Antica Tripperia Nerbone
Antica Tripperia Nerbone translates as “Nerbone’s Old Tripe Stand” It is a well known Florentine landmark. Tripe stands are big in Florence. It is a local delicacy. And as much as we love all things Florentine, tripe is one delicacy that we have passed up for the last nine years and counting. Fortunately, “Nerbone” (ner-bon-eh) has evolved. Located within the large Mercato Centrale near San Lorenzo, Nerbone not only makes all the guide books, but is also featured in our culinary bible, L’Osterie d’Italia (a guide to local and regional dining in Italy). It is a place to go for a traditional Tuscan meal (i.e. antipasti, pasta or zuppa, meat or fish, side dishes of vegetables or salad, bread, wine) without any formalities or traditional ammenities whatsoever: no tablecloths, no wine list, no placemats, no waiters. It is located on an inside corner of the Mercato Centrale with the serving kitchen on one side of the aisle and a bank of tables on the other side of the aisle. You stand in line to make your selection, then take your tray to any seat you can find at a table across the way. Oddly, it all works out. By the time you receive your meal, someone else has finished theirs, so there is a place for you to sit. Your table partners can range from local workmen on their lunchbreak to wealthy Japanese tourists. It’s the luck of the draw.
There is always a line. I think the tripe had put us off in the past, but this year we vowed to try it. We were also encouraged by a nice American woman who said she ate there every day. While they do still offer tripe, the rest of the menu is traditional Tuscan fare and it changes every day. You select whatever you want. The portions are ample. We both started with a beautiful risotto of leeks and pancetta. We split a large dish of lightly marinated artichokes and a dish of turkey slices in a delicate mushroom sauce. Add a half liter of wine and we were in Heaven. This, in spite of the fact that the mercato is not heated and it was a co-o-o-old day. We ate in our coats and hats. It only added to the unique culinary ambience... Not fancy, this place. But the food was really good. Oh, and did I mention that the whole thing for the two of us came to just under 25 euro? We’ll put Nerbone into our rotation of great cheap eats in Florence.
Antica Tripperia Nerbone translates as “Nerbone’s Old Tripe Stand” It is a well known Florentine landmark. Tripe stands are big in Florence. It is a local delicacy. And as much as we love all things Florentine, tripe is one delicacy that we have passed up for the last nine years and counting. Fortunately, “Nerbone” (ner-bon-eh) has evolved. Located within the large Mercato Centrale near San Lorenzo, Nerbone not only makes all the guide books, but is also featured in our culinary bible, L’Osterie d’Italia (a guide to local and regional dining in Italy). It is a place to go for a traditional Tuscan meal (i.e. antipasti, pasta or zuppa, meat or fish, side dishes of vegetables or salad, bread, wine) without any formalities or traditional ammenities whatsoever: no tablecloths, no wine list, no placemats, no waiters. It is located on an inside corner of the Mercato Centrale with the serving kitchen on one side of the aisle and a bank of tables on the other side of the aisle. You stand in line to make your selection, then take your tray to any seat you can find at a table across the way. Oddly, it all works out. By the time you receive your meal, someone else has finished theirs, so there is a place for you to sit. Your table partners can range from local workmen on their lunchbreak to wealthy Japanese tourists. It’s the luck of the draw.
There is always a line. I think the tripe had put us off in the past, but this year we vowed to try it. We were also encouraged by a nice American woman who said she ate there every day. While they do still offer tripe, the rest of the menu is traditional Tuscan fare and it changes every day. You select whatever you want. The portions are ample. We both started with a beautiful risotto of leeks and pancetta. We split a large dish of lightly marinated artichokes and a dish of turkey slices in a delicate mushroom sauce. Add a half liter of wine and we were in Heaven. This, in spite of the fact that the mercato is not heated and it was a co-o-o-old day. We ate in our coats and hats. It only added to the unique culinary ambience... Not fancy, this place. But the food was really good. Oh, and did I mention that the whole thing for the two of us came to just under 25 euro? We’ll put Nerbone into our rotation of great cheap eats in Florence.
Had a fine parmesan risotto last night at Pine Hills Country Club, our recent golf spot but thinking yours was probably better. Love pancetta...kinda of a singular food group like sun dried tomatoes.
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