My granddaughter and I plan on stuffing as much cheese as is humanly possible into our suitcases, so any favorite cheese shops in Florence you can recommend? We will be making a day trip to Florence from Rome. I have the cheese shop covered in Rome -- Volpetti. I wish we could make it to Pienza for some of their incredible Pecorino Tuscano, but alas, I am hoping to find a good substitute in Florence. A place that will shrink wrap is preferable.

15 days to lift off, visiting Paris first - yipee!!

Since you are only on a day trip, I think the Mercato Centrale will be your best bet for cheese. There are shops there that are well prepared to wrap your cheese. I love the Pecorino di Pienza, and my favorite is the fresca, but my friend loves the stagione. So which will it be, or a piece of each ripeness?

Pegna in via dello Studio which leads to the Duomo.

Buon Viaggio, Buon Appetito,
BC

Good to know that the shops in Mercato Centrale will wrap. Is it possible then to get Pecorino di Pienza in Firenze? It would be very hard to choose between fresca and stagione, so yes, one of each for sure. Two for DGD and two for me, he he.

BC.. I have noted Pegna as well. Thanks

Any recommendations for lunch?? Casual, local, picnic maybe? I am hoping we can squeeze in a great, but also casual dinner before we get the late train back to Roma. I know that's a lot of food, but wait a minute...that's why I have been eating celery and carrots for 2 months.. so bring on that food!!

I guess you can get pecorino from Pienza in Florence because I can get it in New York!

Bring zip loc bags, although most places have those vacuum machines..

eks-- Really?? how lucky you are, I am pretty sure we can't get the authentic here in the PNW (Pacifc NW) and if we can, all you PNW people speak up. I bet you can't get that almost orgas*** experience of walking into that shop in Pienza and saying to yourself.. I could stay here for the rest of my life, or in the alternative .. for at least another hour.

I can get Pecorino di Toscano at a couple of shops in Pittsburgh, but it just doesn't taste the same to me as it does in Tuscany. I enjoy what I bring home from Italy more than I enjoy what I buy here. Don't know why for sure.

I'm half asleep, but I will try to remember to post some lunch favorites tomorrow.

I can understand that part of it--even though I can get lots of cheeses and other foods here, I am always schlepping back loads of stuff! I take the zip locs as well as aluminum foil to wrap the items...on my way home from Naples last year my bags got lost and I had cheese inside!

On one trip to Rome I actually bought a juice machine for blood orange juice but that is another story!

I totally agree. The cheese I get here, supposedly from Italy, tastes nothing like the cheese I bring home from Italy. I always take zip locs, but it's great when I can get it shrink wrapped.

A juice machine?! Wow, details please.

I did something really fun in Florence at 1Obsequium. It was a Pecorino, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar tasting. The shop is very cool, and I believe they also have cheese for sale there. You may want to check it out. It lasted about an hour.

1Obsequium
Borgo San Jacopo 17/39 (Pitti Palace side of the river)
*Booked through Italy Segway Tours at http://www.florencetasting.com/

Kyliebaby3, thanks so much for that tip. That sounds fabulous and would not take up too much of our short time in Florence. My three favorite things, Pecorino, olive oil and balsamic. Is it easy to find?

Barb, I wouldn't think it would be difficult to find. Take a look at this map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Borgo%...N&hl=en&tab=wl

BC

The Pasta Shop in Oakland, CA sells lots of Pecorino Toscana, but their best fresco is from a
Ittle caseficio called Il Forteto, off the A-1 autostrada between Bologna and Firenze, which we will be visiting in a day or so. I don't have to order it online because we go to the Pasta Shop all the time. But you can google Pasta Shop or Market Hall Foods to see if they will ship it to you.

bookmarking

Barb, yes it is! If you cross over the Ponte Vecchio and turn right on Borgo San Jacopo, it's not that far down on the left-hand side. It's very close to Ristorante Mama Gina.

It was so much fun, and the girl was so knowledgeable. In fact, it was just her and I this time, so it was a one-on-one experience. We drank wine with it too which may or may not work for your granddaughter, but should for you.

Have fun!

Ha, oh that would work for DGD too. Sounds easy to find and it's now on my itinerary.

Charnees, does it taste the same as the cheese you get over there?

Any tips on casual dinner options in Florence?

I've liked Cambi for bistecca in the past, but I have not been there in about 5 years. Very casual.

Alla Vecchia Bettola is very good. Same owners as the sandwich shop, Nerbone, in the main market. But again, no recent visits.. Cash only. Book ahead.

Both of these are casual and both are in the Oltrarno (south side of river) slightly out of the main central area but easy to walk....

http://www.anticoristorodicambi.it/

http://www.florence.ala.it/bettola/

Very close to the shop I suggested is Quattro Leoni, which is awesome! http://www.4leoni.com/ If you do go, try the pear raviolis. They are to die for in an asparagus and cheese cream sauce

Trattoria 4 Leoni
Via dei Vellutini, 1/r
Piazza della Passera

Try this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3KBuQHHKx0

Yum, pear raviolis sound heavenly.
Lifeman, I might skip that cheese shop, lol