The importance of lines!

     You know when you see long lines, especially at a restaurant, there has to be a good reason.   The restaurant is l'Antico Vinaio on the Via Neri.    A few blogs ago, I showed you the photo of a half eaten Porchetta sandwich that I waited in a short line for and ate sitting on a stoop with a couple of Australian girls.  Well. Sunday as I was walking by there (just walking by...I had already eaten) this is what I saw....

You may not realize it from this photo, but  l'Antico Vinaio has two locations across the street from each other, so what you are looking at is the lines at BOTH locations.  (The last little red sign on the right is l'Antico Vinaio on the right side of the street, just to give you an idea of how long the lines are).  So, where do all these people eat their panini???.....

 

(At least I didn't have to sit on the curb to enjoy mine)

They came, they saw, they ate!!   Not only are the sandwiches full of your choice of Porchetta, salami, prosciutto, capacola, but they include mixtures of cooked porcini, eggplant, zucchini. (Especially for the vegetarians out there). They spread each split focaccia with your choice of a picante spread or a parsley type pesto, etc.  Then they top each sandwich off with a handful of fresh arugula.  All for 5Euro (a little less $6.00).  As I mentioned in my previous post, they have self service wine for 2Euro a glass.  It's a win/win lunch!

Speaking of lunch....I'm beginning to think I should have called this blog Angela's Food Blog!!  Today, I was in the mood for comfort food, so I stopped by one of my favorite restaurants..San Michele all'Arco on Via Dell'Oriuolo.  And, lucky me, they had homemade lentil soup with crostini....

     It was yummy and just what I needed.  As an aside, the waitress there is Linda (pronounced Leanda) and the waiter is Lorenzo.  Linda is a young attractive Italian girl, who just happens to be fluent in English, Fench, Italian, of course as she laughingly says Sicilian because they have a dialect all their own.  She is teaching herself German and hopes to pick up Chinese soon (there are no people left in China, they are all here in Florence....hmmmm, have I said that before).  Anyway, in addition to waitressing she also teaches at a state mandated school for 3 to 6 year olds where she has as many as 28 students in each class.  I admire her for her hard work.

    Since I have been averaging 4 to 5 miles a day(according to my Fitbit), and, oh yes, 66 stairs up to the 4th floor, I felt I deserved a dolci with my afternoon espresso.....

Ok, ok, so "due dolci".....one is a small cannolo that I couldn't resist because of the pistachio nuts and the other is a Millefoglia (a Napoleon of sorts)!   At least, I gave up my bombolone for breakfast.  I can't have it all......

I will be going to an art exhibit at the Palazzo Strozzi on Thursday, called "Divine Beauty" featuring Van Gogh to Chagall and Fontana.  I never heard of Fontana, so I am anxious to see his works also.  More photos to follow I hope......