Italians take their coffee very seriously. They like their espressi piping hot and richly flavored, their cappuccini smooth and topped with cloud-like milk froth, and their caffè macchiati perfectly balanced. As a result, nearly every tazza (cup) of caffè that you sip in Italy is going to be amazing, whether you find yourself in the fanciest cafe of a city center or standing at the airport bar waiting for your flight back home. Plus, this is the only major European country that DOESN’T have a Starbucks, which should let you know that Italians really value their style of coffee.* Continue reading →

In addition to being the birthplace of Dante, Leonardo, and Michelangelo, Florence is also home to one very special treat: GELATO! Gelato, meaning “frozen” in Italian is one of my absolute favorite Florentine foods. Although it is often referred to as “Italian ice cream,” I think it would be better to call it “ice cream’s  cool Italian cousin” as it is generally lower in fat and sugars than its counterpart. Continue reading →

If you take a trip to the local supermercato or specialty grocer while in Florence, you will notice that many of the food items as well as the bottles of wine feature a special label called a marchio di qualità or mark of quality. These labels, established by both the European Union (for food products) and Italy (for wine) enable consumers to know that they are buying high quality products that were made using traditional methods. Continue reading →

Every time a friend or family member comes to visit me in Florence, one of their pre-departure questions will inevitably be “What should I pack?” After living in this city on and off for nearly 10 years, I’ve learned that there are certain things that can make one’s trip to Florence much more enjoyable. Here I’ve compiled a list of seven essential items that no visitor to Florence should be without. Continue reading →