Welcome to part two of the Italian Om Nom series! This post focuses on some of the other meals enjoyed in Italy, non-pasta/pizza related. While Florence lacked diversity in the form of Asian restaurants (and the few Chinese/Japanese restaurants that did exist were too expensive to justify eating at), the city did have quite a few gyro locations, which quickly became favorite places to pick up a relatively cheap bite. Slices of meat would be sheared off the rotating rack of lamb meat and rolled into a burrito with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, delicious sauce, and my personal favorite – french fries!
Breaded and deep fried pork cutlet with roasted tomato bits and red onions on top
Cuts of salami, chunks of tomatoes, olives, and green chili peppers atop a bed of arugula (?) leaves
It’s difficult to remember now seeing how I had this over two years ago..but I believe this was a lamb dish
Yummy roast chicken with potatoes! We got this as part of the 10 euro lunch special served with an appetizer and dessert
Finally some seafood in my diet! Yummy mussels during my trip to Sorrento, perfectly dressed with freshly squeezed lemon juice
An American breakfast in Florence! Omelet with potatoes (look quite a bit burnt)
Tripe soup with parmesan cheese on top. Tripe was quite popular in Florence..hmhm…delicious tripe sandwiches from Mercato Centrale..
The first picture in this series features one of the cutest aperitivos we attended. In order to save money on dinner, we would often go to bars during “happy hour” for drinks and free food. Aperitivo in Italy is where you buy your drinks at the bar/lounge and then have access to the buffet. Quality varies from place to place. One lounge might just offer baskets of chips and bite-sized pizza chunks while another offers a wide assortment of cured meats, pasta, and vegetables. For a more extensive guide, check out Aperitivo in Italy: How to Eat for Free (Kind Of)
I've been told that a certain smile breaks across my face whenever the subject of food is brought up, a smile that radiates the purest forms of delight and happiness. Food transcends beyond the smell and taste of what's presented in front of me; it's an experience to be enjoyed, indulged, shared with those I love. Working and living in NYC continually opens culinary doors, from hole-in-the-walls to upscale (even stuffy) dining. I never take any morsel of food for granted, and I'm often THAT girl at the table found licking her plate at the end of the meal.
