The perfect dinner

Florence September 8th

I'm a simple guy.  Here's the three requirements for a perfect dinner.  Huge piece of meat, great bottle of wine, great company.  In Florence, they have a specialty Bistecca Fiorentina.  This was high on my list of things that I wanted to have while we were here.  I spoke with the hotel prior to are arrival and asked Monica this.  If you  had family or friends meeting you in Florence and you wanted to take them for the authentic Bistecca Fiorentina, where would you go.  She made reservation for us at "Buca Lapi".  Buca means cellar.  Lapi's cellar. This place is a door on a side street off one of the shopping area's in old Florence, about 10 minutes walk from our Hotel.  It took us 20 after making a few wrong turns.  You enter stepping immediatly downstairs into a glass enclosed kitchen where you could immediately see giant slabs of T-Bone steak eagerly awaiting future dinners.  Entering two large dinning area's and they seat us at a 2 top in a large barrel vaulted room.  Dim lighting which makes Linda happy, always a good thing.  The waiter greets us and is cordial and welcoming.  We are trying to use our best Italian.  He is very forgiving and helps us every step of the way.  The order is in Bistecca Fiorentina per due. We ordered some beans and potatoes as a side dish.  I'm not sure why.  It isn't as thought we thought we would go away from there hungry.  I think it was partially to be polite but also I didn't want to order simply meat.  Well maybe I would be OK with that but I did have Linda to think about.  Linda agreed to let me blow the doors off and order a bottle of Brunello de Montelcino.  Tuscany's greatest wines.  The waiter helps me pick out a nice bottle of Brunello with a great nose.  Let the games begin.  First he brings us "Patate a pomodoro"  potatoes and tomatoes.  He seemed to be explaining that it was like the amuse bushe for the Bistecca Fiorentina?  I didn't understand but OK, bring it on.  Very tasty and we asked him about the name and he said it was not Patate, like potatoes but it was there word for baby food.  I still didn't understand the connection but OK, it was good.  Next he pops the wine and gives me  taste, fantasitc.  I'm there.  Let's go.  Next here comes this brontosaurus size quite rare, T-bone which the waiter carves table side.  He cuts off a couple of the prime pieces and gives them to Linda.  He hands me the rest.  We talked to the waiter for a few minutes about Bistecca Fiorentina.  What is it, what makes it Bistecca Fiorentina.  Most of this I already knew but he explains that it is a couple of things.  The cut, the type of beef and the preparation.  The cut, T-bone, the type of beef is the famous Chiannina cattle that are white cows strickly grass fed, the preparation is simply grilled with only salt pepper and olive oil.  Other than the gigantic size the flavor was incredible.  Not significatly different than our corn fattened throughly marble beef that we have in the US but this was grass feed, no corn.  I am a huge steak fan and I was in heaven.  We put a pretty good dent in this steak but as much as it breaks my heart, had to leave some of it.  Basta!  It was just too much.  While we were looking at the menu before dinner, I noticed Vin Santo (holy wine, really it is a tuscan sherry or sweet wine) con Biscotti.  When the waiter asked about "Dolci", I said Io bisono (I need)Vin Santo con Biscotti.  I was certainly not hungry, but I couldn't pass it up.Linda joined me.  I was expecting a glass of Vin Santo and a biscotti.  The waiter comes out with a glass of Vin Santo and a platter of biscotti.  There must have been 20 little biscotti.  Linda and I sat there and finished almost that entire plate of biscotti.  A huge hunk of meat, a great bottle of wine and great company.  What else do you need!

Huge hunk of meat

A great bottle of wine!

Great company!

Am I lucky or what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!