Sunday Morning Markets - Panzano, Italy

It's not even been 12 hours since we stumbled out of Dario's after an amazing and unforgettable meal, that we are back in Panzano for the weekend morning markets.

We stroll around the streets for a while, and note that these markets seem a lot more bric-a-brac sort of stuff. Mind you, we do pick up some treasures along the way ...

But, that of course, was until we stumbled back along the little laneway that lead's up to Dario's. And of course this is the little food haven we were after! We both start with a giant slice of home-made tart for breakfast.



Before sampling a delicious locally made vin santo, a Tuscan sweet wine, and cantucci, an almond cookie. Mama mia, it's only 9:30am, but it seems to be the done thing around here.



Walking up and down the street there are Nonna's cookies, fresh baked breads, chutneys, jam's, pickles, cheese and everything in between. We stock up on some things for our afternoon snacks, before heading back into our favorite butcher. It's buzzing. And full of food for so early in the morning. The butchers block is adorned with a Dario Porchetta, a rolled pork roast seasoned and stuffed with fresh herbs. The crackling was smiling at us, just asking to be taken away .... done!



There were giant meatloaf's, a golden crumb case holding together what was sure to be some incredible delicacy. The house wine was flowing, and more lardo toasts to try.



Again, the man himself, is behind the counter. We again get to chatting .... about Japan (one of his trainee's we met last night was from Japan) and how exicted we are by the mention that Dario intends on coming to Japan in the next couple of years. As we depart with our bags of goodies, we are even blessed with Omiage (a Japanese custom to offer friends / guests a small gift from a paticular place / town) and receive some of the Profumo del Chianti, or special salt blend.



A quick coffee stop of the way to the car,



and a quick porchetta snack before getting into the car. Oh my, how I love this life.



The Panzano markets are held every Saturday morning from 9am until 1pm, and weave their way all through the streets of town.

Beef by the master.

The excitement had been building for a month, how could it not? As soon as we knew our destination in Italy we were researching what and where we would be eating. Then joy of joys we discover we will be staying ten minutes drive from arguably the worlds most famous butcher. Dario Cechini. A butcher from a long family line of butchers, Dario was thrust on to the world stage when he was featured in Bill Bufords fantastic kitchen book Heat. That's not to say he wasn't always a great butcher and champion of traditional Tuscan cooking, just that the world never never knew about it. Since Heat Dario has gone on to open not one but three restaurants all providing Tuscan fare in Tuscany and all within 10 meters of each other.

We had agonised and decided it would be unfair of all the other potentially great restaurants in Greve if we booked three nights at three Dario restaurants so had made a booking for just one, Oficina della Bistecca. This is the restaurant that showcases the Tuscan butchers cut of cuts, the Bistecca alla Florentina. We arrive after yet another mindblowinly scenic drive just as the sun is setting over the Tuscan hills, it's all just too beautiful.

We wonder how we will find the place only for a second as operatic arias fill the air and draw us up a side street to a glowing door.

On the wall beside the doorway a plaque that read "in memory of the Florentine steak prematurely passing March 31 2001" This is about the time Mad cow hit Europe. A glance through the door reveals Dario himself working behind the counter, sweet! We wander into the shop and it's just glorious, there's the man in his trademark red pants and leather vest, the showcase full of deliciousness, half broken down beef carcasses hanging behind a wood paneled cool room door, hanging salami's and a table full of tasty treats just waiting for someone like us.

Dario is quick to hand us a glass of his house wine and fill our free hand with morsels of salami and whipped lardo. With operatic music filling the air, delicious aromas wafting through the air and our taste buds being assaulted with passionate flavours, it's a real head spinning moment, all one could really do is stand there and smile uncontrollably. We sat back and watch as others arrive and are given the same treatment, it's fantastic to watch. After about ten minutes just hanging out in heaven we were lead back through the shop and up a flight of stairs, past the slightly modified Mona Lisa and in to the Osteria, it's one big shared table, we grabs the seats closest to the grill, as we walk past our eyes pop at the piles of meat sitting on the table. A traditional Bistecca alla Florentina is four fingers thick.

Sitting we see bowls of fresh baked bread and piles of fresh seasonal vegetables on the table. One of our hosts Dante fills our dipping bowls with fragrant salt, volpain red wine vinegar and local olive oil. Appetiser sorted.

Now with all all that fiddly veg stuff out of the way it was time to bring on the meat. First up Chianti sushi, tender beef tartar marinated with herbs and lemon, very more -ish.

Whilst we we enjoying the sushi, the first cuts of beef we placed onto the char grill behind us.

Dante had now put on his flying goggles so we were all set to go.

We started off with a cut from just above the knee called the noce. Cooked juicy pink and scented with smoke. Accompanied with Tuscan white beans simply heated with herb infused oil. Tasty tasty tasty.

Now the moment had arrived the first of the Bistecca had be pulled from the grill and was resting on the chopping block. Dario took one in each hand and raising them above his head gave an impassioned speech on this cut, the heart of the Tuscans life, ending, with "to beef or not to beef that is the question". After his booming voice had died down he proceeded to slice the bistecca's with much practiced speed and skill and it was mere moments after that the beef lay glistening on our plates.

It seemed that Dante had taken a shine to us as I ended up with not only a decent chunk of beef but the whole massive bone as well.

It was from there that the meat madness really began, if you finished your portion then another was quickly dropped into the empty space. Following the bistecca came a beautifully grilled round of beef accompanied by roast potatoes and bowls of whipped lardo, could there be any better accompaniment to roast potatoes? I think not.

We were slowly starting to fill, and thinking we were getting close the end we had not slowed eating, not realising the final slabs of bistecca were also for us. We took a small break from the table and when we returned there was the bistecca being cut up to be served. Madness I tells ya madness.

There was nothing to do but give it the old college try. The beef was handed out and this time Kat ended up with the bone to deal with as well the slices of beef and roast onions that were still appearing.

After we could finally eat no more plates were whisked away and Italian military liqueurs and plates of olive oil cake cut from a huge pan, were brought to the table.

By now forty strangers had become forty friends, we were invited to go picking grapes in the annual harvest just down the road the next day. We were beginning to get the feeling we could really like it here.....

Officina della Bistecca

Via XX Luglio, 11

Panzano in Chianti Firenze

tel. +39 055 852020

fax +39 055 852700

lunedi / giovedi : su prenotazione

mercoledi : chiuso

martedi / venerdi / sabato : 20.00

domenica 13.00

È MEGLIO PRENOTARE

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.



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.



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!)



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



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



Little chingale - Wild boar - salami's.



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



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



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 .......



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



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
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.



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

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.



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.



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

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.



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 ....



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 ....