Florence Co Op serves lunch, sells handcrafts

Maestri di Fabbrica 
Borgo degli Albizi 68R    50122 Florence, Italy                                                        

Phone number +39 055 242321       website maestridifabbrica.eu             

   

              I found this unusual store on a street behind the Duomo (cathedral) while doing my usual traveler activity of walking all the streets in a town or as many as possible in the time I have, last year.  .

After searching 4 long streets during my recent trip, I returned to  Maestri di Fabbrica a co op with a twist.

Housed on the street floor, there is a pleasant warren of rooms displaying glassware, leather items, art pieces, natural soaps and creams, a good section of books and even a wine store.

One of the rooms this year now sells high fashion footwear.






More than a Store
In addition to a wide selection of items crafted by local artisans, the shop has a self service lunch and dinner menu in the wine section of the store.    What a GREAT place for a solo diner.  Since it had taken me an hour and 1 gelato to find the store, I was too late for lunch.   But I shall try again to sample their offerings.


For a flat fee you choose from cold salads, a soup and other vegetable or meat offerings.  The meal includes a beverage. There were several tables set for 4 and a few suitable for solo travelers.    Lunch was busy but not as crowded as most restaurants.    I have not visited during dinner hour yet.

 The first person I met when I entered was a delightful staff member who had shared lots of store information with me last year.   .   This year she has longer hair but is just as kind as last year.  AND SHE REMEMBERED ME!   I must be the most annoying tourist that ever visits Florence to be remembered year to year!..........feels like visiting friends.

W Wine from Italy

Wine:

When I walk down the aisles of wine displayed in stores, I always smile when I see vino di Italia.
I will read the label to see if I have visited the region or town where the wine is 'created'.

                                   I had a lesson in how to open wine, taste it and enjoy


Yes, I did just write 'created.   After attending a wine tasting with Yle (Yletour.com) I learned that wine has history, many steps and stages of production and many skilled hands to become the liquid treasure Vino.

And every region is passionate about their wines.  

In Orvietto I had a lengthy conversation with a woman at her wine shop.  Neither she nor I fully understood the entire conversations (Italian/English) but she easily conveyed her love for the popular white wine that I carried back to my hotel.  

Wine is revered in Italy......Each region has their famous wines and wine production is an art.  So it was a pleasure to have Michele show me how to appreciate a wine tasting.  (see video above)

Yltour.com conducts specialty food and wine tours throughout the year.    Her first collaboration with Robertson Fine Wine Tours was this April.    http://www.robertsonwinetours.com/italy/english/tours.php 
Robertson tour cover the regions of Piedmont, Tuscany, Puglia, Basilicata and Sicily as well as wine and cooking vacations.

All still photos are property of Yltour.com

Real Italian Cooking: come to Puglia

A Mediterranean diet has been declared a healthy way to live and as I encounter Italians of an 'advanced' age who look vital and younger than their years, I have to believe there is something to this.

Our expert in Puglia, Yle Sambati the owner of Yltour.com (yltourcongressi.com)  has created the perfect culinary experience for  chefs and would be cooks to experience food preparation from the hands of an expert:  Mamma!                        

Read about the details below and check Part II on http://www.hometoitaly.com for Yle's explaination on the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet!

                  Cook in Puglia: the Puglia culinary experience!
"The cooking class will take place in the spacious rustic traditional kitchen in a country house or in a private home and your teacher will be a Mum from the area.

 With her you will truly experience what “peasant cooking” in Puglia is: genuine, healthy, seasoned with the freshest products.
Cook with locals in a casual and friendly environment:      join this group of fabulous “Mamme in Cucina” and share teaching you some very delicious dishes. Classes are hands – on, using the freshest of ingredients and sampling olive oil and wine produced directly on the grounds.



Guests will be fully involved in every stage of the cooking class. Groups are kept small because keeping it personal make the guests truly feel comfortably and in good company.

You will be given a recipe book and an apron to take home with you.