La Bottega di Rosa, Florence

We would never have picked this place out if it hadn't been the first day of our trip, we were more than a little sleep deprived after our trans-Atlantic flight, and it was recommended by the owner of the apartment that we had rented as an option that was on the block. I read reviews on Trip Advisor and while it is rated about a third of the way down the voluminous number of Florence restaurants, nothing outweighed the proximity--and the fact that they open at 7:00 pm instead of the more usual 7:30 (on a night where another 30 minutes sounded overwhelming). The food was wonderful. My absolute favorite of the four things that we got was the polenta ravioli. I love polenta and I wouldn't have thought to stuff it into ravioli, but it was an inspired marriage. My spouse's favorite dish was veal cheeks, which were served with a roasted onion that was drizzled with reduced balsamic vinegar after being cut in sixths. The veal cheeks are a wonderful example of what Chianti and a long afternoon on the stove can do for a tough cut of meat. They were full of flavor, and the combination with the sweet and savory onion was excellent. The third place item was tagliatelle with asparagus--which were both cooked to perfection, and if we had only this we would have been very happy with the meal. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very romantic, with candle light on every table and encircling the room. I love a fully lit candelabra, and they were in abundance here. Very nice.