Chris Dobson

Art History from a Different Perspective

Tuscan Wines and Cuisine:

What would Italy, and particularly Tuscany, be without their simple, yet world-famous wines and cuisine? It's all part of the pleasure of visiting this part of the world, and oh, so much more than a bottle of Chianti and a plate of spaghetti... Tuscan cuisine is based on the rustic dishes of farmworkers: simple, robust and very healthy food. Meat and game play a large part, and particularly famous is the Florentine bistecca, a thick beef-steak cooked on the grill. However, there is also plenty to delight the vegetarian palate, such as ribollita, a thick cabbage and bean soup, or black cabbage and chickpea risotto. The closer you go to the coast, the more seafood you are likely to find, although many restaurants in Florence serve it. And yes, there is spaghetti, in many charming guises, along with lots of other types of pasta.

Among the wines, Chianti is certainly the most famous to come from this region, and other well-known, more robust reds, are the 'Noble' wines of Montepulciano and Montalcino. And if you want to treat yourself, head down to the coastal district of the Maremma, where you can sample the 'Super Tuscan' blends, such as Sassicaia. Less well-known are the whites that this region produces, including Vernaccia from San Gimignano, and Vermentino, produced in Sardinia and along the Tuscan coast.

Good local food and wine are absolutely essential if you are going to immerse yourself in the local culture, in order to get the best out of this beautiful part of the world. Chris Dobson makes a point of including good food and wine as a key element of his tours and events, and is happy to recommend some establishments that he knows from personal experience, that have demonstrated over many years that they provide excellent quality and service. In every sense, they give the traveller a real taste of Oltrarno, the district of Florence 'beyond the Arno'. Chris has deliberately chosen to list different, but complimentary establishments, which will show you some of the varied 'faces' of eating/drinking out in Oltrarno. You will find locals eating and drinking in both of them, which is always a very good sign. They are also listed because they are sometimes used as venues for presentations by Chris Dobson, or meeting points for his groups, and Le Volpi e L'Uva supply wines for special evening events which include degustazioni: food and wine tastings.

Speaking of food, wine and art, in the UK the BBC is currently (January 2012) screening an excellent blend of Italian art and gastronomy in Sicily Unpacked, a three-part series presented by art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon and restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli. It's highly recommended. For more information click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019f8vm

Fine Wines and Simple Dishes:

Just around the corner from the Ponte Vecchio, in Piazza de' Rossi, Le Volpi e l'Uva ('The Wolves and the Grape') is an intimate, traditional Florentine enoteca, or wine bar, which also serves a fabulous selection of cold dishes: plates of French and Italian cheeses, cold meats and salami, panini containing porcini mushrooms or smoked duck breast, salads, spicy suffed peppers, smoked fish, and also simple grilled crostoni - Tuscan bread topped with a combination of meats, sausage and cheese). At lunchtimes there is usually some sort of cake to round things off, which absolutely has to be washed down with a glass of sauterne, vin santo or madeira (select whiskys, brandys and grappa are also on offer). But early evening, why not do as the locals do (and you will rub shoulders with a lot of them here), and drop by for a glass of sparkling prosecco?

Just watching the staff prepare the food across the high, marble-topped bar here is a pleasure in itself. While you do so, choose from the wine menu, look at what's good on the board (see photo below), or simply ask the staff - they will be happy to suggest a glass of wine to suit your mood, or something to go with food.

The extensive list of wines on offer (available by the glass or the bottle), come from Italian and French vineyards, and are carefully chosen to compliment the food. And if you find something you really like (which you surely will), why not take home a bottle, or even a case! NB: go to the bottom of this page for a useful link for storing the wine you take home.

Left: The wines available are chalked up on a board on a daily basis, whites on the left, reds on the right. In late 2011 typical price of a glass was around €4.50.

Le Volpi e l'Uva is popular, but space is limited. Drop in at lunchtime or in the afternoon, but if you want a table in the evening, you are advised to book in person or by phone. Open from around 10.30am (yes, really), to 9pm daily. Closed Sundays. PS: they don't do coffee!

Contact details are below, or click on the link to the right:

Le Volpi e l'Uva, Piazza de’ Rossi 1, 50125 Florence

Telephone: 0039 055 239 81 32

Something More Substantial...

A little further on down Via Guicciardini (on the right, as you head towards Palazzo Pitti), is a little jewel, hidden by a rather unprepossesing exterior.Ristorante 'La Galleria' ('The Arcade') takes its name from the arcade that runs through a rather disappointing post-war building. But inside, on the left, some hidden delights await the hungry traveller. You will receive a warm welcome from the owners: Pino (pictured right), and his wife Rita (pictured in the kitchen, below). Here, there's room to sit down, stretch out, and enjoy a full meal in charming surroundings. You can eat in the air-conditioned dining room, or outside in the arcade. This is a typical family-run establishment.

La Galleria offers classic Tuscan cuisine, and the set lunch menu in particular is very reasonable. The menu varies on a daily basis, but first courses can include: Fiochetti alle Zucchine e Piselli (pasta bows with courgettes and peas), or Pennette al Pomodoro e Basilico (pasta quills with tomato and basil - a summer favourite) and Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans - a real Tuscan country classic).

Main courses that follow can include: Coniglio al Forno (roast rabbit), Bistecchina alla Griglia (the classic Florentine beefsteak, but not on an heroic scale, as it's only lunch), and a delicious variant on that theme, Carpaccio di Manzo con Rucola (this is thinly-sliced raw beef, over a rocket slad, which is eaten with olive oil and lemon juice dressing, and covered with parmesan shavings). Feeling hungry yet?

There are also dishes of the day to be had for dinner, and underlying both the lunchtime and evening menus is the standard restaurant menu. Dinner is not to be had at the same very low price as lunch (this a common practice in Italian restaurants), but it is still well-priced for the centre of Florence. And of course there are the puddings, which may slow you down a bit, necessitating a grappa at the end of the meal to help you digest it all! The wine-list at La Galleria is modest, but good, with a selection of wines produced by the local Antinori family. The house red or white (available by the glass, or quarter, half or full litre) is perfectly drinkable.

Lunch: 12.00-15.00

Dinner: 18.30-22.00

Closed Mondays.

Above: the air-conditioned dining room. Right: Rita cooking some wonderful hand-made tortellini.

Contact details below or click on the link on the left:

Ristorante 'La Galleria', Via Guicciardini 48r, 50125 Florence

Telephone: 0039 055 21 85 45