TRATTORIA SERGIO GOZZI: HOME-STYLE ITALIAN FOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF FLORENCE
The Cost -$15 per person
The Atmosphere – You can usually spot the otherwise non-descript Trattoria Sergio Gozzi from a distance because it’s the restaurant right off of Piazza di San Lorenzo that almost always has a line around lunchtime. The small, no-frills Florence eatery does not take reservations so if you want to dine, you are going to have to wait, but at least you get to look at the side of a basilica built in the 15th century while you do. Lunch is the only option as the restaurant is only open from noon until 3pm, Monday through Saturday. Casual attire is perfectly appropriate.
When you walk into Trattoria Sergio Gozzi, you walk into what looks like a rustic Italian home and its menu follows form with homemade Italian comfort foods like pastas and stews highlighting a regularly changing set of offerings. The busy restaurant generally attracts a good mix of locals and tourists who come in seeking a high-quality but budget-friendly meal, with main courses starting at around $10. On a day that was spent strolling around Florence, we went to Trattoria Sergio Gozzi for a quick lunch.
The Order – Ravioli Maremmani, Tortellaci, and Peposo.
The Great – When browsing the menu, which is a simple sheet of paper printed from a computer in black ink and stuck into a plastic sleeve, I noticed that there was one item whose name was presented in all capital letters – PEPOSO. That is all I needed to see before knowing that the peposo was a dish that we were going to order. The traditional Tuscan stew, which originates from Florence, is made with beef that is cooked in red wine, tomato sauce, and black pepper and Trattoria Sergio Gozzi’s version was no different. The dish is named for its strong black pepper taste and the restaurant’s peposo certainly had that kick. It was absolutely delicious and a very nice way to end the lunch.
The Good - The Tortellaci was the better of the two pastas ordered as a first course despite both receiving the same rating. The pasta had a very nice truffle and mushroom sauce that was referred to as a cream but was, in actuality, not very creamy or heavy. The tortellaci were filled with spinach, cheese, and a little bit of meat, and overall were tasty. It was a solid dish that left us very satisfied.
While the Ravioli Maremmani was my least favorite of the three items ordered, there is nothing in me that regretted ordering it. Large ravioli filled with cheese covered in a chianina ragú which consists of beef from the Italian cattle breed that is sauteed with onions, carrot, celery, and olive oil. The sauce here is the star of the show and could really be eaten on its own. The ravioli were good but were nothing compared to the ragú.
The Verdict – While it wasn’t easy to get a table, the dining experience at Trattoria Sergio Gozzi is worth waiting for. It’s not just that the restaurant serves quality food at reasonable prices, it really is that home-cooked feeling that makes this meal so special - a feeling you won’t get at many restaurants, especially if you are going to fine dining restaurants or restaurants with larger kitchens. Trattoria Sergio Gozzi is well worth a visit and you can’t go wrong ordering the peposo and pasta.