a letter grade of A, hers was A+++.

Never have I had octopus so spicy and so crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Living in Miami, we eat a lot of octopus (pulpo in Little Havana's espanol, polpo in the Italiano of Firenze), so we know the good stuff from a meal that would better serve as live bait.

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA REVIEW

CONTINUES TOMORROW -- AUGUST 6

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA -- PART 4

OCTOPUS AND OTHER SEA DELIGHTS SO 

FRESH AND FANTASTIC THAT YOU'LL SWEAR FLORENCE MUST BE A SEASIDE CITY

We had to fight with the second cabbie to get to the real La Cucina Del Garga by insisting we be deposited at its Via San Zanobi, 33 address -- even if there wasn't a trattoria within 2 kilometers (as the moronic driver insisted). 

So again, against all odds, Chef Alessandro Gargani calmed us, entertained us and pleased or palates with his stellar cuisine.

We were not starving -- so rather than doing formal primi, secondi, antipasti and contorni -- we settled on a secondi patti each plus one starter and one side to share.

Though Florence is about 90 kilometers from the Mediterranean, we put our trust in Chef Alessandro and both ordered secondi piatti from the sea.

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA REVIEW

CONTINUES TOMORROW -- AUGUST5

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA -- PART 3

OCTOPUS AND OTHER SEA DELIGHTS SO 

FRESH AND FANTASTIC THAT YOU'LL SWEAR FLORENCE MUST BE A SEASIDE CITY

So with all against so many odds -- doing amazing things with seafood while not being in a coastal area, not having the advantage of tourist foot traffic and being based in a city more know for Michelangelo than Michelin stars -- how does La Cucina Del Garga do it?

We'll let the kitchen creations do the talking.

It should be noted that we arrived unfashionably early for lunch on a mid-week day -- a time when kitchens might not be at their peak.

We also arrived angered and disheveled -- because an idiot taxi driver ignored our pleas and deposited at the similarly-named rogue restaurant that steal customers away from Garga.

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA REVIEW

CONTINUES TOMORROW -- AUGUST4

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA -- PART 2

OCTOPUS AND OTHER SEA DELIGHTS SO 

FRESH AND FANTASTIC THAT YOU'LL SWEAR FLORENCE MUST BE A SEASIDE CITY

La Cucina Del Garga isn't even on the River Arno, or next to the Duomo or adjacent to the Uffizi or in the heart of the foodie Santa Croce area.

It's a beat off the beaten track, a bit north of the Basilica San Lorenzo Church and Mercato Centrale.

It even has to compete with a similarly-named restaurant that does everything it can to poach diners away from La Cucina Del Garga (more on that later).

Even the dining rooms at Garga are far from traditional.

Wildly eclectic, some would say mismatched, paintings and other objects de arte bring color, if not formality to the dining areas.

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA REVIEW

CONTINUES TOMORROW -- AUGUST3

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA -- PART 1

OCTOPUS AND OTHER SEA DELIGHTS SO 

FRESH AND FANTASTIC THAT YOU'LL SWEAR FLORENCE MUST BE A SEASIDE CITY

Florence has been known for its artistic treasures, not its culinary talents.

With Alessandro Gargani's return to his hometown Firenze to make magic in the kitchen of his La Cucina Del Garga restaurant, all that could change.

Want proof?

Trip Advisor's members ranked Garga as the 17th best restaurant out of nearly 1,200 rated in Florence.

The reviews are even better than the top 20 rating, with countless diners saying La Cucina Del Garga was their best dining experience in all of Florence.

That is an amazing tribute, when many consider the cafes in rural Tuscany and Umbria to be superior to the restaurants of tourist-choked Florence.

And many prefer Southern Italian cooking to the less revered Central Italy cuisine of Florence.

LA CUCINA DEL GARGA REVIEW

CONTINUES TOMORROW -- AUGUST 2