I don’t have a clue what people eat here during warm weather, but for me, Italy is all about the soup.

I started my quest for the perfect soup in Venice, where I had some great zuppa di verdure (vegetable soup) but it wasn’t until Florence that I found the absolute BEST EVER at Trattoria Nerone (on Via Faenza, near the train station). I ended up there because it was close to my hostel and I was hungover. I went back three times because the food was good and the owners were friendly and funny.

In Lucca, it’s all about the zuppa di farro (bean and barley) and the best I’ve found is at Rusticanella - a place reccommended by Let’s Go Italy. The soup’s texture is incredible and the drizzle of olive oil on the top is heavenly. Add a spoonful or two of grated parmesan to the top and it’s unbeatable.

Another Tuscan favorite is the tomato bread soup. It’s like taking your favorite homemade tomato soup, putting it in the blender with half a baguette and basil and lettin’ it go. It looks a whole lot like baby food. And it is awesome. And filling. Ordering it for your first plate makes tackling your second plate a bit of a tough go. Me, I’m willing to suffer, though.

Sunday, November 11, 2007 | eats