Florence, Italy: Nerbone- Offering Cheap, Delicious Lunches Since 1872
NERBONE (since 1872)
An intriguing and passionate tale set in Renaissance Florence.
Homemade pasta
Food made "mamma-style"
GREAT food, unbeatable price
My husband and I went to Nerbone for lunch today. The weather is getting chilly now that autumn is officially here and we were both craving a hearty, homemade meal, but I was in a rare I don't feel like cooking mood. Where could we get homemade food that is delicious, but cheap and quick since we had errands to run. Nerbone!
I have already given Nerbone a 5 star rating on Trip Advisor (as tuscanpro) and I will give them another stellar rating on hubpages. When you go to their stall at the Mercato Centrale around lunchtime, there is ALWAYS a mob of people waiting to get in line for their food. Why? Not for the relaxing or romantic ambiance, that's for sure (you are lucky if you get a seat!). People even start fights in line about who was waiting first, which is actually quite funny. So, why go through all of this stress? GREAT FOOD AT A CHEAP PRICE. Period.
And it's totally worth it, trust me.
Today, we dined on mouth-watering Braciole alla Livornese, along with delicious stuffed yellow bell peppers and a side of fresh artichokes. My husband had the Rigatoni pasta with Eggplant, too. All of it was absolutely delicious and you would swear that a team of Italian mammas are in the back cooking.
Actually, the all-male cooking staff are very experienced, having worked at many of the fancier restaurant in towns. Here is something else that many people don't know. The owner of Nerbone (Fabio) has a brother who owns one of the finest restaurants in the city (Vecchia Bettola), so the family standards are quite high in terms of food quality and taste.
What Nerbone is really known for is their Lampredotto and Trippa (2 forms of tripe) and their famous Bollito panino (boiled-melt-in-your-mouth-beef) served with green sauce (parsley and garlic) or very spicy hot red pepper sauce.
Going into the Mercato Centrale of Florence is an amazing experience in itself, so why not stay for lunch, too? You'll be thanking me later if you take my advice. Thank you for reading!
C. De Melo
Author & Artist
www.cdemelo.com
Lampredotto and Bollito
