To see part 1 of our Italian Culinary Journey in Florence, go here. After a day trip to Siena, we returned to sightseeing in Florence. Throughout our trip, we visited stunning cathedrals and museums brimming with classically important art work, but this is a food blog, so that’s what we’re going to focus on.

We returned to the neighbor surrounding the Market at Sant’Ambrogio, which is apparently the oldest continuously operating market in Florence. And just across the street from all that hustle and bustle is Semel, a small sandwich shop that came specifically recommended by our friends who often travel to Florence.

It’s a tiny space, maybe four stools at a bar against one brick wall, a few tables in front. Offering four or five sandwiches, specific to whatever is seasonally available, and a few beverage choices including house red wine.

I had a sandwich of wild boar ragu with ravioletti (small ravioli) and the house wine. Unless you have already discovered the Spaghetti Grilled Cheese, the idea of pasta on a sandwich may seem strange. The roll was a traditional Tuscan bread, which is unsalted, but the wild boar ragu was stunningly flavorful and the ravioletti the perfect addition of cheese. It was like comfort food from a childhood I never lived.

If Semel was the soul of comfort food, the tasting menu at that evening at Nugolo was the triumph of imagination. Nugolo was featured on episode 5 of Stanley Tucci’s TV series, Searching for Italy. The space is unassuming, a thin room with a glass kitchen that allows guests to peer in as they pass. We were fortunate enough to be seated right across from the kitchen to witness all the magic happen.

After some conversation about our preferences and the direction of the menu, the wine suggested was a Crocus 2021 – Reserve Vernaccia di San Gimignano, from Casa Alle Vacche. The vineyard suggests the following parings: “Seafood appetizers, shellfish, baked fish, semi-aged cheeses. Excellent also as a meditation wine or with spicy and complex dishes.” Ah, a meditation wine, I like the sound of that. Given the direction of the tasting, this was a perfect pairing.

Our first taste was an amouse bouche of fried rigatoni filled with a purée of ragù and a puff pastry with a whipped pecorino cream. Simple, clever, perfectly executed and a hint of what was to come, traditional Italian favorites reconsidered, reinterpreted, and presented anew.

The first dish of the tasting was cod mousse wrapped in a thin, poached zucchini on a red onion broth reduction topped with a fried zucchini flower and an edible flower. Conceptually, prepared like a manicotti, but in in flavor, something all together new. The depth of umami, roasted flavor in the red onion reduction was a lovely, rich counterpoint to cod mousse.

A buttery croissant-like bun followed with a sweet tomato butter. Few things in life are quite as satisfying as a well-prepared butter bread, then add an exquisite tomato infused butter? Heaven.

Next was a linguine with sea urchin cream sauce. Yes, a sea urchin cream sauce! A bit of puffed couscous, tarragon, and an herb oil finished the dish.

Pearl couscous style pasta in seafood broth followed, served with a pesto “sponge” and dressed with a spirulina whale. Think seafood risotto with a larger-grained pasta for the rice, but all the same depth of flavor. The pesto “sponge”…just crazy.

The poached sea bass, ginger reduction, sorrel and bok choy with bearnaise foam, lemon zest, herb powder. Making the bearnaise a foam lightened in texturally but also seemed to brighten the flavor.

Dessert was a tangy ice cream (possibly creme fraiche?), red wine chocolate sauce, brown sugar crumb cake, caramel mousse designed like shells on a beach, and a couple blackberries. The caramel sweetness was the perfect counter-point to the sour tang of the ice cream.

And after all of that, they brought a “Sweet Goodbye” for each of us – a strawberry macaroon, poppyseed cake, intense lemon “drop” pastry.

A spectacular dining experience from start to finish, Nugulo takes the traditional flavors and dishes of Italy and plays with them, adds new and unexpected touches, which works to heighten our awareness of the tradition. From my perspective, this is what some of the most innovative, creative chefs are doing as they explore the traditions here in the Great Lakes region, which is the spirit of Great Lakes Cuisine this blog seeks to capture and promote.

Two more stops on this Culinary Journey through Italy – we’re off to Bologna and Parma for a food tour and then we’ll finish our journey with the most epic lunch I’ve ever experience while in Cinque Terra.