number one food day

Yesterday was by far the most amazing food day of my life. I've had some pretty great food days in my lifetime, but yesterday was definitely Number One. Here is a brief summary, which by no means will do it justice.

Breakfast: stopped at Cafe Side by Side on my way to school. Ate a delicous cheese pastry, sipped espresso and finally introduced myself to the owner, Alessandro.

Lunch: Bought a loaf of foccacia bread from a tiny bakery near the Arno River. Walked home to make a sandwich on said bread, with salty prosciutto, red onion, melt-in-your-mouth cheese and fresh, juicy tomotoes. I do not even know where to begin when describing this bread. It was the perfect combination of salty and sweet, with clumps of cheese and drops of olive oil baked throughout. Ah. may. zing.

Dinner: Our landlord took us out to dinner at a restaurant that claims to be the smallest restaurant in Florence. And it probably is, considering there were only three tables. Italians usually eat dinner around 8:30pm, and the meal typically consists of four main courses: antipasto (appetizer), il primo piatto (first dish-- rissotto or pasta), il secondo piatto (second dish-- meat or fish) and il dolce (dessert). There are also i contorni (side dishes-- potatoes, salads, vegetables, etc.) that appear throughout the meal. At our last meal with our landlord, my roommates and I weren't even able to make it to the second dish. Last night, however, we came prepared to eat (and eat and eat and eat). Bullet formation... ready, go!

• Antipasto: crostini (toasted bread brushed with olive oil and herbs) topped with tomato sauce and basil
• Il primo piatto: creamy, gorgonzola cheese rissotto sprinkled with fresh rosemary
• Il second piatto: veal filet, cooked at medium rare, in a black pepper cream sauce, topped with capers
• I contorni: fried potato wedges and fried vegetables
• Il dolce: chocolate mousse, tiramisu and THE. BEST. CHEESECAKE. IN. THE. ENTIRE. WORLD. And yes, the capital letters and punctuated words were necessary. It was even better than the bread (which, by the way, did I mention I ate the entire loaf?). It was served hot and plain... not as dense as American cheesecake or drenched in any kind of sauce, but SO MUCH BETTER. If I am ever famous and decide to have one of those crazy, over-the-top celebrity weddings, I will pay the ridiculous amount of money to charter a private jet, fly my assistant to Florence and insist that he/she return with this cheesecake/my wedding cake in one whole, beautiful piece.

So yes, Mom and Dad, I have found a restaurant to go to on my 21st birthday. Now I'm going to go eat some pistacchio gelato for breakfast. Yum.