Tuscan cuisine is basically simple. The most famous dish is Florentine steak (histecca alia Fiorentina), ideally derived from the Chianina breed of cattle, which grazes in the Val di Chiana, visible from the front porch. And with the steak come beans, just plain white beans, which might be made into a creamy soup with parsley and a hint of garlic, cooked al fiasco (in an old wine flask) with oil and sage, or prepared all’uccelletto (with tomato).
Even the names of Tuscan dishes are simple. In the area between Arezzo anil Grosseto there is a soup deceptively known as acaua cotta (cooked water), which is actually a delicious confection of mushrooms (for which the Tuscan forests are great), tomato, Parmesan, eggs and stale bread. Of course, there are wonderful restaurants, with more elaborate (but no less exquisite) cuisine. At La Chiusa, in Montefollonico, not far from Pienza, thè menu is vast and choice, the service, impeccable and stylish. Of the restaurants along the coast, II Patriarca in Viareggio has magnificent fish and, in the spring, a rare specialty, le cée, baby eels the size of kitchen matches, done in a half-dozen imaginative ways.
You can eat full-grown eels from the Arno at II Principe, in Giovi, north of Arezzo. And the list could go on. Most of the experience suggests that it is very hard to eat a really bad meal in Tuscany. Driving to Pisa on the autostrada, reached the turnoff for Alto Pascio just at lunch-time, Tuscan restaurants all over Italy and even in foreign countries are always staffed by waiters from Alto Pascio. In Italy, eating also means drinking, and in Tuscany, drinking usually means Chianti. There are all sorts of Chianti, some good, some less good, some great. But there are also other fine Tuscan wines, like the full-bodied Brunello from Montalcino and the rightly named Vino Nobile of Montepulciano, where during the summer music festivals, all the wine makers have stands or shops where you can sample and buy.
The most familiar white wines of Italy come from the Veneto and Friuli areas, but there are some fine white Chiantis. Galestro is a recent creation of a Chianti consortium, and it has become deservedly popular, unbottled white wines you can buy from humble wine shops.