Mystery Critic
The Best Restaurants Out There - And Much More!
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Il Pizzaiuolo - Florence, Italy Last Visit: Nov 2007 On our first trip to Italy, we didn't make it to Rome. Therefore, we need to find a good pizza somewhere in Florence. It's funny, it really turned out to be a challenge both on the streets and on the web. Thank goodness there's Il Pizzaiuolo = which provided us with a great pizza fix and more. Napoli pizza (which I forgot to take a picture of!!!) is the speciality here, but we asked someone at the door and was told that seafood was actually her favorite dishes here, so we decided to try everything, and that was a good decision. This place has far  more than pizzas and the seafood dishes are not superb but yet pretty solid.
We tried the classic pizza margherita and calzone with sausages, and they are both pretty good. I must say I was surprised to learn that 1) pizza dough was soft, not crispy at all, 2) everyone, including the
We also accepted the recommendations of the waiters - I didn't even know what I ordered - and order the grilled fish, black pasta with clams and seafood pasta. They are well-made, but they taste like home-made food, nothing extraordinary. Just like all pastas in Italy, the pastas were are very good - they definitely know what to do with flour dough! This is not the kind of restaurant you'd be looking for five-star service - maybe not even four-star. The business was bustliing, so from hostess to waitress to kitchen staff, everyone's downright busy and no one will give you too much attention. You need to look out for yourself and ask if you want something. Then again, by Italian standard it's not that bad.... At least we did not end up with any food on our clothes. This place TRIES to have an ambience in an Italian way. There are some wall paintings that show Napoli scenaries, some of the furnitures are classic, and the kitchen staff can be seen busy making pizzas. But frankly, there's not much ambience to speak of. There is a fun and festive atmosphere though - probably because it's soooo packed to the walls and there's a big table of hyper american girls behind us..... VALUE This is again one of those unpretentious Florence establishments that are great for a family meal or a large group outing. The prices are not cheap and portions are not by any measure big, but given the fact that it's a somewhat comfortable place to dine and the food was decent, the prices are very reasonable. The wines are priced well too - just like most of the not-so-fancy places in Florence. BOTTOMLINE For a delicious real Napoli pizza and seafood, and to take a break from the all-red-meat diet of Florence and most part of Tuscany, Il Pizzaiuolo is a good place. After all, Florence is still a lot closer to Napoli then anywhere in the US, so enjoy some authentic pizzas! BTW This place doesn't open its door until 7:30pm, which is unlikely most of the tourist restuarants. But there are plenty of tourists here - you must make a reservation AND show up early, otherwise you'll end up taking a pizza to-go!
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