There's a new sweet corner in Florence. You just have to pass across the Ponte Vecchio and turn right a few more steps and your gaze will be captured from a showcase containing amazing cakes.This wonderland has a name: Caffè Neri. I met the owner and pastry chef Simone Bellesi in his new shop in Via Guicciardini to ask him some questions.
Your cakes can be considered masterpieces, how much do florentine history and pastry traditions influence your creations?
-Actually a lot...My father was born in 1934 and right after the World War II he opened a pastryshop in Via S.Gallo in the centre of Florence. I grew up in his pastry laboratory.He passed me his knowledge and I did a great number of pastry courses to update and add something new to it.From 1992 to 2005 we owned the Villani pastry shop, one of most famous pastries in Florence.
In 2006 I bought the Caffè Ivan in Sesto Fiorentino , I decided to change the name in Caffé Neri, a homage to my son; Neri is my son's name.
After, in 2013 I bought a famous bar in Calenzano, the Tucano and changed its name in Caffé Neri,in this way I created a brand name, finally just few days ago I opened this pastry shop in the centreof Florence carrying our brand name. Today I work with a 42 people team and I hope to enlarge itvery soon..
I'm florentine and I am deeply in love with Florence, this is the reason why I decided to open anew small pastry corner in the city centre. Florence influenced my pastry, my SchiacciataFiorentina, the typical florentine cake,has been awarded three time the florentine prize for the bestcake.-
The Schiacciata Fiorentina is a typical cake produced during the carnival season and its simplicityis the greatest strength.
Then he continues:
-Three years ago I became the official pastry chef of the Fiorentina football club, a big honour, Idreamed of it many times.
You can find florentine traces in my profiteroles too, which in florentine we call "bongo". I make it intwo versions, the first one with chocolate the second one with a mascarpone cream. I put theprofiteroles balls in a horn of plenty, as a wealth wish. You can find a lot of horns of plenty inFlorence, the most famous one is in Piazza della Repubblica on the top of the Abundance column,here we have a copy of the statue of Gian Battista Foggini ( the statue replaces the one ofDonatello, destroyed, it fell down from the top of the column). There are many more horns of plentyin Florence, they can be seen in Florentine museums, statues or ancient coins sometimesrepresent a goddess holding a horn of plenty in her hands. This wealth wish comes from ancientroman times.-
My last question is about your favourite restaurants in Florence, where you can have anunforgettable meal?
- In Florence we have many great restaurants but my favourite ones are: Trattoria Zazà and
Trattoria I' Parione in the centre of the city, and Fuor d'acqua out of the city centre,"di là d'Arno"close to Porta San Frediano. Zazà is located in the rear part of the S.Lorenzo market square,here you can taste all typical florentine dishes. Trattoria I' Parione is located in the cornerbetween Via della Vigna Nuova and Via del Parione, its cuisine is a delicate mix between classicTuscan dishes and modern cuisine. Sometimes here you can meet some celebrities. Fuord'acqua is located in Via Pisana 37 r, here you can eat fish dishes only and it's my favourite intown, as far as fish dishes are concerned.-
I'm grateful to Simone for his help, now we have some great suggestions about the "best qualityfood in town" , try his pastry shop corner in town I' m sure you won't forget it so easily.
Enjoy his amazing cakes and pastry jewels, here you can find some gluten free cakes too.