December 2006 Archives

I am a little upset since we have had this same sort of idea, but of course have yet to try it. I am talking about a new on-line store called "Florence In A Box". From their press release:

"Florence, Italy (PRWEB) December 14, 2006 -- Artisan home and giftware site, Florence in a Box, announces the launch of an online store at http://www.florenceinabox.com. Florence in a Box features authentic and unique handcrafted products from Tuscany.

The new online store offers a variety of gifts varying from traditional to contemporary designs. Consumers can choose from gifts including ceramics, wood, glass, silver, fine art, jewelry, and more. All items are specially gift wrapped in an elegant box decorated with traditional Florentine paper. Pieces are often handcrafted using tools and techniques invented hundreds of years ago.

"Our purpose is to provide a truly high quality online shopping experience," says Lilla Molho, owner of Florence in a Box. "At the same time people can discover and acquire the finest artwork and handcrafted items available today in Tuscany."

We wish them good luck!

Here are some quick notes about a few things we have had lately:

Castello di Ama Vin Santo 1999 and Chianti Classico 2003
Castello di Ama is very highly regarded and it is obvious after tasting these bottles. The Vin Santo is very complex and rich, with vanilla, oak, spice, and nut flavors (to name a few!). One of the best I have tasted. The 2003 Chianti Classico is a recent Tre Bicchieri winner. While it may be a little pricey for a Chianti Classico (easily costing more than many Riserva at around €25 a bottle) it is probably one of the least expensive Tre Bicchieri wines you can buy, and well worth it. This will probably improve in the bottle for a couple of years, but right now it is a pretty big fruit forward wine - a real mouthful, and quite delicious. It does spend significant time in barriques, and is probably one of the most complex and cared for Chianti Classicos you will ever find.

Visit the Castello di Ama website for more.

We are always looking for sushi in Florence, and the other day I heard about this place Canapone Club Ristorante. They have sushi on Wednesday nights, so last night we walked over there to try it out (they open at 8:00 PM, and we did call for a reservation first). The dining room is pretty cool, with a sort of spartan feel - simple, painted picnic type tables and comfortable chairs, and the staff was friendly. The food overall was very good, the fish was fresh, the presentation was beautiful, and it was all delicious (though the soy was very salty!). We also had the gyoza which were very delicate and obviously hand made. The kids had a great tempura plate with shrimp and vegetables and another dish of chicken polpette (meat balls) on skewers with an excellent smoky barbecue sauce. We drank some Kirin beer which was a treat - I have not had Kirin in years - it is a little sweet and you can taste the corn in it. Overall it was a really enjoyable meal. The only caveat I would add is the price - sushi in general seems much more expensive here than in the states. Our meal was a bowl of soup, a small bowl of rice, one appetizer, two sushi plates (at €14 and €19) and two dinner entrees, one bottle of water and three beers. Total with cover was €105. No desserts, no bottle of wine. It wouldn't stop me from going again, but it is not a bargain meal.

The rest of the week the menu is Italian and they also have brunch.

Il Canapone Club Ristorante
Via Mazzetta (near Piazza Santo Spirito)
Tel +39 055 238 1729