Her name was Lola. Only she wasn’t a showgirl. She was, and is, the only cuoca (chef) in a charming, off-the-beaten-path eatery known as Chicco di Caffé (“coffee bean”) in Florence, Italy.

Desperate for a Florentine experience that didn’t include tourist traps with Chef Boyardee spaghetti, my boyfriend and I decided to rent a studio from a local university student busy writing her thesis. The studio, situated in an urban chic Oltrarno neighborhood near Santo Spirito Church, was quintessential bohemian with a touch of Tuscan soul. Its proprietor, Valeria, was equally so.

Valeria instructed that we dine at certain establishments, “You will not eat anywhere but here. Guardate!” she pointed to our map. “On this corner you will go see Lola and have your lunches at Chicco di Caffé. For dinner, you will go to Casalinga. Okay?” She scribbled the names on our itinerary and their street addresses, more or less.

The exterior is not particularly eye-catching. The name on the window is simple, yet playful. Upon entering, you find a typical bar to the left. The espresso machine is in its proper place; a small refrigerator displays pastries and panini. You’ll notice two square wooden tables, rustic in their simplicity, and benches for seats. Along two of the walls you will find more bar-style seating.

Chicco di Caffe is first and foremost an Italian bar. If you don’t know any better, you will take your double espresso and be on your way. Fortunately for you, I’ll be letting you in on a little secret: there’s a kitchen in the back. During the lunch hour only, you will find Lola preparing typical Tuscan dishes for the neighborhood patrons.

Feeling adventurous during our second day in Florence, we set out to pay Lola a visit. At 2:30 p.m., the two front tables were occupied. Tucked in the back corner, in an almost hidden separate room, were two more slightly larger tables pushed against the wall. These seats were occupied by men in their 20s and 30s, engaged in a conversation that demonstrated they were not in a hurry to get back to work. Did I mention there were two young local girls ahead of us?

Our stomachs grumbling, we contemplated going elsewhere to satisfy our palates and bellies. Just when I thought I couldn’t endure the wait any longer, I looked around the room and realized we were the only non-Italians. We figured if the local girls ahead of us were willing to wait, then there must be something about Lola.

During our 15-minute wait, I attempted to decipher the menu, a simple piece of brown paper posted on a cork board. Many items had been crossed off; it appeared that Lola had run out of tagliatelle. By the time we were seated, at the table with the young local girls, on the same bench, we had decided on our primi piatti. We both chose the tortellini e pomodori. When our dishes arrived, the homemade stuffed noodles were perfectly plump and flavorful. For our secondi, I stayed safe with the petto di pollo. My boyfriend, however, wanted something other than chicken and asked if I knew what kind of meat they called vitello. I hadn’t the slightest idea. When I asked the owner/waiter, he replied, loosely translated, “You know, it’s vitello.” When the mysterious vitello arrived, we were happy to note that it was a succulent veal cutlet.

At approximately 5 euros, or less, per plate, it’s tempting to sample everything on the menu. Don’t forget dessert!

For more information about this kind of dining experience in Florence, read the Lunching Like a Local section in “The Food Lover’s Guide to Florence: With Culinary Excursions in Tuscany,” by Emily Wise Miller.

Chicco di Caffé
Via della Chiesa 16r at Via delle Caldaie
Florence, Italy
www.caffeilchicco.it

-Review by Amanda J. Espinosa (amandajanelle@aol.com)

Amanda Espinosa lives in San Diego, CA.