Come dine with me

This morning we bid a fond farewell to Stefano, Rosalinda and Virginia as we departed La Maesta for Florence. Our farewell will only be short, as the family will visit us for lunch while we are in Florence for five days. The transiting days between cities/towns are frustrating. Generally, there's something that doesn't go quite to plan, or you get stuck in a queue or delayed etc. Today, our train from Arezzo to Florence was full. Instead of cramming into a packed carriage, we opted to stay out in the portico area with our suitcases. There was a little seat pulled out from the wall that I sat on the entire 55-minute trip, and Shannon stood most of the way. Shannon navigated us to our apartment, which is lovely, and then headed out for a stroll around the city. 

Florence is busy. This will be a combination of New Year's Eve weekend and people's ability to get back out and travel again, even in Winter. Florence is as beautiful as I remembered it. Like towns in Tuscany, Christmas decorations and lights adorn streets and doorways. 

 

Being a larger city, we were suddenly surrounded by a mix of languages. After a week of being surrounded by Italian, it seemed strange to hear conversations around us in English. We enjoyed a toasted panini for lunch and stopped in at our favourite little Irish pub in the main piazza for a drink.

Back to the apartment to do some laundry (our apartment has a washer and dryer) and to relax for the afternoon, as tonight, we had a special dinner to look forward to.

In early November, we booked dinner for tonight at Ora D'aria, a Michelin-star restaurant in the heart of the city. This meal was possible due to the generosity and kindness of my Geelong High colleagues and friends who gifted me dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant for my 40th birthday. We booked well in advance after finding this particular place to be sure to get a table during the holiday period. I know my description of this meal can't do it justice, but I will try. Ora d'aria has three set menus to choose from - past, present and future. Past is a traditional Tuscan menu and contains meat, the present menu was a vegetarian option, and the future was a seafood menu. Shannon and I both chose the past, paired with wine.

While I had read a little about the restaurant and chef, nothing could have prepared me for what we found inside. We were greeted by a lovely waitress who took my coat and led us inside. The dining room was small but elegant. The tables were draped in white linen to match the glossy white chairs that swivelled. The ceiling was painted gold and blue. On one side of the room was the kitchen. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors stood directly behind our table so we could view that master at work! The door was automatic, so we could smell all the delicious things each time it opened! We started our meal with an aperitivo which included snacks - olives and tasty treats. 

Much to our surprise, the head chef, Marco Stabile, greeted us at our table, poured a tasty broth into delicate teacups, and welcomed us to his restaurant. Marco then presented each dish to our table with the wait staff, which was a lovely and rare touch. It is clear that Marco is proud of his food and his restaurant. As he should be - the food was incredible.

We started with an artichoke puree with olive oil and truffle, closely followed by a little dish of poached egg, which sat on a bed of spinach, also paired with black truffle. Next, we had tiny tortellini filled with rabbit, a delicacy I had never experienced before.

The past dish that followed was my favourite of the night - chestnut pappardelle. Are you hungry yet? The fourth course was a beef speciality that had been smoked and boiled, and the meat fell apart. It was served with some roasted vegetables and the smoothest mashed potato I had ever seen. 

This incredible meal was topped off with a delightful baked cheesecake with a sauce that could make angels weep! I cheekily asked the waitress for a jug of it, and she laughed, adding that she pinches some every chance she can get. 

 

I must say this was one of those evenings that I will never, ever forget. I know that some people won't share the same passion for food and the joy that it brings and that's fine. But when we skipped out of that restaurant and strolled through the streets of Florence in the rain, there was magic in the air.