CIBREO -- PART 2

CIBREO -- FLORENCE'S BEST FINE DINING

Cibreo has no printed menu. Waiters -- versed in several languages -- sit down with you and go over the fresh items the purveyors have delivered that day and how they might make an excellent primi and secondi for your palette.

Though Cibreo is for foodies -- not the Cracker Barrel crowd -- our server was very conscious of not allowing us to embarrass ourselves with an order we would be unhappy with.

She very subtly pointed out that a game meat would be served cold to room temperature (when an American might expect it warm and be disappointed if it didn't come out red hot.) She also subtly stressed that the roast pigeon does have lots of small bones and is to be eaten with fingers.

The attention to detail is staggering -- and not just with the memorized menu with dozens of dazzling preparations.

Our server noticed a wobbly-legged chair at the table next to ours. She shot a glance at an underling (apparently responsible for such things) that basically said "the next time you let this happen, that  faulty piece of furniture will be smashed over your head."

Again -- if you want endless soup, salad and bread sticks, this ain't your place.

If you love starting off your meal with a perfectly-crafted array of Tuscan tidbits -- created by Chef Picchi, he of the mad man genius  in the kitchen self-cultivated persona -- you have come to the right place.

PART 3 POSTS TOMORROW -- JUNE 4

CIBREO 1

CIBREO -- FLORENCE'S BEST FINE DINING

Cibreo is the most misunderstood restaurant in Florence.

A foodie paradise, Cibreo doesn't even crack the top 400 of more than 1,000 Florence restaurants ranked by the esteemed members of one of the world's most popular on-line rating sites.

Perhaps the fine dining establishment of star chef Fabio Picchi isn't for everyone -- the Olive Garden, it ain't.

But for anyone who appreciates slow food, outstanding service, premium ingredients and local sourcing, Cibreo easily deserves to be ranked among top dozen dining spots in fabled Florence.

It seems like the philistines who rail against Cibreo have a quartet of common complaints:

• Long waits for food (do you want fast service from a microwave or proper service from a kitchen that cares?)

• Small portions (they aren't small -- they are just appropriate size. Notice how Europeans aren't as obese as Americans?  There's a reason -- normal-sized portions.)

• They don't serve pasta (Tuscan cuisine involves a wide area of cheeses, game meat, beans, farm to table vegetables and other items that are not based on the noodle and slathered in red sauce.

• High prices (Florence is an expensive city and for the record, you could easily spend more than half of what it costs to eat at Cibreo drinking horrible wine, eating crappy food and being upsold on lousy appetizers and desserts at any number of tourist traps with pretty piazza views but cruddy kitchens. In other words, you get what you pay for.)                          

PART 2 POSTS TOMORROW -- JUNE 3

HUNTINGTON PARK IN THE ARENA DISTRICT

DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS' EXTROVERTED PARK

Huntington Park, located in the Arena District in downtown Columbus, Ohio, links to parks, shopping, dining, entertainment, condos, apartments, offices and a riverfront.

Connectivity is key and the new minor league baseball stadium not only was developed in an urban form, but it also replaces an aging stadium that was relatively isolated.

This is the third season that Huntington Park is home to the Columbus Clippers baseball team -- which served for decades as the New York Yankees' top affiliate.

Aside from the new state-of-the-art facility in Huntington Park, 

The Clippers now are affiliated with the Cleveland Indians, which makes sense because the Indians play just two hours north of the new state-of-the-art facility in Huntington Park.

In the stadium website's own words:

"The brand new stadium boasts a capacity of 10,100 and different areas around the ballpark to suit any fans' preference. 

The Left Field Building includes 110 foot bar with six open patios overlooking the field on the second story. 

The third story is The AEP Power Pavilion, an open air rooftop with bleachers reminiscent of Wrigley Field. 

The Picnic Terrace in left field will offer fans a place to relax and take in a ballgame 325 feet down the line. 

The Wendy's Hamburger Balconies in right field overlook a 22 foot wall that is only 318 feet down the line.

The Tansky Sawmill Toyota Suites that overhang the stands offer yet another option for a fantastic and memorable group outing.

The atmosphere will be electric at Huntington Park for seasons to come."

http://www.huntingtonparkcolumbus.com 

http://arenadistrict.com

Editor's note: Huntington Park is part of the much larger, master-planned Arena District. This blog will look at the District's New Urbanist development in a 20-part series later this month.

THE OLTRARNO -- IT'S WHERE YOU WANT TO BE

An Artisan Walk Through the Oltrarno Quarter

We strongly recommended staying in the Oltrarno (the district south of the River Arno) when visiting Florence

You can pick an apartment close to the Pitti Palace, Ponte Vecchio and Santo Spirito, but you can still shop at local groceries, dine at less touristy trattorias, shop at the workshops of true artisans and people watch in small piazas populated by locals.

The brilliant folks at EveryTrail.com have come up with an exquisite 0.5 KM, one- to three-our stroll "through the narrow streets of this neighborhood that feature unique studios."

In the words of EveryTrail:

"Overview: Florence’s Oltrarno district is known for its artisans—"artigiani" in Italian—a dying breed of creative hands that carry on centuries' worth of Florentine traditions. 

From bookbinders to sculptors to metalworkers and gold-gilders, the little maze of streets between the Ponte Vecchio and Santo Spirito are quietly off the beaten track, overlooked by most visitors.

It’s a wonderful neighborhood to explore and get a peek into another era.

Some of these workshops look like something straight out of the Renaissance. 

While you are here, visit some of the great little cafes in the area. 

Also in this neighborhood are the Pitti Palace’s beautiful galleries—a visit here would complement this artisan trail that looks at the decorative arts in Florence.

Tips: Note that Florence has a unique address system! Any street number with an "r" after it means "red." 

Look for red-colored numbers, which usually signify a business. 

Any numbers written in blue or black are usually a residence.

This means any street could have two separate places with the same number, one black, one red and they are not always near each other!

The best time for this walk is morning, from 9am to 12:30pm or the afternoon up until 7:30pm. 

Artisans usually have a schedule much like office hours—that is, Monday to Friday, but some will probably also be open on a Saturday morning. 

Try not to do this walk around lunchtime, as most will be closed from 12:30 to 3:30pm.

The Pitti Palace is also a wonderful place to explore and if you wanted to beef up this trail, visit the Silver Museum, the Costume Gallery or the Palatina Gallery of the Pitti Palace for more."

http://www.everytrail.com/guide/an-artisan-walk-through-the-oltrarno-quarter 

FLORENCE RESTAURANT GUIDE

FLORENCE EATS FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF STUDENTS

Restaurants in Florence is a straightforward guide to Tuscan Cuisine.  In the website's own words:

"Before coming in Florence perhaps your main thinking weren't only directed toward the world famous masterpieces such as the paintings of Leonardo, the sculptures of Michelangelo, or the projects of Brunelleschi....

Restaurantsinflorence.com the best selection of Italian and International restaurants, pubs, bars, pizzerias, ice cream shops, all with direct links to their official websites and to their social networks (where available). 

We at restaurantsinflorence.com know that your interests toward the Italian cuisine masterpieces competes with your interests toward the Florentine art...and we understand you!!

The pleasure of a good dinner in an excellent pizzeria can, without doubts, challenge the intellectual satisfaction of visiting the main masterpieces of the town: a good Chianti can give you the same joy of the view of a beautiful Leonardo da Vinci painting, the famous "bistecca alla fiorentina" can surely compete with all the sculptures of Michelangelo and the view of a real Italian tiramisu can give to you no less interior happiness than the view of a beautiful Tuscan landscape.

In Florence you can find very good place where you can spend little money...the very important thing is to go off the tourist main beaten road!!!

We'll indicate to you the places where the real Florentines prefer to go, places where you can find the best quality for a fair price.

We've even inserted some of the very best restaurants They can cost a lot of money but, once in a life, you should do this experience.

www.restaurantsinflorence.com

TRATTORIA DA BENVENUTO, FLORENCE ITALY -- PART 2

TRATTORIA DA BENVENUTO, FLORENCE ITALY

Everything on the menu, including the wine, is amazingly affordable considering the quality and love that goes into each dish.

The kindly owner, using his limited English, surprised us with a delightful mascarpone cheese cake with fresh berries.  We really didn't have room to split one, let alone two generous slices. 

But hey, it was vacation, so we sinned with the rich mascarpone, trying to convince ourselves that the healthy fresh berries would balance out our indulgence.

One side note of interest to people with disabilities. My wife uses a wheelchair and the kind folks at Benvenuto helped her through the accessible entrance and seated her with no problems. The  restroom is not perfect, but that is often the case in centuries-old buildings in a city whose very well-intended preservation rules make it difficult to remodel even for wheelchair access.

Address: Via della Mosca 16/r, Florence, Italy

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Not far from Piazza della Signoria

Phone: 055/214833

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Italian

Website: http://www.trattoriabenvenuto.it/

Trattoria da Benvenuto

TRATTORIA DA BENVENUTO, FLORENCE ITALY

Dining at Trattoria da Benvenuto is like being invited over to an Italian chef's house for dinner -- with the seating right in his kitchen.

We opened with the world's best and simple crostini of cheese, tomato and a single black olive on some small pieces of wonderful Tuscan bread.

It was our first full day in Florence and we had been thoroughly warned about the tourist traps right on the lovely Piazza della Signoria, many of which serve over priced mediocre food to visitors exhausted from a visit to the art treasures in the Uffizi.

Benvenuto is very close to the Piazza, but just far enough away to feel like a friendly diner where the locals gather for straightforward Italian home cooking.

We opened with a primi of spaghetti with hot pepper flakes -- perfectly al dente and with just a little hint of fire to separate it from typical red sauce.

Secondi was a whole sea bass -- grilled and served with broth, potatoes, zucchini and onion. The no-nonsense server expertly pried skin and bone off the wonderful fish like and made sure the every drop of savory broth made it onto the plate.

Our  other secondi was a soothing plate of rigatoni with eggplant. Like everything at Benvenuto, it was super unpretentious while being perfectly cooked, spiced and portioned.  

The house red blended well with our self-selected mini-grazing menu. Everything on the menu, including the wine, is amazingly affordable considering the quality and love that goes into each dish.

The kindly owner, using his limited English, surprised us with a delightful mascarpone cheese cake with fresh berries.  We really didn't have room to split one, let alone two generous slices. 

But hey, it was vacation, so we sinned with the rich mascarpone, trying to convince ourselves that the healthy fresh berries would balance out our indulgence.

One side note of interest to people with disabilities. My wife uses a wheelchair and the kind folks at Benvenuto helped her through the accessible entrance and seated her with no problems. The  restroom is not perfect, but that is often the case in centuries-old buildings in a city whose very well-intended preservation rules make it difficult to remodel even for wheelchair access.

Address: Via della Mosca 16/r, Florence, Italy

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Not far from Piazza della Signoria

Phone: 055/214833

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Italian

Website: http://www.trattoriabenvenuto.it/