25-01-2024
Italian-Argentinian chef Paulo Airaudo, two stars in San Sebastian, now stars with his voluptuous cuisine also in Florence, at Luca's restaurant in boutique hotel La Gemma
As in a game of matryoshkas, one gem hides the other. The biggest one is the 19th-century Palazzo Paoletti between Via Calimala, Via dei Cavalieri and Via dei Lamberti, a stone's throw from Piazza della Signoria, right in the heart of Florence's historic centre: until 2021 it housed a Zara department store, then the effect of lockdowns prompted the clothing multinational to close its doors. The Florentine Cecchi family, active for two decades in the real estate brokerage business, seized this opportunity, immediately taking over the building and converting it, after major works completed in record time, into a structure dedicated to high-end hospitality, a boutique hotel with five floors, 23 spacious rooms and 16 suites/apartments, all furnished in Art Deco style contaminated by contemporary design elements. A gem of beauty.
The five Cecchi brothers (with the girlfriend of one of them)
Images of La Gemma in Florence
Paulo Airaudo
WORTH THE TRIP – An outstanding dish, worth the trip alone: homemade cappelletto stuffed with pigeon, thyme butter sauce. Simplicity, absolute flavour
The resident chefs at Luca's are Olivia Cappelletti and Tommaso Querini. They manage a great kitchen, while in the dining room we enjoyed the courteous professionalism of Nemad 'Nicola' Ametovic, a Florentine of Serbian origin
Luca's dining room
Breakfast at La Gemma is of great gastronomic quality, well done
Homemade fresh pasta tagliolini with Carnia butter sauce with anchovies, lemon and caviar, one of Airaudo's classics
This Risotto with pumpkin, 'nduja oil, nasturtium dressing, lemon, nasturtium leaves and lobster is very, very interesting. The sweetness of the pumpkin and lobster are in contrast with the spiciness and smokiness of the 'nduja. Delicious
Monkfish, white turnip, telline (seafood), beetroot, bagna cauda, trout roe, another wonderful dish, like cappelletti. You can really tell there’s been 72 hours of maturation. But it has a flaw: it is borderline savoury
Pigeon breast, onion puree, maitake mushroom, duck fat and Colonnata lard, toasted onion petal with spring onion oil. Delicious. Pre-dessert and dessert (Goat cheese flan, plums, oat waffles and honey and Jerusalem artichoke puree, pistachio crumble, white chocolate ice cream, almond air, crispy Jerusalem artichoke skin, both very good)
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
An outdoor trip or a journey to the other side of the planet? One thing is for sure: the destination is delicious, by Carlo Passera
by
journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief
Paulo Airaudo in the video on Identità Golose on the road. The online platform will be active until the end of March 2021, for info and registrations, click here