Yummmmmmmmmmm, I have found a restaurant in the center that is tourist convenient without being tourist oriented. How uncommon is this you may wonder; the proverbial needle in the haystack is as many grains of sand on the beach in comparison. I had actually passed by on numerous occasions and not ventured in strictly because it was so tourist convenient. I was very surprised to be taken there as a destination when we went.

But, my prejudices were unfounded, (insert blush emoticon here) and we had a wonderful meal. The décor was typical Italian trattoria and the space was exceptionally cozy. The staff was friendly and I was amazed at how effortlessly and perfectly the dinner was timed; this is difficult to accomplish when one person eats like a Hoover and the other person eats like a snail. Plus, they happily accommodated time for a “cigarette course” in addition to the other three courses.

The wine selection was fairly extensive and included quite a few SuperTuscans in addition to the typical range of Chiantis and other Italian regional selections. A big plus was also the wine served at cellar temperature. The pasta was absolutely perfect, as were the assorted crostini, even the tomatoes were great, which is not typical in winter. The chicken, sadly, was not perfect, but just slightly overdone, but I believe that had something to do with my snail pace of consumption. The dessert selection was typical, and we both decided on the Vin Santo with biscotti and had a little granite, which was the perfect way to end a great meal.

If you are in the historical center I highly recommend Mamma Mia’s. It is literally a few minutes walking distance from nearly anything, the Uffizi, the Punto Vecchio, Piazza della Republica and Piazza della Signoria and the shopping along Tournabuoni. It is tucked in a little corner of the Piazza del Mercato Nuovo (where you buy trinkets and rub the nose of the wild boar) so it may take just a moment to find, but it is definitely worth it.

Piazza del Mercato Nuovo 18/r

50123 Firenze – Tel. 055 280594

www.mammamiafirenze.it.