Florence, Italy: A Tale of TASTE FLORENCE

Well, her name isn't really Toni, it's actually Antoinetta, and she is the brilliant mastermind behind Taste Florence ("Where Eating is an Art"). I am the Florence Insider and I have the privilege of working as one of her gourmet food guides.

Four years ago, Toni's company was virtually unheard of, but today is high on the list of Trip Advisor recommended attractions in Florence, Italy. Not too shabby. In spring 2010, the Boston Globe wrote an article about her (see link below) and this has inspired many travelers to check out what the buzz is all about. In fact, all of this positive feedback and attention has forced her to expand, so she contracted two new guides this year- and I was lucky enough to be one of them!

Before I worked with Toni, I socialized with her at dinner parties and aperitivos because we knew the same people. Eventually, I got to know her better and she became a friend. Her sharp wit, great sense of humor and friendly personality won me over quickly. The closer we became, the more she shared about herself, and now I am writing this article in her honor.

I think one of the reasons I am drawn to her is because we share many similarities. She and I have been through a lot here in Italy and we both know how to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and keep on going. Being goal-oriented and tenacious is part of our genetic makeup. Unless you are independently wealthy, Florence is NOT an easy city to live in. This is especially true if you lack Italian connections like family, husband, friends, etc.to help you out and introduce you to the "right" people. Oh, and let's not forget that nepotism abounds- only adding to the problem. I have never lived in a city where so many over-educated and over-qualified people compete for the same scarce, mediocre jobs. When one takes all of these things into account, it only makes Toni's success all the more impressive.

The idea for Taste Florence came four years ago when she began noticing that tourists were eating mostly pizza, pasta, and paninos during their stay. Foreigners were either ignorant about Tuscan cuisine or simply didn't know where to find it. Many who tried to expand their palates often ended up in typical tourist traps paying a lot for lousy food. So, she combined her passion for food with her business practicality and came up with a food tour that was not only a delight to the taste buds, but also very educational. People could take home the valuable information they learned and apply it to their daily cooking and eating.

I can attest that working for Taste Florence has heightened my awareness for food. I have fallen in love with cooking all over again and I am much more aware of flavors and textures when I eat. I have learned so much this year, not just from Toni, but also from the vendors that we collaborate with on a regular basis. We go to so many great places on the tour and two of my favorites are Conti and Nerbone (both located in the Mercato Centrale). By the way, each of the stops on the tour have been carefully researched by Toni herself and thoroughly taste-tested before being offered to the public (and I have been lucky enough to be the "guinea pig" for some of her new ideas-yum!!!).

I was impressed the moment I was introduced to the internationally renowned Conti family and their gourmet shop. Established in 1929, Conti has some of the most amazing food products I have ever seen (and tasted). The shop is beautifully set up with pretty bottles and a stunning display of vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables. It's not uncommon to see chefs, cooks, food bloggers and journalists taking photographs of the produce. Going to Conti is my favorite part of the tour because it's fun to see people's reactions when I educate them on certain things like balsamic vinegar, for example. Many people don't realize that making this product is a long and laborious process, strictly regulated by the Italian government. At first, people just scratch their heads, wondering what the big deal is- until they taste it. I like it when the clients close their eyes and say, 'Mmmmm...' after tasting a drop from a thirty year old bottle. And then suddenly it hits them: 'Wow! This balsamic vinegar is incredible!'

Toni designed the full tasting at Conti so that people get a good variety of Tuscan and Italian specialties- from vinegar to olive oil to a myriad of sauces, cheeses, etc. Another fun stop on the tour is Nerbone. Established in 1872, it is one of the oldest and most famous tripe houses in Florence. It's always an authentic cultural experience when you go to Nerbone because the retired local Florentines are usually hanging around. They congregate in groups, sipping red wine (at 10 am), chatting about politics and rising prices while brazenly puffing on cigarettes (even though indoor smoking is prohibited- these men are too old to care). Sometimes, when they see me and my group, one of them will shuffle over to say hello and ask where everyone is from. These friendly old men also like to put in their two cents and give us all some advice- it's quite hilarious! As for the food at Nerbone, the boiled beef literally melts in your mouth from being slow cooked for hours and the secret sauces they make fresh every day only makes it better!

When I take the group to the #1 gelateria in Florence, it's as if they all become kids again. Everyone gets excited and smiles when I inform them that they will be having nine (yes, NINE) different flavors of creamy, yummy gelato. It's a crowd pleaser! They also love to learn about the history of gelato- a very interesting tale, indeed.

The wine bar Toni has selected for the tour is historical, charming and cozy, and it's run by some very creative people. Not only do they know a lot about wine, but they make furniture and light fixtures from recycled bottles and wooden crates and barrels. Very artsy. Here the group gets to taste some fantastic wines and indulge in some of the best bruschetta in town. I teach the group what to look for in a wine and how to appreciate it thoroughly, and I often throw in food pairing suggestions, too.

Four hours of constant tasting at some of the best places in town to eat. This tour is full of deliciousness!!! Toni often jokes that she has 'sacrificed her thighs' for her company by eating her way through Florence to find the best tasting experiences, but it was all well worth it in the end (and her thighs look just fine).

At the end of the tour, people are usually quite content. With full bellies and drowsy smiles, they thank me warmly. It's always very rewarding when someone tells me that I have greatly contributed to their stay in Florence and that they have learned a lot from me. I walk away feeling satisfied. As I make my way towards home, over the Ponte Vecchio, I think back to the days that I used to do museum tours in high season...all the pushing and shoving through throngs of people in the stifling heat while trying to scream over everyone else to a big group of 23 people...Ugh! I literally cringe. Don't get me wrong- I LOVE art, history, and culture, but I'd rather work with tiny groups and gelato any day (FYI: I am grinning ear to ear as I write this).

Thanks for reading!

Coming to Florence? VISIT: www.florenceinsider.com

xoxo, C.

To check out Taste Florence website, please click (by the way, almost all of the gorgeous photographs on the website were taken by Toni): http://www.tasteflorence.com/

To read the Boston Globe Article on Taste Florence, please click: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2010/05/19/american_expat_in_italy_offers_taste_florence_food_tours/