There is another restaurant in Florence that stole my heart, took my time and some of my lunch and dinner money. Simbiosi was a couple of streets down from my hotel and greatly accessible whenever I needed a bite at lunch or dinnertime.
The most memorable plates I have had there were of course plates full of pasta. The former was a plate of pasta con i funghi and the funghi were so fresh and juicy that I remember them to this day. I remember thinking “damn, these folks are so lucky to be able to enjoy all these fresh ingredients every day”. I considered myself blessed to be able to enjoy that restaurant and that meal on that day, too. The latter plate was a plate of spaghetti aglio e olio (otherwise known as garlic and oil). There was something so primeval about this dish, so simple, that it felt like I had been born sucking on a strand of spaghetti moistened in garlic and oil. Truth be told, I have always liked garlic and it was a true pleasure to see it “elevated into a dish”, as Gordon would put it.
Irina Writes 