Amici Di Ponte Vecchio

This small hole-in-the-wall pizzeria was discovered by my husband and nephew on our last trip to Florence. While I was shopping at one of the markets for dinner ingredients, they were enjoying a light lunch in this highly efficient space. It was good enough that they insisted I join them there the following day. It's easy to miss because of its size, but worth investigating for an inexpensive, light meal. Most patrons hit and run, standing at the bar, but there is a small shelf running the length of the shop with 4 or 5 stools if you want to sit while dining. I've been to Italy on numerous ocassions, but no matter how many times, have never found standing while eating very satisfactory. It distracts me from savoring the food.

No wood burning pizza ovens here, this is strictly a modern operation, but the pizza doesn't suffer from the deprivation of charred wood. Truthfully it was a decent pizza. When you walk in, you're struck by the fact that the counter is loaded with many individual sized pizze with many different toppings; a nice visual "menu", but the pizze are made fresh, so I'm still curious about what happens to those that were pre-made. Perhaps they are taken out to be reheated at home or could there be a cold pizza culture in Italy?

Ordering a pannini wasn't much trouble, I just pointed to the cold cuts that I preferred, although knowing their names was a plus in the negotiations. This particular Sopressatta happened to be very spicy and was a good mix with the fat laden Mortadella. The slight reddish orange cast of the red pepper was a good give-away concerning the heat, but admittedly, this was the hottest cold cut I've ever eaten. The sausage pizza was less of a surprise in taste, more predictable.

What was a surprise was the pizza ordered by our nephew. Actually the surprise was in the ordering more than in the content of the pizza. Having never tried capers before, he decided to take the plunge and ate a few anchovy in the process. It was nice to see another family member dive into a new culinary adventure, not knowing what to expect but taking the risk. The next day he surprised me again by ordering his first espresso, while we toured Venice together; he is not a coffee drinker, but liked it.

There is no menu link, so no address, but the restaurant is on the south bank of the Arno river just a few doors east of the Ponte Vecchio on the Oltro Arno side of the city.