Quest for flavor and famiglia fulfilled in Firenze

I am going out on a proverbial limb with these two nouns by claiming this “quest” is satisfied in Firenze (Florence), Italy. Travel and Leisure recently called this Renaissance city the finest in the world to visit. Having made nearly 60 trips to this jewel of the Arno River, I agree.

The true inherent beauty of Florence is her variety of artistic, spiritual, and epicurean wonders. Nowhere captures Catholicism’s artistic and religious flavors better than this home of the Uffizi, the renowned museum that is Italy’s finest vestige of art.

How amazing is this city’s history, where Dante is just another resident of the famed Basilica of Santa Croce. You can almost hear the music of Rossini, discuss the diplomatic state of Europe with Machiavelli, ponder astronomy with Galileo, or question what inspired Michelangelo to create the Pieta. All these men lie in repose within this beautiful church.

Now on to the quest for epicurean flavor and famiglia. One restaurant encapsulates these two delights with few rivals: Il Latini. For decades, this gem of Italy has interwoven friendships from every corner of the globe. The tradition is to reveal and discover Tuscany and its people. The best recipes of Tuscany’s countryside are turned into dishes typical of this region’s tradition. The vast menu is exceeded only by her wines and topped off with a love of service that features you, the guest, as the “center of the plate.” This is where family truly makes its grand entrance.

You do not enter Il Latini for a cozy meal for two. The majority of seating is by groups of six or more. You might not know the person seated next to you, (socially distanced), but by meal’s end you will be friends for life, or at least until you finish your limoncello.

While the menu is a cornucopia of Tuscan delights, it has at its core powerfully flavored cucina povera recipes, such as ribollita minestra.

This dish captures the rich essence of both Il Latini and Tuscany in a bowl: diverse, complex, yet all achievable in flavor, and available to cucinas whether ricco or povera.

Having brought some 300 guests to Il Latini over the years, I always strove to return to my own restaurants that unique “Il Latini spirit.” Among my own favorite quotes is, “We are vital, vibrant, and powerfully flavored.” Since my earliest visits there, recalling the flavors and aromas of ribollita would bring to mind the times spent dining side by side with folks from everywhere. Despite differences in language, ethnicity, and race, we blended beautifully as a flavorful family. Latin is said to be a dead language because it has no native speaker. Il Latini, however, is alive and well — because, like being Italian, it is not the blood in your veins but the spirit in your heart that makes you il Latini.

JOE MICATROTTO SR., KCHS has been a founder and CEO in the restaurant industry for more than 45 years, including among his credits Buca di Beppo, Panda Express, and MRG Marketing & Management, Inc. (Micatrotto Restaurant Group). He and his wife Connie serve as councilors for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem Western Lieutenancy. They reside in Las Vegas and travel extensively, especially in the Holy Land for the EOHSJ.
 

Ribollita (Italian vegetable and bread soup)

Ingredients
1 C. extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, diced
2 C. yellow onion, chopped
2 C. cannellini beans, with liquid
2 C. water
1 C. rutabaga, peeled and diced (small)
1 C. butternut squash, peeled and diced (small)
1 C. fennel (or anise), diced
3 C. napa cabbage, chopped
3 C. canned diced tomatoes, (preferably San Marzano)
3 C. cavallo nero (Italian kale), chopped
1 C. carrots, diced (small)
1 C. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
4 tsp. kosher salt
4 tsp. ground black pepper
½ lb. dry Italian bread, diced

Preparation
Pour olive oil into a large, deep pan. Heat to medium, then stir in garlic. Next, add all ingredients except salt, pepper, cheese, and bread.
2. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1½ hours or until vegetables are soft, stirring regularly.
3. Remove from heat. Add salt, pepper, and grated cheese. Stir. Add diced bread.
4. Refrigerate 8½ hours.

To serve, reheat on medium for one hour. Add water or bread for desired consistency. Enjoy! Grazie!