For those that love truffles, consider this place heaven! I have NEVER seen more truffles in my life! First off, this teeny little locals spot is about a 5-10 minute taxi ride from the center of Florence. Some have said they’ve walked but at night I would recommend the ride. Reservations are a must and don’t expect to see any tourists here. “Tre Panche” translates to three benches which is exactly how much space there is in this restaurant – it’s small! It’s truly a hidden gem.

Because we were only in Florence for a few nights, we indulged in every meal. We ordered way too much but I have no regrets. There are definitely dishes I would recommend, and others that I would say you can skip. For water, 2 bottles of wine (yes…we had 2 bottles of wine:)) and 7 dishes, our meal ended up being €148 which is about $192. The truffle beef tartare was exactly what you would expect – a delicious starter to the meal. The artichoke pie with truffles was very good! Large enough for a group to share and smothered with truffles. The cheese ravioli with fresh truffle was rich and creamy as it should be. Not something I could eat an entire plate of but perfect to share with someone. The cheesecake for dessert is a MUST!!! It’s unbelievable! I’m not even sure how to give it justice so just know that you need to save room for it:) Truly the best I’ve ever had!!!

Dishes to skip are any without truffles…well, maybe that’s just me:) As much as I love ragu, this one was over salted which was a shame because we probably would have eaten the entire plate no problem. I would probably give it a second chance though. The fried veal milanese was a disappointment. It was pounded so thin that after being breaded and deep fried – you couldn’t even taste the veal. I wanted it to be great but it was a definite miss.

Next time you’re in Florence, make this a must but shhh…don’t tell too many people about it!

Laurelhurst Market – Portland, OR

May 15, 2012

American, Portland

1 Comment

Laurelhurst Market – Portland, OR

On a quick trip down to Portland I did a little restaurant research without any suggestions and stumbled upon Laurelhurst Market. GREAT choice!!! It’s got that neighborhood feel all the while being super current and hip! Everything we ate was divine. Not one morsel was left on the plate. And because there were 6 of us we were able to order a lot of shared plates to get a better idea of what this place has to offer.

We started with the charcuterie plate which was a must considering they have their own butcher shop attached to the restaurant. Wow…that’s all I’ve got to say:) Next were the deviled eggs topped with pork belly. Really?! I think we all could have eaten a lot of those:) There was some mac & cheese, fried cauliflower (amazing!), steaks, fish and then dulce de leche cheesecake to finish…whoa!

If I were back in Portland I would definitely want to go here soon and I would feel very confident recommending this spot to anyone!

Charcuterie Plate

Steak Tartare – vodka, chives, shallot, farm yolk

Marrow Bones – toasted soft pretzel, pickled mustard seeds

Deviled “Dancing Chicken Farm” Eggs – braised tasso ham, pickled fennel

Shrimp & Grits – griddled scrapple, gulf shrimp, cauliflower chow chow, spring shoots salad

Queets River Steelhead

Mac & Cheese with Tim’s Chip Crust

Braised Local Kale with Housemade Bacon

Fried Cauliflower with Parsley, Lemon & Caper – on cauliflower puree

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Harvest Vine – Seattle, WA

April 18, 2012

Seattle, Spanish

2 Comments

Harvest Vine – Seattle, WA

Harvest Vine has long been a favorite of mine in Seattle – but under specific conditions. If I can’t sit on the top floor of the restaurant, I’d rather just go back another time. I know that might sound picky of me but if you’ve been there before then I think you can understand where I’m coming from. The bottom section of the restaurant doesn’t have nearly the same appeal that the top section does. The best seat in the house (in my opinion) is at the bar where you’ve got a front row seat to all the action. It’s like watching a symphony right in front of your eyes but rather than instruments being played the chefs sing and whistle while plating gorgeous dishes from the smallest and cutest little sauté pans that you’ve ever seen.

During the summer on warm nights the garage door walls are rolled up and you’re able to fully enjoy a beautiful Seattle summer night. It’s a great spot year round and should definitely be on the top of your list if you haven’t already been there.

If you’re a beet fan definitely get the beets to start. You’ll want to sop up all the yummy olive oil and vinegar with bread once the beets are gone. If mushrooms are on the menu get those for sure! You really can’t go wrong here. I’m always amazed at the wonderful creations the make and each time I go back there’s a new menu.