Florintine SECRET BAKERIES...

A delicious coffee I had the other day...

Ok. So every street corner in America has a Starbucks, we are addicted to coffee... yada yada yada. Well Italians are worse. (or is it better?? :] )Every street has multiple coffee bars, and at all hours of the day you see Italian' s standing at the bar to get their espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos. These coffees are drunk IN THE RESTAURANT (*americans gasp*) and are very rarely taken to go. The coffee is served in real cups and saucers, too. In the morning the basic treat to accompany the hot coffee is a" pasta" or pastry. There are crossaints, donuts, and other assorted pastries with creams, fruits, and chocolate.
These pastries are made fresh daily, but it is not convenient for all the shops to make these baked goods. This is where the secret bakery comes in. Every night aroung 1 am these bakeries open up to make the pasteries for all the smaller shops, and then deliver them. Through the brisk, cool air you can smell the tantalizing pasteries... their deliciousness wafting through the night. You just follow your nose to the unmarked door, and knock. Shady, yes, but sooo worth it. There is a sign on the door saying to be quiet, as it is usually boisterous, drunk, young adults visiting this hot spot.

The man opens the door, and asks what you want. They have fresh pizza by the slice, these chocolate covered bar things, crossonts, and donuts, some of which are dipped in chocolate. Let me tell you, this chocolate is not the same kind they use at home on donuts. It is hot, gooey, and perfect for the chilly night. One night, my hands were so cold, it hardened on my fingertips... (Toto, we aren't in California anymore :] )

It's fun to go to the bakery, as you ususally see people you know there, or walking away with white pastery bags... Once you know where the secret bakery is, you are pretty much addicted. I know a kid who goes pretty much every night, and I asked him about how much he has spent there. "ummmm.... well... probably around 60 euro??" he said, a little sheepishly. Thats pretty much $90. Yep. The secret bakery is delicious.

Other late night food in the area is the Kabob. Doner Kabobs to be exact. This is a wrap, made with a comination of lamb, pork and chicken usually that is roasted on a rotating spit. In the wrap is french fries, cabbage, onions, tomatos, and a couple sauces, one of them being a spiced yogurt, and also a spicy pepper sauce. There are a few kebab places that are open after midnight, but that is usually on the weekends. These wraps are pretty darn good, kind of reminds me of Freebirds, the burrito place in Santa Barbara.

Pretty much the best part of these foods is the availablity late at night, and the trek to find them in the wee hours of the night. The empty but very well lit streets of Florence at night have a wonderful feel, as you know they are full of the hustle and bustle of business all day long.

Ahhh Florence. Delisiozo...