Monday, December 7, 2009

Antica Macelleria Falorni

The Antica Macelleria Falorni was founded in 1729 by Gio Botta. The place still stands pround in the main piazza of Greve in Chianti. The butcher-cum salami / cheese shop is still run by the 8th generation of Gio's descendants.

Antica Macelleria Falorni

The finest Tuscan meats are used including Chianina for beef, Cinta Senese for pork and wild boars that have been present in the Chianti forests for centuries. A variety of Chianti herbs and spices are also essential ingredients; fresh fennell, laurus, juniper, garlic, parsley, sage, rosemary and even some Chianti wine.

Antica Macelleria Falorni

Upon walking inside this gracious butcher, that spans 4 shop fronts in the piazza, there is no other way to describe it then a meat lovers wonderland. Kim and I wander around in awe, and managed to get lost in here for at least an hour (and that was only our first visit!) First we wander into the cheese room, which goes down into the basement, where various cheeses have notes and times on them, for when they're ripe and ready (if anyone could wait that long!)

Antica Macelleria Falorni

Then there were blocks of pancetta, some covered in chilli flakes.

Antica Macelleria Falorni

And the salami, oh the salami !! Salami made with Chianti Classico red wine ....

Antica Macelleria Falorni

Little chingale - Wild boar - salami's.

Antica Macelleria Falorni

And then the Il Ghianda, an acorn fed leg of prosciutto from Greve.

Antica Macelleria Falorni

After at least an hour spent in the woderland that was salami, meat & cheese, we head next door ....

Antica Macelleria Falorni

Still a part of the same shop, this room was full of Tuscan wines - and most of them were available for tasting. They use the fancy enoMatic system, where a card is brought with credit and then used to by tastings of various wines in different sizes. We start with a 10Euro card .......

Antica Macelleria Falorni

and make our way through a whole range of fantastic wines.

Antica Macelleria Falorni

Each tasting is offered in 3 sizes, and start at just 30cents. With tastings of delights from next door including cheese, truffle salami and fennel sausage, you can understand another while was spent here ......

Before we loaded ourselves with goodies and headed off with our bread, olive oil and market treats for an afternoon in the sun.

Antica Macelleria Falorni

Antica Macelleria Falorni
Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, 71
50022 Greve in Chianti, Firenze, Toscana, Italia

T: +39 055 853029 F: +39 055 8544312 E: negozio@falorni.it

Italian Breakfast

What is there not to love about Italy? and their lifestyle that seems to evolve around eating, drinking & sleeping ...

Our morning ritual was heading down to the local coffee bar, and joining the constantly streaming hordes of people that would wait on the bench until a standing counter space was available, move up and order a coffee - perhaps a cannoli or panini as well - and so to has the day begun.

Saturday markets

Now just filling in some time until we're ready to eat again ... and then sleep!

Saturday markets

Tapping olive oil straight from the drum

After we were armed with some fresh baked bread, we were in need of some more treats for our afternoon in the Tuscan sun. We found this great little deli in the piazza and head on in. The variety of products inside includes antipasto vegetables, cheese, cured meats, dips, dairy and more.

La Pizzicheria

But then we spot in the corner a drum filled with Tuscan extra virgin olive oil. We order a bottle, and the very-Gepetto-esque (Pinocchio's father) owner of the shop casual walks over and taps the oil straight from the tank.

La Pizzicheria

The whole novel idea was so fun, but the oil itself was superb for dipping our bread !!

Greve in Chianti

Tuscan bread by the kg

We found a little bakery in Greve in Chianti, tucked in a little side street, always bustling with Mama's shopping mid-morning for fresh bread to be eaten with lunch ... and then us! We visited just about every day, picking up slices of fresh baked bianco pizza or a loaf of bread for our afternoon snacks.

Saturday markets

The one thing, well no there was two things, that I loved about this particular bakery ... firstly, we spotted the baker out the back pulling a loaf of bread from the oven with a paddle. Then he checked it's 'doneness' - by breaking off a chunk of bread and biting it ....

Saturday markets

this goes into the second point I absolutely loved, that all there breads / pizza / sweets were sold by weight - priced per kg. An end of foccacia cut off just for you, no problem! A half loaf of delicous Tuscan bread? No problem! It's all just placed on the scales and the priced accordingly.

What a life ....