Trattoria del Pennello

This place is a solid. We were lucky. Literally we walked off the streets of a suddenly rainy evening into the outstretched arms of this restaurant, at the time empty so we weren’t sure if it was a good pick or not.
The waiter/​manager ushered us in with a friendly wave and seated us even without a reservation on a Saturday evening. They gave us time to look over the menu — it was a pretty complete menu. My husband and I started with 2 starchy first courses and then shared the osso buco entrée. The Osso buco was super delish! Probably best one I’ve ever had though admittedly I’m not a connoisseur of osso buco or anything.
I ordered pasta with claims and my husband ordered artichoke risotto. I’ve found several pasta dishes between Rome and Florence to be somehow over salted. This place was not one of them. The clams were small but plentiful and the white sauce incorporated the taste of clams as well. The pasta looked really big at first but I was basically able to finish all of it with at least one piece of clam in each bite. I tasted my husband risotto and similarly, the sauce taste of artichoke. It had more yumminess though, like it must have been made of chicken stock. Both were solid dishes.
But the osso buco was really quite good. It was melt in your mouth good with marrow to spare to spread on the bread! The sauce was tangy and tomato-​ey while not being too sour … full of flavor! I’d definitely do it again. Our meal came to about the low 50’s for 2. We also had a half bottle of Chianti and a big water too.
As we ate, a bunch more people came in. We were starting dinner at an early hour anyway. Most of the people who walked in spoke Italian. I feel like that’s always a good sign.

Amazing Al Mare Salad — seafood salad. It was fresh and delicious. The atmosphere was great and the waiter was friendly. Really enjoyed having dinner here. We stopped by on our way to Gallery Accademia.

My family and I tried Trattatoria del Pennello based on a Fodor’s travel guide. For once, the travel writer and I agree — the food here was outstanding. Its tucked away on a quiet street named after Dante. The friendly service, the quiet yet familial atmosphere, and the mid scale price point all make this a pretty solid choice.
We sampled quite a few dishes. The braised beef in wine was delicious. The house gnocchi was stellar. The lampredotto was salty but flavorful and tender. The osso bucco was divine. The vegetables were tender and not overcooked.
Above all, the panna cotta here is considered my gold standard. Smooth, creamy, cool, perfectly custardy, just sweet enough = dessert perfection. This whole meal was almost magical.

Del Pennello ist eine Empfehlung!
Die Trattoria ist wirklich sehr ehrlich, im Sinne von echt. Kein Schischi mit Kitsch im florentinischen Stil. Der Gastraum ist auch nicht künstlich auf Renaissance getrimmt. Gott sei Dank!
Es gibt auch keinen Gastgarten, der Touristen anlocken soll. Nein, Pennello ist sich selbst am nächsten und das ist gut so basta.
Das Essen ist sehr gut. Die Bistecca kommt so dick wie eine Bibel auf den Tisch und reicht für zwei Personen. Die üblichen Spezialitäten wie Ossobucco oderLammkotelettes sind auch erste Sahne. Beilagen sind sehr lecker und frisch das PreisLeistungsverhältnis ist Spitze!
Den Wein gibts Flaschenweise ab 20,-EUR, was wirklich fein ist! Hingehen und reinhauen!