THE ST. REGIS MEXICO CITY -- PART 1

SIMPLY THE BEST HOTEL 

The St. Regis Mexico City is an incredibly luxurious hotel property.

If this is your first trip to Mexico City's and you have some trepidation -- and you really should not -- the St. Regis will totally alleviate your fears about the city of more than 20 million.

The location is ideal - right on the grand boulevard of a Paseo de la Reforma and within easy walking distance of the museums of Chapultepec Park and the restaurants of Zona Rosa.

A top hatted doorman greets you on arrival, speaking perfect English.

Review of the unparalleled St. Regis Mexico City Hotel continues tomorrow December 7

BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 6

 

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

We rewarded for breaking our return visit rule.

Owner David Gardner himself happened to be in the house and the wait staff pointed us out as repeat visitors during our all too brief stay in Florence.

He was very concerned about wheelchair access and made sure that we knew one water closet was 100% barrier-free (we did, having used it a week before on our initial visit.)

Gardner chatted us up between fielding phone calls and quizzing his staff how breakfast went at his adjacent Cafe Baldobar -- which is one of prettiest and tastiest breakfast options in all of St. Croce.

Before bidding us goodbye, Gardner mentioned that his Villa Bordoni has wheelchair access.

Villa Bordoni is a small hotel, lauded by Travel and Leisure, in Greve -- a tiny town in the heart of the Chianti region know for famed Italian red wines.

Greve is halfway between Florence and Siena (a hauntingly beautiful and history hill town about an hour south of Firenze)

Villa Bordoni has a restaurant and cooking classes as well as barrier-free access.

Baldovino address: Via San Giuseppe 22r, next to Santa Croce Basilica
 

Phone: 055 241773
 

Website: www.baldovino.com

Website for small hotel in Greve:  www.villabordoni.com

BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 5

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

Baldovino has wheelchair-accessible seating outdoors and a barrier-free entrance to its lovely indoor dining. 

The restroom is one of the most accessible in Florence.

We can report that on our last day in Firenze, we broke our own rule about patronizing the same place twice -- when there are so many fresh options to sample.

We went light.

Heidi noshed on a salad Toscana with mixed leaves, pecorino cheese, pear, celery, walnuts.

I went veg again with the fab Giardiniera pizza of fresh tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, bell peppers, olives in onions.

The red peppers really put it over the top, as I downed the whole pie, save for a small slice shared with my bridge.

I begged to disrupt the natural harmony of the Giardiniera pizza, asking them to hold the onions.

Two visits and two perfectly-prepared meals at Baldovino.

BALDOVINO REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- JULY 26

BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 4

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

The house red was the perfect accompaniment to both my meatless pizza and Heidi's hearty Papardelle with boar ragout.

Just when I thought things couldn't possibly get better, our flawless waiter asked if I would like to try some hot olive oil.

I like it hot and he delivered a succulent olive oil spiked with dried, crushed red peppers.

The fiery (but not damaging) oil was the perfect thing to dip my pizza crust in (whether that was breaking any Tuscan dining rules or not).

We didn't have room for more, but our brilliant server tempted us with word that Baldovino takes great pride in its baked goods.

Soon, we were sharing torta a ciccoloto con panna  -- chocolate torte with panna cotta (cooked cream).

Since Baldovino has an extensive wine list, we let are sharp server suggest an excellent  dessert wine to end our main courses and east our way into the delish chocolate.

BALDOVINO REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- JULY 26

BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 3

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

Hoummus Toscana -- cannellini, sesame and garlic dip served with Arab bread from Baldovino's wood oven  -- started ear evening out perfectly.

Heidi, wanting to sample Tuscany's famed game meat, went for Papardelle with homemade wild boar ragout, scented with juniper.

Certainly, boar tastes a bit wilder than beef, but the dish was an outstanding main course for a hungry traveler.

While Baldovino's menu has expanded far beyond pizza, I couldn't resist choosing from the dozens of fresh and inventive creations on the menu.

I settled on the Siciliana -- with mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, olives and melted parmesan.

The pizza was big enough to share, but I gorged on the whole thing down to the last bit of crust. 

The moz was brilliant and fresh.

The sundrieds were sweet, fruity, zesty.

The black olives earthy, briny taste were a perfect contrast to the sundried tomatoes.

Fearing too much of a good thing, I almost asked our outstanding and attentive server to hold off on the crispy melted parmesan on top of the pizza.

Too much cheese can sink an otherwise perfect pizza.

The parm was perfect -- divinely crispy and salty to play off the mild mozzarella.

BALDOVINO REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- JULY 24

BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 2

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

You can still sit outside at a lovely sidewalk cafe setting (the interior of Baldovino is even more beautiful), you just won't have a full view of Piazza Santa Croce. 

For that small trade, you will pay unbelievably low prices for amazingly authentic and straightforward Italian bistro cuisine.

Monolingual English speakers will also be rewarded by Baldovino's attentive and well-trained servers, who speak flawless English.  

That should come as no surprise as their boss, David Gardner, is a longtime expat from Scotland.

Gardner first molded Baldovino into a pizza and wine joint and the pizzas are still spectacular.

But over the years, he has expanded the menu to include Tuscan treats throughout -- whether it is a fresh salad made with ingredients from the countryside, pasta with local wild boar or a unique hummus made of Tuscan beans.

BALDOVINO REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- JULY 22

BALDOVINO TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA -- PART 1

DAVID GARDNER PROVES A SCOTSMAN CAN CREATE GREAT TUSCAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

The best advice I could ever give to a person seeking good food and a good price in Florence is to walk a beat off the beaten track.

There may be a couple good chefs still practicing within a perfect view of the Uffizi, Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio, or grand Piazza.

But far too many have gone the pre-fixed tourist menu, with barkers shamelessly luring weary visitors into a land of rotgut red wines and microwaved pasta.

You don't have to go far. 

Just a long block off the main piazza will do the trick.

Do a little research before the trip.

Look up Trip Advisor, Virtual Tourist, Frommer's, Lonely Planet and Zagat online.

You will be rewarded with a finding a gem such as David Gardner's Baldovino Trattoria & Pizzeria. 

It's located on a narrow street about 100 meters from the front of the art- and history-filled Basilica Santa Croce.

BALDOVINO REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- JULY 22