Osteria, Florence Brick Oven Restaurants Discuss Osteria, Florence in the Restaurant Reviews forums; This is my kind of pizzeria. The hours are "always open from 10AM to late at night." The pizza was ...

[james]

This is my kind of pizzeria. The hours are "always open from 10AM to late at night." The pizza was great. 8.5 on a 10 scale.

It is a small add-on to a very nice traditional (and expensive )Tuscan restraurant off piazza Santa Croce. The oven is wood fired with a turning floor, so the pizzaiolo doesn't have to turn the pizzas. The oven was hot and they were cooking two minute pizzas. The pizzeria itself in tiny, with a couple of tables, though they let you spill over to the back room of the restaurant if there is space.

The pizzaiolo is a real character, singing and greeting everyone who walks in the door. There was still a line on a Thurs evening at 9:30PM.

The feeling in very Napoletana. He makes three pizzas: Margherita, Napoletana (anchovies and capers) and Marinara (red only). Only red wine by the glass, beer and coke -- and San Pelegrino. 8 Euro per pizza.

The pizza base was perfect. Dark brown and smokey, a huge puffy cornice, the pizza was pliable, not hard or crusty -- you could fold it without it cracking, but it was still crunchy to each. Moist on the inside. It was a little salty, but for me, it worked.

The ingredients were great. Nice tomato sauce, high quality cow mozzarella and good (real) extra virgin olive oil. They had extra bottles of the EVO around, where you could add a little more before you eat your pizza -- which a lot of people do.

There was no comparison to the pizza at La Piazetta last week -- which has a nice big wood-fired oven. It goes to show that dough prep and handling, and the quality of your ingredients are huge in how your pizza comes out.

I would recommend it if you come here on vacation. The pizza is good, and the oven is fun to watch.
James

[vitoduke]

Hi James---I hope your having a great time in Florence. Is this restaurant Osteria Cibreo on Via de' Macci? Fran and I are going to be in Italy in 3 weeks and want to try this place for the pizza. How much longer are you going to be there? THANKS---Mel

[jjerrier]

One of the ovens we are installing in Texas is going to be a rotating oven. I have not seen them in action but heard they are very cool. James can you get a pic of the rotating oven if possible?

Jay

[james]

There are a couple of them here in Italy. Which one are you looking at? I am attaching a couple of photos to this. The second one raises up and down -- though I'm not really sure of the advantage of that.

Interestingly, Forno Bravo is concluding an agreement to import an excellent line of fully assembled ovens to the states that includes traditional and turning ovens, in both wood and gas. I am very impressed with the producer, and we got the introduction through our pizza tool producer -- so they come very highly recommended.

There is a lot more to come on this -- this is an exciting development for Forno Bravo.

Check out the photos.

Mel, when are you thinking of coming? We're here for a while -- not really sure when we are coming back. Let me know when you are cooming this way, and we can come up with some good leads. We even have a restaurant speadsheet. The right name for restaurant is Osteria Caffe Italiano.

I am guessing Drake will have some good leads when he gets back from Greve, Lucca, etc.

James

[DrakeRemoray]

Oh, I am back and I ate in some excellent restaurants. I am trying to get over jet-lag and write them up...

[vitoduke]

Hi James---We are going to be in Florence November 15,16,17,18. Prior to that we are in Rome for 4 days, and then a farm house on the Tuscany - Umbria border. We are really looking forward to it.---Mel

[florencecity]

there is nothing guys as a pizza cooked in a wood fired oven.... just tastes different... crunchy and yummie...