Hey.

I’ve spent some time in the tuscan hillside and in Florence.

Dinner Florence:
Aqua al 2 — great little restaurant with a sister satellite in San Diego. I can say without a doubt that the best steak I have ever had in my life came from here; the Assaggio di Secondi — the blueberry sauce and the brined peppercorn dijon is amazing. Check it out: http://www.acquaal2.it/

Dinner Sienna:
Osteria Enoteca Sotto le Fonti is an out of the way place run by a husband and wife team, Britta and Roberto. They make fantastic food for a great price in a quaint place. Worth the walk.
http://www.sottolefonti.it/

Gelateria:
You can go to Vivoli n Florence if you want, but if you want truly amazing gelato, a trip to San Gimignano is worth it for Gelateria di Piazza. Award winning gelato with unique flavors like gorgonzola and walnuts(!): http://www.gelateriadipiazza.com/index.html

Pizza:
While you’re in San Gimignano, go outside the city walls and eat at Pizzeria Ristorante Il Trovatore. The owner, Nicola, is extremely nice and the pizza is outstanding; make sure to ask for the spicy olive oil topping. I can say hands down this is the best pizza I’ve ever had: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187901-d1405799-Reviews-Il_Trovatore-San_Gimignano_Tuscany.html

btw, have fun!

Acqua Al Due and Il Latini are good restaurant spots. I’d recommend renting a scooter and driving through the hills for an afternoon, beautiful and fun way to experience Tuscany.

Festival del Gelato – Via del Corso 75r – has delicious gelato; there’s always Vivoli [Via Isole delle Stinche 7r], which is renowned and Perchè No! [Via dei Tavolini 19r, off Via del Calzaiuoli], the first ice cream parlor in the city’s heart; my favorite was Festival, but to each their own!

I also remember there being a neat record store by the Accademia where people were lining up to go see David – there was a Beatles album in the window, really regret not going back to check that place out to see what other treasures there were.

Enjoy your stay!

I have to say, 15 miles West of Florence in Artimino, that Da Delfina ranks as one of the top two meals I’ve had.

We too were in Florence for a wedding, and came here for the reception meal. Traditional Tuscan dishes with local ingredients.

Then when you make it back to San Francisco some time, you can hit up Delfina, a pseudo-sister restaurant.

Have the best dinner of your life at Il Latini (the true stake a la fiorentina), at the historic center of Florence.

Ah, Florence is amazing!

IL LATINI near the Duomo is great for traditional food. Fun owners and huge portions.

VILLA San Michele is an amazing place to eat and overlooks all of Florence. You’ll have to take a quick cab to Fiesole to get there.

For cocktails, try Harry’s Bar along the river and Carpaccio.

Vivoli near Santa Croce is the best for Gelato.

Have fun

Wander, wander, wander when in Florence. Find your way to the main city plaza, then take some time to really get lost among the churches, side streets, and architecture. You can always hail a cab back to the hotel if you’ve lost your sense of direction. The best way to see Italy is to wander among the people as if you were one, explore a cafe and fumble while ordering a coffee, and simply enjoy how different time slips by there.