We got invited to Alberto's apartment for a "cena toscana" (Tuscan meal) with lampredotto (a Florentine tripe dish) and trippa alla Fiorentina (Florentine-style tripe). It was Dave's first time to eat tripe and probably his last.
We arrived with chocolates. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to make dessert or not, but I did know that it would have to be something light since the tripe would be quite heavy.
Alberto and Adriana invited another couple and Alberto's son. We all ate and everyone watched as Dave tasted the lampredotto. I have already eaten it before and I lived in Lyon, France for a year as an exchange student where they eat a lot of tripe.
They brought us bread to make a panino (sandwich) like the street vendors do in Florence. We dipped the bread in the broth, added some oil and pepperoncino and put some lampredotto inside. Adriana made her own salsa verde (a green sauce made with basil, garlic, and olive oil) that we could eat with it as well. We washed it all down with chianti that Alberto’s friends brought. They have a fattoria (farm) where they produce oil and wine.
We had a great evening, but I think Dave has eaten his last panino al lampredotto (tripe sandwich). As my niece JJ would say, "It's good to try."
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