For our “Last Lunch†in Florence, instead of finding a fancy trattoria, we decided to head back to the Mercato Centrale for another market lunch but at a different stall… We searched the choices on 
the first floor and were intrigued by the hubbub around one of the “turo-turo’s“… a long line of laborers, locals, tourists and office workers were choosing their lunch from about 8-10 different dishes at this all male carinderia of sorts. The incredible volume, the number of customers and the food itself made this the obvious choice for our final lunch. First up, Trippa a la Fiorentina, a classic dish that you cannot miss if you visit Florence… it was delicious. Soft tripe in a classic tomato-ey sauce that had flavor, taste and the texture associated with a cow’s second stomach lining… No off or malansa taste here at all.
We also ordered an Insalata a la Greca or Greek style 
salad with olives, cucumbers, onions, greens and feta cheese dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. It hit the spot…fresh and crsip greens with salty hits from the cheese and olives and a great match for the other food we ordered. We also got a nice dish of pappardele with minced duck ragu… really good… kind of like a Bolognese sauce but with flavorful and fattier duck meat. So far on this trip my daughter had ordered rabbit, lamb and duck completely on her own…not bad, huh?
We had been gone from Manila for close to 3 weeks and rice was something we needed… so we got a dish of mushroom risotto that was pretty good. 
The flavor of the dried porcinis mixed in with fresh mushrooms really shone through. However, the dish lacked the characteristic creaminess that is found in a properly made portion of risotto…I suspect this was made in a huge pot and not stirred as often as it should have. Never mind…rice fix met. Finally, my wife couldn’t resist slices of slow roasted beef that was almost shredded because it was so tender…super sarap is all I can say… Overall, this was one of the best meals we had on the trip…better than our first market meal in Florence even. Total cost for this incredible spread? Euro 22.50 with drinks, or approximately USD30.
6 Responses
sounds delish really. thanks for the culinary tip. will certainly have to check out the market area when i visit in sept. that’s the smart the way to do it MM, go get food where the locals are queuing!
that trippa pic is making me hungry.
what was the beef like? just pure beef flavour? or herb-y/ wine-y?
btw, Finals on tonight! Allez les Bleus! The Zidane story is a great one (and everybody said he was a has-been)
(sayang no pinoy team. we had to pick a national sport where height is a huge factor, and therefore have got not even a snowball’s chance in hell of ever excelling in it internationally. thanks for that, Uncle Sam.)
When I was in Munich last year, I’d follow the lines of germans towards market stalls and fruit stalls. Found amazing bargains and good eats.
Gonzo, I’ve been having other blog discussions about the WC lately, didn’t realize so many of the food blog network were footbal fans too. Maybe we should do an EB after the finals… Forza azzuri! (although I do have a soft spot for Zidane)
I think texture-wise, slowly stewed tripe is one of the most pleasurable things to eat, along with seared foie gras, raw oysters and bone marrow in any form. I guess that’s why I already have gout attacks at 29! Heheh.
BTW, I was planning to stay at work til 5am today- we’re showing the world cup live at the resto! Had to leave a quarter past 2 am to cook something at home. Score was 1:1 when I left. I’m rooting for france too :)
Gonzo, Mila and Chris…think it was just coincidence that Market Manila is in the thick of Italian posts??? How’s that for predictive capability…congratulations ITALY… Geez, I can just imagine what a party they will throw on the streets today…
so much for Zidane… bizarre outcome… I was for Italy all the way anyway, and I am loving all your food photos