Dario Cecchini, Your Meat Man in Panzano

The Dante Quoting Butcher and His One Man Meat Show Wows Them in Tuscany

Join the famous "Dante-quoting" butcher Dario Cecchini and cookbook author Judy Witt Francini as Divina Cucina celebrates her cookbook "Secrets from my Tuscan Kitchen".

Secrets from my Tuscan Kitchen is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in preparing real Tuscan cuisine. The attractive book is available online, signed by the author: Secrets from my Tuscan Kitchen, or you can purchase the kindle edition.

Antica Macelleria Cecchini is a must for any foodie who likes his meat sourced carefully and processed by the hands of a master. Dario Cecchini is quite the showman, but at the bottom of it all is the continuation of a tradition of excellence.

You can visit Dario at his shop. No doubt there will be samples for you to taste. If you had rented a vacation rental with kitchen, of course, you could actually buy something and take it home and cook it.

But the best option of them all, is to block off three hours of your afternoon for lunch for a little feasting at the Officina della Bistecca. Lots of the best cuts of properly raised beef (vegetarian options are available), wine and the works will cost you a mere 50 euros or so, out the door.  My impressions:

I won’t bore you with the many courses.You can find them listed on the website. But the last one—that one is the special one. Dario comes out with the clown trumpets attached to his belt and does the thing you see on his shows where he blasts you with sound and announces the bistecca. The crowd, as they say, goes nuts. This is theater, folks, the best kind. And the popcorn has been replaced by real food. 

Feasting at the Officina della Bistecca

Dario Gets a Standing Massage

Before meeting his adoring public, Mr. Cecchini gets his muscles loosened up under the watchful eye of his bull shamen.

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