Florence: if you’re fed up with the Antico Vinaio row, try these other Schiacciate
In via dei Neri the queues of tourists to win a dunkAncient Vinaio I’ve been a constant for years. Many in Florence can’t get over the fact that someone is willing to wait in line even for a couple of hours, during the busiest times, to be able to hold a flatbread in their hands. The power of social networks which in just a few years have transformed an almost folklore phenomenon into a solid entrepreneurial reality. Tommaso Mazzanti, owner of All’Antico Vinaio, signed a joint venture with Percassi a few weeks ago. The Florentine brand is therefore destined to be exported, perhaps with the code included, also abroad.
Yet in Florence there is no shortage of addresses where you can buy a good flatbread without the tail. Sometimes historical activities where the focaccia with holes is stuffed with ham and mortadella, finocchiona and salami together with a sample of cheeses, vegetables and sauces at will. Right at the beginning of via dei Neri Coin opened before Christmas, inside the Loggia del Grano. The space intended for catering has been entrusted to Menchetti since 1948 (piazza del Grano 5/6, www.menchetti.it): a name that is synonymous with quality bakery products. Not only fresh bread but also pizza in the shovel, round and focaccia versions. A specialty that has been a member of Gambero Rosso’s three wheels for years. Strengthened by a family tradition, three generations of bakers, the stone-baked focaccia is offered with a super filling. The choice of ingredients and combinations is fundamental.
From the Loggia del Grano behind the Uffizi we move to Ponte Vecchio in search of a signature sandwich and without queues. Behind the Georgofili Academy ‘The no (via dei Georgofili 3/2-7/2, http://www.inofirenze.com) has been an institution for decades. A temple for gourmets where it’s love at first bite. Alessandro Frassica who conceived and developed the idea of a high quality sandwich shop is known from New York to Tokyo. Today, in his elegant workshop, he offers a lesson in taste and the highest quality of the product that sets the standard in the world.
From Ponte Vecchio you return towards piazza della Signoria and via dei Calzaiuoli. In a narrow lane that leads to the Loggia del Porcellino here is the Niche in Calimaruzza (via Calimaruzza 12/r, https://lanicchiettaincalimaruzza.it). The restaurant is small in size, with a triumph of cured meats, cheeses and sauces in the window to allow you to create a state-of-the-art stuffed focaccia. The owner, Michele Perrino, therefore continues his adventure in the world of express sandwiches, thanks to the experience gained when he was engaged in the family business: the Fratellini. A few tens of meters separate the Nicchietta from the historic taproom in via Cimatori 38/r, dating back to 1875, where the freshly packaged sandwich can be paired with a glass of wine choosing from a wide selection. In truth, there are long lines, even at the Fratellini’s, but usually only at lunchtime. Two side streets later in via della Condotta here is the Cernacchio where you can order your own Schiacciata, choosing three ingredients or opting for one of the many versions on the menu. If desired, the sandwich is also served with tripe, lamprey, porchetta and even with peposo.
The irresistible rise of the Antico Vinaio: this is how a Florentine workshop conquered the world
by Bernardo Basilici Menini
Going along via dei Calzaiuoli you aim for San Lorenzo and the Florence Central Market. The new entry has arrived on the first floor of the project launched almost ten years ago by Umberto Montano Florence Schiacciata (central market square, www.laschiacciatafirenze.it) by Massimiliano Parri and Luisanna Messeri. Parri, textile entrepreneur and owner of Tablecloths, first opened his Pantry on the first floor of the Market and then chose to double as a shop. To prepare gourmet crushed bread he found a valid adventure companion in his old friend Luisanna Messeri. The TV pop cook has studied a menu that enhances not only the excellence of the historic market: the Schiacciata comes from the oven on the ground floor like many of the vegetables, but also the small great Tuscan producers. The result is a category smash, as they say in Florence.
From San Lorenzo along via San Gallo here is an activity that immediately strikes you, starting with the name: Sandwich Chic (via San Gallo 3/r). The wording “haberdashery” still appears underneath. The sartorial sandwich shop preserves the memory of the previous activity and so between needles and skeins of thread you queue up in front of the counter to order an express crushed bread. Here too cold cuts, sauces and cheeses are in plain sight while you can choose your favorite Schiacciata at the top of the board.
In Piazza San Marco, but there are several outlets in the city, here is the Pugi oven (www.fornopugi.it). The business was founded in 1925 and is about to cross the milestone of its century of life. Sweets and baked goods have allied the lives of entire generations of Florentines. In the Pugi ovens the choice is between the classic focaccia and the one without lard: you only have to ask about the filling. Alongside the sandwich shops, it is the bakeries and in particular the historic ones that offer a small but valid selection of stuffed focaccia: from the Antico Forno Giglio in via Gioberti 151/r and a stone’s throw from piazza Beccaria to the Forno Becagli in Borgo Ognissanti 92/ r near the famous Florentine church which houses many masterpieces.
Finally, for those who find themselves in Campo di Marte, near the Franchi stadium, a must is the Coffee Dogali (viale Malta 5, www.caffedogali.it) which has over a century of history behind it. His stuffed flat breads have always been a comfort before or after Fiorentina matches or after a bit of sporting activity in one of the facilities in the area.