Made with Love: The Authenticity of Food Made Over the Bridge

By Lexi Vander

Seemingly a hole in the wall. A small sandwich shop resides just over the bridge in Florence, Italy.

Suitcases seem to be the one thing that have the most control in Florence, Italy. For travelers, the first experience in Florence is the treacherous journey dragging suitcases down the cobblestone streets. Seemingly, these suitcases have a mind of their own. Perhaps it isn’t entirely at the fault of a person's choice of carry-on. Nevertheless, after a suitcase has caught the corner of a cobblestone one too many times, a weary traveler just wants to stop in somewhere.

A quick bite to eat on the path to their accommodation, or following their arrival is necessary.

This immediate gratification is why so many people fall victim to tourist traps. These overpriced and subpar restaurants profit off of tourists. However, true travelers know that this is a one time thing. A wanderlust soul knows that the best yet most affordable meals are to be found a couple of blocks from the city center.

Beyond the Arno River

The Arno River played an important role in the development of Florence, Italy.

For those who choose to journey beyond the Arno river, they are met with the true taste of authentic Italian cuisine. There is a clear difference between food made by a person with a passion, and someone who is simply trying to make money.

While it can be challenging to find somewhere to eat that is

focused on their authenticity, rather than their profit margins. Those who walk slow enough may happily find the most divine hole in the wall.

Come Dio Comanda is made with love. This shop is one of the most authentic dining places you can stumble into. This is where the locals, and the travelers meet. A quick, convenient dining experience that will forever resonate in one's heart as a genuine one.

Past the Duomo, the warthog, and over the bridge. Just a couple of blocks from the city center. This is where the true, authentic Italian experience begins. Gelato is sold in closed tins, an entire margherita pizza is €6, and the aperol spritz's are made with love. Over the bridge is where a traveler becomes a local.

The Italian Way

This little shop is run by Dimitri Sfondilias. With a heartwarming energy and a welcoming first impression, it’s impossible not to appreciate the environment as well as the food, and the drinks.

One of the smallest shops Florence, Italy has to offer. Only two people can fit in the shop at a time, making the experience as one-on-one as it gets.

“I love my job because I meet so many types of people, it feels like traveling,” Dimitri says as he gestures to a photo wall of pictures with tourists who have stopped in.

This shop has been open for 10 years, and it's located in San Nicolo.

In Italy, food is culture. The sense of community that they share, along with the freshness of the food that they are eating, plays such a significant role in their lives. This is why they develop a sense of family with those whom they share dining moments with.

The panini's in this shop are savory, and have the perfect amount of crunch. There is a harmonious balance within the sandwich between the soft, melted cheese, the fresh tomatoes, the toasted bread, the many other ingredients, and the love that goes into every bite.

Many Italians often state that "in Italy, it is all about food." They have traditions, and cultural values all with deep ties into their history. The Italian way is to ensure that there is passion, and that the food is prepared simply, with fresh products, and with love.

Love is something that Dimitri is no stranger to.

Strongest with Love

The first sign that a customer sees walking into the shop. As welcoming, and inviting as the man who runs it.

When talking to Dimitri, he apologized briefly for his limited English before revealing that because “the aperol spritz is made with love, it’s a little bit stronger.”

As he jokes to be careful with the powerful elixir he has just sold, there is a sense of realization that the spritz most certainly does have that extra ingredient in it, and there's a sense of wonder if any other

will ever taste as good.

Italian food and romance are intertwined. The Italian people live by the concept of "la dulce vita," which means "the sweet life." This way of life alludes strongly to their roots as well as the concept of Italian time.

The Italians dine for hours with meals consisting of an appetizer, 2 entrées, desert, and glasses of wine. They tend to equate food with love which is why their cuisine is so world renowned.

Through the Public Eye

A traveler visiting from Chile, Luisa Gonzalez shares that she "came to this side of the bridge because [she'd] been told by someone else who traveled to Florence that the food was much better over here."

Gonzalez expresses that she was happy to find that the traveler she had met was right and that the food was much more authentic. Smiling, she shares that she was excited to have "experienced the authenticity of Florence."

A view behind the scenes. A close up look at the process of Dimitri making a panini.

A local Italian, Dante Giuseppe comments that he enjoys Dimitri’s local sandwich shop because “it’s so fresh, and it feels like it’s coming out of the kitchen of a family member,” grinning, Giuseppe reveals that “it’s more authentic than anything [he] buys over the bridge as there are a lot of touristy sandwich shops that [he] prefers to avoid.”

Within this tiny panini place, it’s easy to grow akin to such a kind man as he carefully slices each individual tomato, and mozzarella slices as he assembles your sandwich while chatting.

"Come Dio Comanda" translates directly to “as God commands,” this is a suitable name for an all natural, fresh, and welcoming shop such as this one. Though the more legible title on the storefront is "Panini & Vini," the store is better known amongst the locals through it's Italian name.

When I asked if it was alright for me to take a picture of him, Dimitri smiled charismatically and asked me to come behind the counter and be in the photo with him.

Human experience is the most important part of travel. Seeing how others live: learning, and divulging into others cultures, and ways of life is what makes traveling so important. Trying new foods, and seeing new places is a beautiful experience. However, meeting the people who make the food, and getting to know the people who walk past the breathtaking views everyday is the part that truly leaves an impact on a traveler's soul.

Come Dio Comanda has a delicious selection of panini's for customers to choose from, unmatched authenticity, and a gracious Italian man who makes this all with love and lively conversation. Though it is a quick eat, it is a must stop shop in Florence, Italy.