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Dining in Europe > Florence Tuscan cuisine, and Florentine food in particular is essentially based on the simplicity of its ingredients, it comes from the traditions of peasant food and is wholesome and tasty. Extravirgin olive oil is held in pride of place in Florence, and it is never missing from the Florentine table; olive oil is used in cooking, and as a condiment for salads and delicious bruschette (seasoned toasts). Amongst the bruschette there is one that is king; it is made with red cabbage and beans and then seasoned with pepe macinato and olio di frantoio. Olive oil is also used as a dip for foods such as celery, artichokes and pinzimonio (a selection of fresh vegetables). Olive oil that hails from Tuscany is green and cold-pressed, and pungent 'pizzichino' and is eaten within a year and a half of harvesting the olives. If you want to indulge in Florentine bread note that in general bread in Tuscany does not use salt. Try schiacciata - if you want a more flavoured bread, this is a crusty focaccia salted and sprinkled with olive oil. A typical Florentine antipasto dish is a recipe called crostini di fegato, pieces of bread which has been baked and dunked in soup, and then garnished with chicken liver paté, capers and anchovies. Another traditional Florentine speciality is the famous bistecca alla fiorentina steak. The steak comes from 'chianina' stock, thick cut, weighing not less than 800gm and cooked on the grill. In one steak can satisfy two people, but there are brave 'man mountains' who will attempt to eat one all by themselves! The soups and minestre are well worth trying and they are derived from peasant traditions. The most delicious and noteworthy soup is 'ribollita', made with a mixture of bread and vegetables, with a red cabbage base, the red cabbage is a variety of cabbage which is grown mainly in Tuscany. It gets its curious name from the fact that the peasant women would usually cook the soup in large quantities and so the soup would be boiled and boiled again 'ribollita' and then eaten over the course of a few days. As with many leftovers, 'ribollita' always tastes better the day after. Other delicious soups are pappa con il pomodoro and the minestra di farro. Schiacciata alla Fiorentina is a special Florentine treat, it is a sponge cake, covered with icing or sometimes filled with whipped cream (nb: this is not to be confused with a savoury dish called schiacciata salata all'olio'). Cantuccini di Prato are dry almond biscuits that are dipped in Vin Santo, a sweet, aromatic dessert wine. These specialities can be found in most of Florentine specialities in the majority of Florences restaurants. Some of the notable traditional restaurants are listed below: Il Latini, Da Mario, Coco Lezzone, il Borgo Antico, La Casalinga there are also many others, so don't feel dismayed if you don't get into the above. If you fancy something a little more 'refined' or if you want to celebrate a really special occasion, then it is worth spending that little bit extra and going to L'Enoteca Pinchiorri, or Cibreo, or you could try Cammillo. There are also many enoteche or wine bars in Florence: here you can drop in, relax and have a drop of good Chianti with a sandwich, in the most elegant places you can try important wines accompanied by tasty bruschette and delicate appetisers, places such as l'Enoteca de'Giraldi, la Sosta del Rossellino o La Barrique that has an extensive wine list. There are pizzerias which can be found in almost every nook and cranny of the city and which also offer good first courses at reasonable prices. Each pizzeria makes its own pizza although Florentine pizzas tend to be thin and crispy, cooked in a wood fuelled oven. If you prefer the 'real' Neapolitan pizza, it is almost always possible to ask for a pizza with doppia pasta (double crust), which means you'll get a softer, thicker crust. Recent years has seen a big growth in the choice of ethnic restaurants. Ranging from the Chinese restaurants (which are the most common) to Caribbean eg La Bodeguita, from Mexican - Cafè Caracol, to Indian Ashoka, to Japanese Momoyama and there are also many others in various areas of the city, including Kasher Ruths, which is next to the synagogue, which sells delicious dishes, made according in the traditional Jewish at reasonable prices. There is even vegetarian cookery, served at the Il Vegetariano, has been enjoying huge success. Entertainment in FlorenceFlorence-stage and screen Although there are many more cinemas (26, with a sum total of 40 screens), compared with the amount of theatres (4), it is unfair to say that Florence favours the "Big Screen" to the stage. The Florentine theatrical tradition has always been noteworthy, for example, the famous Maggio Musicale Fiorentino attracts many famous people. Cinema Florentine cinemas are very varied, most of them show general releases, but they can be modern one screen and multiplexes and small independent cinemas. The Cecchi Gori Group owns the most cinemas in the city. The Atelier group makes sure that Arthouse theatre is kept alive, they have 6 cinemas which guarantee that good quality independent films and often show previews attended by the directors and actors themselves. On Wednesdays prices are reduced to L.8000 and cinema going is popular then and also at Christmastime, but above all during the summer. Between the months of June and September, you can watch a film in the open air, as you sit beneath the stars; the new summer releases and the previous winter smashes are shown to an avid public. Some of the 'normal' theatres will remain open, many of these have air conditioning (which is a great way to avoid the humidity of a Florentine summer) and above all the mosquitoes. Some of the cinemas in the centro storico, have weekly showings of films in the original language. Florence by night The nightspots in Italy manage to satisfy even the most demanding clientele. If a person wants a chic aperitif, Florence will meet their needs, perhaps Caribbean, a night of house music or Latin rhythms, if you're hungry and fancy a midnight snack, perhaps in a noodles bar, Florence satisfies everyone. Café-bars Pubs and bars Discos Dining in Europe > Florence
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