Ristorante Vigna Vecchia

Ristorante Vigna Vecchia is upscale yet casual and inviting without red checkered tablecloths. It’s a cross between an Florentine osteria, ristorante, and a Sicilian restaurant not only because of the ambience but because of the menu. One walks through the alluring medieval archway structure and immediately takes in the vibe that their time here won’t only be about the food but also the experience. Pass the wall adorned with aged balsamic bottles and sit at the best seat in the house, the one facing the quiet, opened-air kitchen. The chef is not a yeller or a screamer. He’s composed, polished, and confident with his food. For VIPs, and it’s whoever the chef thinks is important enough; he sends out a tasting menu that only seems like it’s been perfected repeatedly. The squid ink pasta is an homage to the chef’s Sicilian roots. Briny and rich. Without a cliched flow: the appetizer, salad, soup, pasta, protein, dessert, the dishes served at Vigna Vecchia have their own rhythm, and the portion size is Goldilocks just and leaves one wanting more. Ravioli with pine nuts and sage, herb-crusted lamb, and simple spaghetti with basil Calabrian Chile-infused San Marzano sauce present rich, deep flavors without being overly smothered. The fresh sea-salted warm focaccia pieces help Scarpetta the pasta shells bathing in a white bean broth. The crème de la crème of not only one’s time dining at Vigna Vecchia but in all of Florence is the Bistecca alla Fiorentia. It’s perfect for the the carnivore used to his corn-fed Houston cattle, only this is grass-fed and fatty enough to pass as grade A-5 Wagyu. It’s a 50 oz behemoth on a bone that is juicy and tender on the inside yet sizzling with an olive oil confit shine on the outside. If none of these dishes have you hooked, the chef’s R & D dishes, including arancini and fava beans, will. And if the chef busts out his risotto verde, a Broccoli risotto with ricotta ensalada, well, it’s all over.