Dario Cecchini continues a family tradition that has been passed down from eight generations of father to son for over 250 years. Cecchini believes in nose-to-tail cooking and traditional Tuscan methods of preparation. A visit to Antica Macelleria Cecchini and its restaurant above is considered to be somewhat of a pilgrimage for food travelers and meat lovers alike.

We were blessed with the opportunity to put on aprons and share in the daily work of the centuries-old butcher shop. Our day began in the early morning, well before the shop was open. We were greeted by a young man named Tommaso with a freshly-baked, warm olive oil cake who had learned for years under Cecchini. He drove us to the nearby Chianina cattle farm, through narrow roads and rugged farmland surrounded by vineyards filled with sangiovese grapes, the true expression of Tuscany's terroir in a glass of red wine. We talked about the importance of the Chianina cattle to this region and the respect that Cecchini has for the steer. After a visit to a meat locker where the primal cuts of meats are further broken down, we went back to the shop and began to prepare some of the day’s meals.

We spent a few hours in the kitchen preparing sushi del Chianti (beef tartare), burro del Chianti (pork lard used to spread on bread and baked potatoes), and brasato al midollo (marrow-braised beef shank). Then, we were invited to sit down for lunch with our hosts to taste their specialties and hear their stories. With our stomachs full and interest piqued, we passed back through the butcher shop. It was now open and filled with travelers listening to Cecchini recite the entirety of Dante’s “Inferno” from memory while cutting steaks with a meat cleaver that had been passed down through generations of his family. The visitors spilled into the street outside the shop and enjoyed vino al tavolo (table wine) and the sushi del Chianti and crostini with burro del Chianti that we had made a few short hours before.

Our hotel was only about a hundred yards down the street, where we had a picturesque view of rolling Tuscan hills from our balcony. As we enjoyed midday espressos, we talked about how this was the real Italy, la dolce vita (the good life). There was nothing touristy about this place and what we did there that day. We were fully immersed in the culture of a small town, whose people rarely ventured too far outside of their hamlet. We thought to ourselves, “if people only knew about this place.”

We returned to the restaurant above the shop for one of the most memorable dinners of our lives. We sat at a long table with like-minded, food-centric people from all over the world and enjoyed a simple, yet epic meal. White beans, fresh vegetables, sushi del Chianti, and baked potatoes with the burro del Chianti were starters. At this point, we had eaten more beef tartare and pork lard than health experts would recommend in a decade. It was followed up by a carnivore menu of bistecca panzanese (panzanese steak), filetto (filet), costata alla fiorentina (bone-in rib eye steak), and of course, the bistecca alla fiorentina (florentine-style t-bone steak). Cooked rare over open flames with no seasoning, local extra virgin olive oil and profumo del Chianti (very fine sea salt with a mixture of bay leaf, fennel flower, juniper, lavender, rosemary, sage, and thyme) are only added after cutting and right before serving.

Throughout our lifetime, we come across certain smells and tastes that evoke memories and immediately transport us back in time. There is nothing more Tuscan smelling than roasted meats and this mixture of salts and herbs, a smell that still transports us back to that table today. As a final gesture from our chef, we were given the bone of the bistecca alla fiorentina, a high honor to bestow upon a guest at dinner. We have always wanted to pick-up the bone and gnaw at the remaining meat at our American steakhouses, only to give-in and use a fork and knife. When we went to do the same here, the chef working the open flame turned to us and said, “only an ass uses a fork and knife.”

That day changed our outlook on travel and is the inspiration behind Food First Travel. We were not at a well-known landmark surrounded by hundreds of tourists. Instead, we had front row seats to authentically learn the culture of where we visited. And those seats just happened to be in a kitchen and at a dinner table, tasting tradition through food and hearing stories from the passionate voices who lived them.