La Toscana: Italian Tradition in Davao

By: Abigail Castro  of davaofoodguide.blogspot.com

La Toscana is a culinary institution in Davao. Even when many other new Italian restaurants have sprung up in the city, it still manages to bring in customers who have come to love their freshly prepared Italian cuisines. 

A few months ago, E & I tried this restaurant for the first time – a long overdue visit because I’d been eyeing it for so long. But anyways, I was definitely worth the wait. You can’t go wrong with quality food and quality service. 

We were served Tuscan bread with butter and some dips as complimentary so we’d have something to munch on while waiting for our order. This was a light appetizer that is a great start to a meal – just enough to whet your appetite for the full course ahead.

Halfway through enjoying, our orders were served. I was excited how our choices would be like because it seriously took us a long time to finalize what to get. That’s one of the best things about La Toscana – they have lots of options in their menu! Their pasta selection alone could beat any other restaurant’s entire menu (no kidding!).

Back to our orders, E picked our pasta dish for the night – Toscana Matriciana. This is a very simple pasta dish – but don’t let your eyes deceive you. The pasta is cooked just right and the seasoning is subtly good. I had to commend E for his pick – this one’s highly recommended.

For the pizza, we had Capriciosa. Again, there were lots of options on their pizza but we picked this one mainly because it consisted of our favorite topping choices – ham, mushroom, marinara sauce, mozzarella, and olives.

We ended this wonderful meal with tiramisu. This frozen cake isn’t extraordinary but it is good.

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Caffe Firenzo: Exploring Their Culinary                  Offerings

By: Abigail Castro of davaofoodguide.blogspot.com

Caffe Firenzo is one of the most well known coffee shops in Davao with branches in Damosa and Quirino Street. When they first opened branch in the city, they were known for their caffeinated beverages and fast WiFi connectivity. But when I had the chance to visit them as of late for dinner time, I had the opportunity to explore their food offerings that were way better than I had expected for it to be. 

Let's start off with their pizza... the Cheeseburger Pizza. I forgot to make note of its price, but this one is available for roughly PhP 250 - a serving that is good for two. Love the crust on this pizza because it is thin and crunchy! Plus, the topping consists of mozarella cheese that are beautifully melted on the top, onion rings, and ground beef. I haven't had the chance to try their other pizza toppings, but if I happen to drop by Caffe Firenzo again and want to eat pizza, I will have no doubt about ordering this again. 

Another dish that is worth a try is their Garlic Pesto Pasta. This dish is all about simplicity and subtlety of flavors. I love basil and olive oil, so there is not a question in my mind that I am going to enjoy any dish with pesto! The pasta is also cooked to perfection. I could eat pasta this good everyday!

And speaking of pasta, Caffe Firenzo offers another unique way to serve up Spaghetti with Meatballs. I've already noted how I love Grub Resto Cafe's spaghetti but this one is just as good. The meatball is also amazing - very tender and flavorful! There is a pepper-y hint to the taste of the spaghetti sauce which I really dig. 

Here is another unique offering from Caffe Firenzo: Stuffed Pork Chop. Like the spaghetti, it also comes with a strong and potent flavor, which I think meat lovers will appreciate. It is a great new twist to eating your pork chop.

The last, and least, favorite dish from Caffe Firenzo would have to be (well, not technically a dish but an appetizer) their Onion Rings. The onion was sweet, though, but the batter was poorly made. It wasn't crunchy at all; in fact, it soaked up too much oil that it ended up being too greasy for my liking. The solution? We removed the batter and justate the onions by itself. Yum!

Please note that I've tried only their Quirino branch. All the photos and dishes featured here are from the aforementioned branch. You can check them out right across Central Bank in Quirino Street, Davao City.

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