Trattoria
Garga is a Florentine
legend. With good
reason. Not only does
Trattoria Garga serve
outstanding Tuscan cuisine
and wines; but eating here
is a feast for the eyes as
well as the stomach and to
this day is a meeting point
for contemporary Florentine
artists, philosophers and
architects, all of whom
immensely respect the owner
Giuliano Garga as a crusader
for free thought and cutting
edge art, still a rarity in
Tuscany in many respects.
The
atmosphere at Garga, is
composed much like a
painting, a work unto
itself; a plethora of
colours, sculpture, shapes,
designs and alcoves that
blend together to create an
incredibly inspiring space
which lends itself quite
willingly to space that
conspires to evoke emotion
from its patrons.
The vibrantly colored walls
within the Trattoria have
been individually painted by
Giulliano Gargani and his
wife Sharon Oddson, their
friends Maestro Alfio
Rapisardi, Janet Lansill and
Mario Madiai (to name a few)
as well as many other
contemporary artists, some
of whom are waiters, who
together created an
atmosphere of 'empathetic
affinity'.
On many nights in the
Trattoria, opera arias blare
in the background, while
Garga (aka Giuliano), with
arms flying, shouts orders,
bangs sauce pans, chops meat
and sings to his hearts
content. Eating here
is an experience unlike any
other.
There is a method to the
madness at the Trattoria
Garga and fragrant,
beautifully decorated dishes
appear as if by magic at the
tables of the patrons.
The dishes are as
imperfectly Italian as they
are perfect in their
composition, utilizing
ingredients that may not
seem harmonious from the
outset, but which certainly
are. This is what makes them
cutting edge.
Whereas so many Trattorias
in Florence are still
serving Ribolita and chicken
liver Crostini, Giuliano and
his wife, have taken to
serving plates like arugula
with hearts of palm, pine
nuts, avocado and their
famous, delicious spaghetti
with tomatoes, shrimp,
oranges and chilli pepper,
dishes which are fresh and
vibrant, not to mention
delicious.
What
seems like anarchy at times
in Garga's kitchen, in
reality is a road to
perfection. Only the best
ingredients are allowed to
enter this realm.
Emerald green olive oil,
freshly picked herbs,
produce, meat and fish
arrive daily and become the
inspiration for the kitchen.
These elements, like colors
for a painting, are combined
to create the distinctive
dishes of this cuisine.
From the pictures we have
here, on VisitsItaly, do
not do the Trattoria Garga
justice and we hope to have
more photos of the food
coming soon.
