Most Americans don’t like offals. We get that. While Daryl loves all the gnarly bits, Mindi isn’t a fan. However, eating Lampredotto (i.e. cow stomach) is a must for all who can stomach eating tenderly cooked meat from the cow’s fourth stomach.
Plus, it’s yet another Florentine dish created by peasants which has withstood the test of time.
While travelers can order Trippa alla Fiorentina at Florence restaurants, the safer option for anybody with tripe trepidations is to order a Lampredotto Panino from a street vendor. Nestled inside a soft roll and topped with zesty salsa verde, the slow cooked meat is both easy to stomach and fun to eat on the go.
Eating a Lampredotto Panino is a low-risk proposition. In addition to being a Tuscan classic, it’s also a Florence cheap eats staple.
Where to Eat Lampredotto Panini in Florence
Food Carts like I Tripaio Fiorentino and Sergio Pollini Lampredotto
5. Pate di Fegato
Pate di Fegato straddles the chasm between peasant food and luxury cuisine.
More rustic than foie gras, this Florentine chicken liver pâté has been championed by both farmers and nobility for centuries. The only confusing thing about eating Crostini topped with Pate di Fegato in Florence is semantics.
Some Florence menus call the dish Crostini di Fegatini while others call it Crostini Neri or even Crostini Toscani. We don’t care what it’s called. If the tasty dish made with chicken liver, capers and anchovy paste was good enough for Catarina de Médici, then it’s good enough for us too.
Where to Eat Pate di Fegato in Florence
Most trattorias and enotecas serve Pate di Fegato in Florence. The better ones pair the savory pâté with Crostini.
6. Tagliere
Ordering a Tagliere settles the tough choice between pairing wine with cheese or charcuterie during a Florence aperitivo drinking session. Although the word tagliere literally translates to cutting board, the classic enoteca version comes topped with cheese and charcuterie.
Typical boards include Florentine salumi like Finocchiona and Lardo di Colonnata as well as other Italian favorites like Prosciutto, Mortadella and Sopressata. Cheese, olives and cannellini beans turn the meat selection into a party on a plate. Or, we should say, a party on a tagliere.
Where to Eat Tagliere in Florence
Most enotecas serve Tagliere in Florence. Alternatively, you can buy all the ingredients at local markets and create a Tagliere in your apartment or hotel room.
