1.4.20

With very little on the schedule today with the exception of a wine tasting  at Enoteca Pitti and dinner at their new restaurant, we took our time getting around and finally ventured out to get a coffee and breakfast. We found a little place around the corner where we all enjoyed a pastry and coffee, with about three hours to kill before our wine tasting we dipped in and out of little shops, making our way across Ponte Vecchio, stopping to enjoy another caffe at a bigger but nice coffee shop. This one felt much more one you’d find in the US. It was quite chilly and foggy this morning, so I was not going to argue with the additional hot drinks.

Our reservations for the wine tasting was at 1:00 pm at Enoteca Pitti, a small wine bar that Anna and Luca introduced us to many years ago, which we continue to visit and recommend to anyone that will listen. We came for the wine tasting as it was Nick’s understanding that it was complementary as we had plans to become wine club members – this dud not prove to be true – however, we tasted some fabulous wines and had a delicious lunch that they pairs our wines with. Our largest purchase to date for the trip was joining the wine club, but the good news is it’s cheaper that then wine club we were part of in California and I’m confident the wines will be 1000 times better. Our first shipment comes in April and I can’t wait!

With our bellies full, we made our way back to the river to stop into Roberta to purchase the two bags that I had picked out our first day here. I continued to look elsewhere, but had no luck, so these were it! We then made our way back through Santa Croce to purchase a bag fir our friend Julia, she commented right before we left that she wanted us to bring her one back that looked like he one I had previously purchased, so we had been taking photos to send back to her. I really like the one we picked up for her but Nick keeps reminding me I have one very similar at home.

We had all agreed that mid afternoon nap was in order before our big night with dinner at Osteria dell’ Enoteca, a new restaurant that the owners of the wine bar had opened. After our naps, we slowly made our way back over the river towards the Osteria but not without stops at two bars for drinks. We first stopped at a place close to our apt, Buca 10, that we had passed several times, it appeared to have a cool vibe and it did. Giuditta and I enjoyed a spritz and Nick an Americana. We then decided that we would go back to the place where we went the day prior with our group as the drinks were a little cheaper. We arrived to find the place packed but with one table available so we snagged it. The same hipster, cranky water was working and took his good ole time getting our drinks. We had to quickly down then to get to our reservation on time.

To our knowledge the Osteria is fairly new and to our surprise it was quite large inside. We made our way through their wine cellar to a back room to our table. The wait staff was wonderfully, we all ordered our dishes and then they took Nick to the cellar to pick out a bottle that round go with all of our meals. He did a fantastic job, the wine was fantastic. We all shared a cauliflower glam appetizer, I enjoyed the coca tagliatelle with boar and Nick the Venison. Nick and I shared the flourless chocolate torta for dessert, which I forgot how delicious it was.

The restaurant did not disappoint, we all commented how nice the staff was, how they made you feel at home, the weren’t pretentious, the good was delicious and not expensive at all. We will continue to recommend them to everyone we know!

Apparently still not full or tired, Giuditta and Nick voted to stop by a local brewery. They enjoyed several beverages before we headed back home where we all crashed from a full day of eating and drinking!