Massimiliano Parri is behind La Schiacciata Firenze, a purveyor of surprising schiacciata on the Mercato Centrale’s upper floor. With names like San Miniato, Saturnia, Siena and Sorrento, the carefully crafted schiacciata use fresh, high-quality ingredients sourced from local suppliers in the market or from top producers around Italy. While you can find more familiar options like mortadella la favola, provola dolce and chopped pistachio, you may not be expecting combinations such as that found in the ‘Greve in Chianti’, in which liver paté meets thin slivers of granny apple contrasted with pecorino cheese, nuts and caramelized onion.
The intriguing and delicate mix meets the needs of the palette, and by no coincidence. Massimiliano Parri comes to cuisine from his former career as a dentist, giving him a particular insight and intuition when it comes to what can tantalize the taste buds and avoid irritating nuisances like a too-sharp schiacciata or an over-sized chunk of meat that tires the jaw to gnaw through. Each schiacciata is therefore the ideal balance of creamy, soft and crunchy ingredients, with portions precisely measured and perfectly sized, an expertise that is no doubt also informed from his 10-year fashion experience. You may already know his name from the store that lies on the opposite side of the Mercato Centrale, where his vivid tablecloths and textiles are sold alongside an impressive array of Italian goods.
The specialties don’t stop there, with the popular ‘Massimiliano’ emerging by chance. “It was about two years ago when a friend called by around 11pm looking for a schiacciata. At that hour we’d already turned off the fridge and put away most of the ingredients, so I put together a schiacciata based on what was in front of me, experimenting with the flavours and scents and resulting in a unique schiacciata that contains capocollo (pork cold cut), burrata, almonds, quince compote, salted caramel cream and olive paté.” This personal touch extends to all the choices made at La Schiacciata Firenze, like the ‘Certaldo’, inspired by his father’s homeplace, and the collaboration with a close network of suppliers who share Massimiliano’s passion for culinary excellence. Chef Andrea Venzo, in particular, plays a key role in the sandwich’s success, with only top-quality products selected in the creation of the memorable bites, like olive oil from Muraglia Antico Frantoio in Puglia and Santoro’s salumi – choices made after extensive research and years of experience.
Massimiliano elaborates: “I consider these gourmet schiacciata, a word that doesn’t mean much by itself, but I intend to create a Michelin-star experience. When a plate arrives in front of you in a starred restaurant, you don’t sample a little bit of each food, you take a forkful of everything together, because that’s how it was conceived. Equally with our schiacciata, there has been great attention paid both to the idea and the ingredients, so in one mouthful it all comes together.”
The pride and passion behind the schiacciata are contagious, and Massimiliano’s attention to his customers is unparalleled, evidenced even down to the selection of the light green paper that envelopes each schiacciata, chosen so that Massimiliano can easily identify his customers amongst the communal style dining tables of the Mercato Centrale and ensure that their schiacciata is to their satisfaction.
Paolo Parisi’s egg schiacciata
And it’s hard not to be satisfied! The dough comes from right downstairs on the lower floor of the Mercato Centrale. Three options cater to various requirements, with a classic version that creates a soft, light and crunchy focaccia, while a high-quality wholemeal option gives a more rustic consistency. The gluten-free dough suits those with an intolerance, with as many steps taken as possible to reduce contamination. And then, of course, there’s their famous sweet versions. For a pick-me-up or dessert, the ‘Bronte’ is a delectable union of pistachio cream, mascarpone cheese and chopped pistachio, while chocolate lovers will no doubt topple over each other for the ‘Torino’, with its drool-worthy gianduja cream, mascarpone and chopped nuts. Massmiliano ultimately desires that “ people have the curiosity to discover and the desire to experiment with the palette, leaving saying Wow!”.
La Schiacciata Firenze
Mercato Centrale upper floor, via dell’Ariento 2
