{"id":22657,"date":"2024-12-10T07:16:38","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T07:16:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/?p=22657"},"modified":"2025-02-24T13:45:54","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T13:45:54","slug":"dario-cecchini","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/dario-cecchini","title":{"rendered":"Dario Cecchini: Legendary Tuscan Butcher (&#038; Restaurant Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In a place like Italy, both food and history take center stage. Tradition is about <b>recipes handed down<\/b> through generations as much as it is festivals that <b>haven\u2019t changed since the Middle Ages. <\/b><\/p>\n<p>It shouldn\u2019t be surprising, then, that there\u2019s an eighth-generation butcher\u2013<b>Dario Cecchini<\/b>\u2013behind the counter of a tiny <i>macelleria<\/i> <b>(butcher shop) <\/b>in Tuscany.<\/p>\n<p>What might surprise you, though, is that he\u2019s arguably the <b>most famous butcher in the world.<\/b><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22659\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22659\" class=\"wp-image-22659 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Devour_Florence_Tastes-and-Traditions_May24_0165.jpg\" alt=\"People sitting at a table enjoying sliced meats. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Devour_Florence_Tastes-and-Traditions_May24_0165.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Devour_Florence_Tastes-and-Traditions_May24_0165-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22659\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Italy takes mealtime VERY seriously, as you may know from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/dop-foods-from-italy\">DOP food labels<\/a>. And butcher shops &#8211; an important part of Italian lifestyle &#8211; are no exception.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/dario-cecchini\/#Who_is_Dario_Cecchini_A_living_legend_in_the_butchery_world\" >Who is Dario Cecchini? A living legend in the butchery world<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/dario-cecchini\/#A_culinary_showman_Why_Dario_Cecchini_is_more_than_just_a_butcher\" >A culinary showman: Why Dario Cecchini is more than just a butcher<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/dario-cecchini\/#From_tradition_to_art_The_philosophy_behind_Cecchinis_craft\" >From tradition to art: The philosophy behind Cecchini\u2019s craft<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/dario-cecchini\/#A_meat_Evangelist\" >A meat Evangelist<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/dario-cecchini\/#Dario_Cecchinis_Restaurants_and_Food_Truck\" >Dario Cecchini&#8217;s Restaurants and Food Truck<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/dario-cecchini\/#How_to_visit_Planning_your_pilgrimage_to_Antica_Macelleria_Cecchini\" >How to visit: Planning your pilgrimage to Antica Macelleria Cecchini<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/dario-cecchini\/#The_global_impact_Cecchinis_influence_beyond_Tuscany\" >The global impact: Cecchini\u2019s influence beyond Tuscany<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_is_Dario_Cecchini_A_living_legend_in_the_butchery_world\"><\/span>Who is Dario Cecchini? A living legend in the butchery world<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Dario Cecchini <b>took over the family business in 1976<\/b> and wields his cleaver in the same shop that opened <b>more than 250 years ago,<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dariocecchini.com\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Antica Macelleria Cecchini<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He started to make a name for himself in 1989 when he was featured in Faith Willinger\u2019s book, <b>\u201cEating in Italy,\u201d<\/b> but his fame skyrocketed in 2001 when the European Union <b>banned<\/b><b> the sale of aged beef <\/b>on the bone in an effort to<b> combat mad cow disease.<\/b> At the time, Cecchini held a <b>widely publicized \u201cmock funeral\u201d<\/b> for Tuscany\u2019s famed <i>bistecca<\/i> at the butcher shop.<\/p>\n<p><b>Insider\u2019s tip:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">A <b>plaque is on display <\/b>outside the door to this day, never mind that the ban was lifted four years later\u2014or that Cecchini <b>never paid much attention to the ban<\/b> in the first place.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_22665\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22665\" class=\"wp-image-22665 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lapide_in_ricordo_della_bistecca_alla_fiorentina_-_Antica_Macelleria_Cecchini.jpg\" alt=\"Plaque outside of Antica Macelleria Cecchini.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lapide_in_ricordo_della_bistecca_alla_fiorentina_-_Antica_Macelleria_Cecchini.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lapide_in_ricordo_della_bistecca_alla_fiorentina_-_Antica_Macelleria_Cecchini-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lapide_in_ricordo_della_bistecca_alla_fiorentina_-_Antica_Macelleria_Cecchini-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22665\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This plaque still remains at the butcher shop to commemorate the \u201cmock funeral\u201d of<i> bistecca. <\/i>Photo credit: Dave &amp; Margie H<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_culinary_showman_Why_Dario_Cecchini_is_more_than_just_a_butcher\"><\/span>A culinary showman: Why Dario Cecchini is more than just a butcher<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Cecchini seems tailor-made for the spotlight. He\u2019s <b>animated, passionate,<\/b> and more than <b>a little eccentric.<\/b> He regularly quotes Dante and plays loud rock music while he works in the butcher shop\u2014which he continues to do, despite his fame.<\/p>\n<p><b>He\u2019s been featured on <\/b><b><i>Top Chef<\/i><\/b><b> and <\/b><b><i>Chef\u2019s Table<\/i><\/b><b>, <\/b>as well as in countless magazines and newspapers. Because Cecchini works so often in the butcher shop, he\u2019s also the <b>star of dozens of both food and travel blog posts<\/b> about Panzano. He\u2019s become one of the<b> main attractions in the little Tuscan town.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Which is why it\u2019s hard to believe that<strong> Antica Macelleria Cecchini\u2019s fame almost didn\u2019t happen:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cecchini was <b>studying to become a veterinarian<\/b> when his father fell gravely ill and could no longer work in the shop. He <strong>hadn\u2019t trained as a butcher,<\/strong> but left school and returned to Panzano to <b>learn his family\u2019s trade.<\/b> And it\u2019s the combination of his <b>veterinary schooling and that family trade<\/b> that make him such a fierce advocate for the animals that become food.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_22664\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22664\" class=\"wp-image-22664 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/36209690126_11e8619c06_k.jpg\" alt=\"Dario Cecchini speaking to clients while slicing meats at his butcher shop. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/36209690126_11e8619c06_k.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/36209690126_11e8619c06_k-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22664\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dario Cecchini is a big advocate of farm-to-table dining. Photo credit: Neeta Lind<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_tradition_to_art_The_philosophy_behind_Cecchinis_craft\"><\/span>From tradition to art: The philosophy behind Cecchini\u2019s craft<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Like any good butcher, Cecchini <b>makes use of every part of the animal, <\/b>calling himself a \u201cbutcher from nose to tail.\u201d But his advocacy for the livestock that becomes meat begins when the animals are born.<\/p>\n<p>He knows<b> all of the farmers who supply his shop,<\/b> cultivating<b> decades-long relationships<\/b> with them that ensure they<b> honor his philosophy<\/b> of respecting animals raised for meat.<\/p>\n<p>Not only that, Cecchini makes <b>paying respect to these animals his central message <\/b>whenever he has a chance to speak to anyone, from customers to reporters to conference attendees.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22661\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22661\" class=\"wp-image-22661 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/35418204204_4882b09661_k.jpg\" alt=\"Dario Cecchini explaining Italian butchery to his clients. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/35418204204_4882b09661_k.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/35418204204_4882b09661_k-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22661\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cecchini takes great care in his craft. Photo credit: Neeta Lind<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_meat_Evangelist\"><\/span>A meat Evangelist<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The meat evangelizing doesn\u2019t stop at butchering, either. Cecchini has opinions aplenty about the way a <b>good cut of meat should be cooked<\/b> (simply).<\/p>\n<p>In addition, he\u2019s happy to <b>dole out culinary advice<\/b> on any cut of meat you want to buy\u2014<b>whether or not you ask for it.<\/b><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21827\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21827\" class=\"wp-image-21827 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0112.jpg\" alt=\"A person cutting slices of Italian salami on a wooden board.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0112.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome_0112-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21827\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">There&#8217;s meat from other butcher shops, and then there&#8217;s meat from Dario Cecchini&#8217;s shop.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dario_Cecchinis_Restaurants_and_Food_Truck\"><\/span>Dario Cecchini&#8217;s Restaurants and Food Truck<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <i>macelleria<\/i> empire in Panzano has <b>grown with Cecchini\u2019s fame<\/b> and now includes <b>multiple restaurants, a souvenir shop, online sales, and a food truck:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Solociccia<\/strong> is a <b>lunch-only restaurant<\/b> with one fixed-price seating per day.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Officina della Bistecca<\/strong> is <b>open for lunch and dinner,<\/b> again with one fixed-price seating for each meal. Both restaurants,<b> located steps from the butcher shop itself, <\/b>have family-style single-menu dining with dishes that typically showcase \u201cthe way a butcher cooks.\u201d In other words, using the meaty bits left over after the fancy cuts are sold to customers.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The <strong>Cecchini Panini Truck <\/strong>is the <b>newest dining enterprise,<\/b> serving\u2014you guessed it\u2014<i>panini<\/i> from<b> lunchtime through mid-afternoon daily.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">And, somewhat shockingly, there\u2019s a <b>vegetarian option at all three establishments.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Even if you can\u2019t get a table or stay for a meal, you can take a little bit of Antica Macelleria Cecchini with you. You\u2019ll find <b><i>p\u00e2t\u00e9<\/i><\/b> <b>and salami <\/b>fit for a Tuscan picnic feast, as well as<b> jars of house-made condiments. <\/b>There\u2019s a special <b>herb-infused salt<\/b> ideal for finishing a perfectly cooked steak, a Tuscan pepper jelly, and mustard that is good for beef and pork as well as, cheekily, \u201cburns and broken hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can\u2019t travel to Tuscany?<\/strong> Some of the goods are even available in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dariocecchini.it\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">online shop<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21798\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21798\" class=\"wp-image-21798 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome-0007.jpg\" alt=\"Close up of Tuscan salami\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome-0007.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Walks_Rome_Tuscany-from-Rome-0007-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21798\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Order a few cured meats from Cecchini&#8217;s shop for the perfect addition to any picnic.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_visit_Planning_your_pilgrimage_to_Antica_Macelleria_Cecchini\"><\/span>How to visit: Planning your pilgrimage to Antica Macelleria Cecchini<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Panzano is tiny, a real \u201cblink and you might miss it\u201d<b> hilltop town,<\/b> about <b>25 miles south of Florence<\/b> in the Chianti wine region. The easiest way to <b>explore Panzano is by car, <\/b>as there\u2019s <b>no train station.<\/b> There is<b> a regular bus service from Florence<\/b>, a journey of just over an hour.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019re in Panzano, Antica Macelleria Cecchini is hard to miss. The butcher shop sits just <b>off the main road<\/b> running through town, the Via Chiantigiana that connects Florence with Siena. If the crowds outside the shop don\u2019t catch your eye, the <b>building covered in bold red and white horizontal stripes<\/b> certainly will.<\/p>\n<p>Judy Witts Francini is a <b>California-born cook <\/b>and<b> food writer<\/b> living in Tuscany since 1984, and she befriended Dario Cecchini a few years later. She ended up working at the shop, and has <b>written about him numerous times<\/b>\u2014including some <b>helpful tips <\/b>for anyone who ventures to Panzano to meet <a href=\"https:\/\/divinacucina.com\/2006\/02\/a-day-with-dario\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dario<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22662\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22662\" class=\"wp-image-22662 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/51654275482_20b095d584_k.jpg\" alt=\"View of Panzano, a small town in Italy. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/51654275482_20b095d584_k.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/51654275482_20b095d584_k-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22662\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Panzano is a small town and can be easily missed, but you&#8217;d be disappointed if you did. Photo credit: <a id=\"yui_3_16_0_1_1733737788055_58860\" class=\"avatar person medium\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/15174316@N02\/\" rel=\"author noopener\" data-person-nsid=\"15174316@N02\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a>Bob Denaro<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_global_impact_Cecchinis_influence_beyond_Tuscany\"><\/span>The global impact: Cecchini\u2019s influence beyond Tuscany<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Italy\u2019s most famous butcher<\/b> has turned down invitations to open other restaurants around the world, choosing instead to <b>build a reputation in the town<\/b> where he grew up. And, by doing so, <b>the world comes to him.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Cecchini has been generous with his expertise for decades, <b>teaching butchery in Panzano<\/b> to apprentices who come from all corners of the globe. While he and his wife don\u2019t have kids, they\u2019re ensuring that both <b>his family\u2019s 250-year-old butcher shop and its values live on.<\/b><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22666\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22666\" class=\"wp-image-22666 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/53574221844_4352afc02c_k.jpg\" alt=\"Cars driving past Dario Cecchini's restaurant. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"1536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/53574221844_4352afc02c_k.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/53574221844_4352afc02c_k-768x983.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22666\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">People flock to Dario Cecchini&#8217;s restaurant and it&#8217;s not hard to see why. Photo credit: Guyon<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>Update notice: This article was updated on February 24, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Enjoy learning about a country through its food? Join one of our food tours in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/\">Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, or Venice!<\/a> You&#8217;ll gain a new understanding of each city&#8217;s cuisine &#8211; and try the best bites around &#8211; with a passionate local guide. We hope to see you on your next trip to Italy!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a place like Italy, both food and history take center stage. Tradition is about recipes handed down through generations as much as it is festivals that haven\u2019t changed since the Middle Ages. It shouldn\u2019t be surprising, then, that there\u2019s an eighth-generation butcher\u2013Dario Cecchini\u2013behind the counter of a tiny macelleria (butcher shop) in Tuscany. What [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":22667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,67],"ppma_author":[202],"class_list":["post-22657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-and-wine","tag-florence","tag-tuscany"],"authors":[{"term_id":202,"user_id":90,"is_guest":0,"slug":"jessicas","display_name":"Jessica Spiegel","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/11d51fec6a4fdd6e513725e1c75be127?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"","last_name":"Spiegel","first_name":"Jessica","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22657"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22657"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22997,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22657\/revisions\/22997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22657"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=22657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}