I tried this new (two or three weeks) pizza place on Lake Mary Blvd and International Parkway (old Peach Valley Cafe spot - they moved next door into the old Panera Bread location) last Wednesday at lunch. They only offer pizza, calzone (2), burrata, salad (6) and dessert (3). I tried a Matteo at $17 for a 13". It was good. Very thin. No crust. Little char. Very full of sausage (fresh). It also came with red onion and mushrooms. The mushrooms were a little dried out. Onions were sweet and crisp. Not a ton of cheese or sauce. I also had the 8" cheese for $7. Same thinness. Sometimes the tiny ones seem not to stay stretched out. The pizza were good. A bit too reminiscent (visually) of a conveyor belt pie. That is one issue. 13" is too small for me as well. Especially at these prices and this thinness. The 8 incher was less than half the cost of the 13. Weird math. Half the price for more than half the size. Usually they give you less of a price break for the tiny option. A large plain cheese is $14. Magherita is $16. 5 at $16. 6 at $17. 12 at $19. Ones listed as "Star" are stuffed in the folded over triangles of the crust. $19. Burrata bar runs $15 to $18. They have one Caprese at $13. Desserts runs $13 to $18. Calzones are no bargain at $19. Salads range from $10 (Caesar) to $15. The place looks modern. White. Windows. Wood. They removed the counter seats. Extended the open kitchen out. The rest of the floor plan is the same. Rectangular. Kept the patio. Open for lunch and dinner. Had some wine. Cooks in white lab coats. You can tell that they take themselves seriously. I didn't hate it. I expected what I received. I was ready to have the reservations (more because of artisinal pizza ennui) that I retain. No surprises. They have locations in Miami, Melbourne and Boca Raton. I'm glad they are here, but, I'm not sure how many times I will be enticed to shell out $17 for the equivalent weight of two or three "regular" pizzeria slices. Maybe the 8 incher now and again?
*Travel Notes (Continued) - Italy (Florence, Venice, Trieste and Padua): I should say that I've been to the first two places a few times. So, I was finding things I hadn't seen or seeing things again. I took the train from Rome to Florence for 50E. There are two choices - Italo or Tren Italia. I found Italo cheaper and newer and faster (150 mph+) every time. They have helpers by the kiosks (offices too). You have to go to an office (and lines were usually longer) with Tren Italia. Their kiosks were always buffering or wouldn't work properly. I made changes with both companies with no issues or fees. I stayed at the Hotel Palazzola (Expedia 7.4) near the station (because of poor weather forecasts) for three nights at $222. I ate a prosciutto (really ham) and mozzarella calzone (fried dough) at Antica Friggitoria. It was raining, so, I did nothing that day. The next day, I walked up past the US Embassy and crossed the Arno at the last bridge. I found the location (one bridge down) of a restaurant (will describe later) on Rick Steves. Too early for lunch, so, I walked down the Arno to Trinta Bridge (this and a few other sites were called out in Aaron's Rod by DH Lawrence). Over to Pitti Palace. Bought a pass to Boboli Gardens for 7E (it said 10E on sign). Short line. Walked that. Good views. In the last Professor Langdon book. Over the Ponte Vecchio and past the Uffizi (been). To the Museo Nazionale del Bargello (11E). Saw many famous sculptures (including Donatello's David which was the first nude since the Dark Ages). Walked by the Museo Casa di Dante. Ate a porchetta and a salsiccia cruda (raw pork) e melanzane schiacciate (type of bread for sandwich) at I Fratellini di Firenze. Very popular. Since 1875. One sandwich would have been enough. 6E per. They sell 30. Through the streets around there. Past the Duomo. I passed the arch/market stalls/wild boar statue at Piazza della Repubblica (where Hannibal Lecter sliced up the pickpocket). And more than once over the weekend. Past Basilica di San Lorenzo. Up to Museo di Basilica di Sant Marco. Closed. I'll get back to that. Over to (and past because huge lines) Galleria dell'Academia. Popped into a free exhibition (Viaggio di Luce) at Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Back to other side of Basilica di San Lorenzo to Cappelle Medicee. Paid 10E to see the Medici Tombs including Michaelangelo's Day Night Dusk Dawn, etc for Lorenzo Medici. Over to Palazzo Vecchio. The David there is a replica. The real one is at the Galleria dell'Academia. Pam Market for dinner. The next day I went past the Mercado Centrale. It was closed. Though the sign said it shouldn't be. Back to Basilico di San Marco. The museum there is open every second Sunday (in addition to the other days). Lucky for me it was one of those. Paid 9E to see Fra Angelico's murals, etc (in the monks' cells). Savonarola was the head here. They have his cell. Up Via Gallo to see the hotel Rick stayed at (I tried to stay here later on, but, they only offered shared bathrooms) and the restaurant (Trattoria Tito) he went to (too early for lunch). Back to center. Had an "Adulatrice" Tuscan Rigatino (bacon) and Gorgonzola Cream Cheese with Argula and Zucchini Schiacciate at a place across from I Fratellini. It had long lines the day before too, so, I guessed it was good. It was better. 6E at I' Girone de' Ghiotti. They had 18 options. I tried to get into the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (will get back to that later), but, I left when they demanded credit card payment. It was cold and rainy, so, I went back to hotel to eat my sandwich in peace and warmth. Sacked up and did an evening stroll back to Loggia at Palazzo Vecchio and re-saw Cellini's Perseus with Medusa's Head. Over to Basilica di Santa Croce by accident. Forgot Machiavelli and Michaelangelo were buried there. Reminded later on. Over river (past Biblioteca). Contemplated Piazza Michaelangelo. Didn't. Bought dinner and wine at Conad here because Carrefour around me was pitiful. Up river to hotel.
Went to Venice (53E). Stayed at Carnival Palace Hotel (Expedia 9.2) for two nights $220. Walked to Saint Mark's Square. Re-saw Rialto, Basilica, Palazzo Ducale, Biblioteca, Winged Lion and St Teador Statues, Campanile, Clock Tower, Square, etc. You follow the arrows there. Go in reverse on the way back. The next day I went to the waterfront in the north (below Murano). I was going to take a ferry to Murano or Lido, but, the weather was gross. 25E for all day ticket or 9.50E for a 75 minute one. Mostly sold via machines. Walked back to St Mark's. Saw the Arsenal. Found a path along the south waterfront towards Lido. Great walk. May be my favorite thing to do now. There are parks that way. Back to St Mark's. Paid 10E to go atop the Campanile. Great call. Always inaccessible (lines) in summer. No line at all now. Greatest photos/videos from up there. Back to hotel. Got a little lost. Had a chocolate cannoli and salame al chocolato (looked like a slice of salami) at Pastacceria Bar Targa. Fried tuna ball, and a fried pop over like dough filled with anchovy and one with ham and cheese at Acqua & Mais.
Onto Trieste the next day. 31E RT on Tren Italia. Italo said it doesn't go there. Maybe just this station (Santa Lucia). I saw trains from Trieste on boards later. Maybe from (or through) the other station in Venice? Trieste wasn't as posh as I expected. More Arab refugees everywhere. On Slovenia border. I stayed at Hotel Roma near the station (Expedia 7.6) for two nights at $113. Went to the waterfont/marina. Canal Gran. Piazza della Unita Italia. Eataly. Walked back through center. Not much to see. The next day I took the # 2 bus (there is also a #4 bus and they said a #2 tram that wasn't in service) for 2.80E RT (bought in a small shop) to an obelisk up the hill to the Strada Napoleonica. I saw on Joseph Rosendo's show. I don't think he started here. I think he drove to where I turned around (Santurio di Monte Grisa). It is a cliff side walk that Napoleon used. Goes to Prosecco, etc. I did about five miles because the weather was threatening. Back to city. Walked up Scala de Giganti to Castello di San Giusto, Cattedrale di San Giusto, JJ Winckelmann Antiques Museum (free). Back down hill to Foro Romano, Canal Gran and Chiesa di Sant Antonio Nuovo.
Onto Padua (because they overstated a train strike) the next day. 4E. Stayed at Hotel al Cason (Expedia 8.2) near station for $63. Had Spinach and Mozzarella Carlocciata (kind of a calzone) and a Bolognese (flaky prosciutto, mozzarella, egg and tomato sauce pastry) at Sicilian Goodness. Over to Prato delle Valle, Basilica and Abbazia di San Giustina, Basilica di Antoni and a park by the walls. It's a walled city. Taming of the Shrew.
Back to Florence for a day. 48E. Stayed at horrific Aurum Hotel (Expedia 7.6) for $72 (60% off). Had 20E lunch of beef tenderloin and arugula salad at Antico Ristoro di Cambi on other side of river. On Rick Steves. Great steak. They did charge for the bread and water though. Down Arno to Piazza di Michaelangelo on top of a hill. Was easy to find. Had signs. Up the hill a bit to Chiesa di San Salvatore al Monte and Basilica di San Miniato. Even better views. Back to Duomo. Sucked it up and bought a 15E ticket (cheapest one) to Duomo, Santa Reparata (basement), and Museo dell Opera del Duomo. At Museo I saw original doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello's Mary Magdelene, Michaelangelo's final Pieta, et al. FYI there is a bathroom on the third floor and a roof deck above that. Had a lampradotto (tripe that looks like lamprey eels) sandwich for 5E at a stand near the station called Panino Mondiale. It is the city's speciality. Not bad. Saw Basilica Maria Novella on the way out. 44E to Rome.
Some other things I sampled: Pre-mixed Campari (bitter) and soda and Aperol Spritz (a bit less bitter). Cheese: Tomino de Boscaiolo, Latteria Nostrano, Toma Piemontese, Puzzone di Moena, Pecorino Cacio Nero, Dobbiaco Starga, Asiago, Stracchino. Meat: Carpaccio de Bresoala, Affettati Speck Stagionato, Spinata Romana, Lonza Stagionata and anchovy paste (worst thing I've ever bought). Didn't drink that much wine because I had no corkscrew and they offered up few screw tops. If anything is mis-spelled or described it is because they did so on their signs or maps. I'm just transcribing. Aperol was 9E there vs say 18L at Gatwick airport. Santa Margherita wine (6 kinds too) was 8.50E. 7.25E on sale at one place. +$20 here! And treat yourself to a look at a singer named Elodie. Weather was hit and miss. Only needed the jacket on one day. Poncho a bit more. Walked around in shorts most of the time. Leaves hadn't truly changed color yet. Vines were all bare. Hotels way less than Spain. Market food/wine a bit more. Varied even inter-city. Aldi was way cheap with the best selection. Most markets were smallish (city) versions.
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