Lessons Learned Having Lunch With The World’s Most Famous Butcher
As I parked my car, my belly began to rumble. I hadn’t eaten anything since Friday afternoon, almost 24 hours before. No need to waste stomach space when you’re going to visit the world’s most famous butcher, after all.
I was in the small, hilltop village of Panzano in Chianti, in the scenic countryside between Florence and Siena. The region is best known for the Chianti Classico wine, but there is another reason to visit: the butcher shop and two restaurants of Dario Cecchini — a Mecca for meat lovers.
Although he already had a reputation among Italians for his excellent cuts of meat and larger-than-life personality, Dario first became known internationally in 2001. It was the height of the Mad Cow Disease scare, and not a good time for anyone who enjoyed steak. The Italian government had just temporarily banned the sale of meat on the bone. In response, Dario staged a mock funeral in downtown Florence for his dying friend, the famed…
Categories: The Expeditioner