February is carnival time. The last day of Carnival, (Shrove Tuesday) falls on the 9th of February this year. In all the bars and pastry shops in Florence now you will be able taste some wonderful goodies that are not available at any other time of the year: Cenci (fried dough smothered in icing sugar), Frittele …Continue Reading
Christmas is coming and everyone is getting just little over-excited, including us!
Good news everyone, it’s that time of year again! What began as a special treat has now become one of our favorite traditions here at Osteria di Giovanni. Thanksgiving Dinner! We love the mix of Italian and American flavors and we know that you will too. Here is our take on the classic American meal, …Continue Reading
We have come to the conclusion that it’s practically impossible to travel to Italy and not go on a wine tasting. And we may be a little biased given where we live, but it seems to us like Tuscany is the place to be for a wine tasting in the fall. For one thing, the …Continue Reading
If you are in Florence on the 7th September you don’t want to miss this one! It’s called the “Rificolona” – the Festival of Lanterns. Bright lanterns will light the streets of Florence for an event that kicks off in Piazza Santa Felicità at 8.00pm. At 8.30 pm the procession (complete with bands playing music) …Continue Reading
November and December are special months in Florence! As the weather cools down everyone starts to get ready for winter and the holidays. Lights will go up in the streets, all the high end shops start displaying their Christmas windows and so much more happens in this incredible city. If you are planning to stay …Continue Reading
Thanksgiving Day is soon upon us! Families and friends across the U.S. will gather to feast, relax and watch football or movies. It seems like a perfect time to invite you all to our Thanksgiving feast taking place here at L’Osteria di Giovanni. For almost 88% of Americans, Turkey is the star of their Thanksgiving …Continue Reading
We are so looking forward to Easter! It’s a special time of year for everyone, and we like to think even more so in Florence, where traditions abound. One of our best is the Scoppio del Carro (exploding cart) – just watch this video to understand! And to know something about the complex history of …Continue Reading
We have done it! We have perfected our ideas for our Thanksgiving menu. But before we let you see our masterpiece of a menu – let’s step back and think about why we celebrate this tradition with food. In 1623, the first Thanksgiving was in fact celebrated by the Pilgrims, they wanted to give homage …Continue Reading
Have you ever had ribollita? If you haven’t – you must come back to Florence to try it! There are many traditional Italian dishes that must be experienced when you visit Tuscany, and this is absolutely one of them. Ribollita is a famous Tuscan soup made out of bread and vegetables. There are many variations …Continue Reading
