• 3
• Room for Improvement

Dolce Vegan comforted me as one of the only restaurants in Florence where I didn't have to mutter the question "Che sono qui senza latte/formaggio?" (Is there anything here without milk/cheese?) My eating experience was not bad, though nothing special, either. I was pleased to find whole grain bread to munch on while waiting for my food (it did not follow the Tuscan tradition of no salt, which I've actually come to adore, however). My first course was a whole wheat tagliatelle with carrots, zucchini, and greens served with soy cheese on the side. Though a bit oily and salty (oily, of course, expected in Italy), the vegetables had good flavor and I'm always thrilled to find dark leafy greens served in restaurants. However, my second course salad proved a let-down, if not a bit insipid. Tomatoes, capers, raisins, baked tofu, and raw zucchini lay over a bed of lettuce with olive oil on the side. An odd combination of ingredients that did not work together well, plus I could have sworn that I had bought the very same prebaked packaged organic tofu at Naturasi (a health foods market), that very same week. Finally, I sampled a cookie made with spelt flour, sunflower oil, agave nectar, and coconut. Tiny, dry, and crumbly, I remembered why I gave up most baked goods. On the plus side, all the bakery is made with whole grains and no refined sugar. I'm reserving my final judgement for a later trip. Perhaps Dolce Vegan is one of those restaurants where they only do a few things well. See pictures and more restaurant reviews at my blog: http://farmersmarketvegan.wordpress.com/