Casa Masi

Casa Masi is the kind of restaurant truly worth writing about. Located in the municipality of Montaione near Florence, within the Borgo San Benedetto estate, it is a place with a long story to tell.

Where the estate stands today, until the late 1800s (the Italian 800), there stood the farm of the great-grandparents of today’s Masi family, Pietro and Sestilia, who lived with their five children in their large home, now a Guest House called ‘Villa Sestilia’, in honour of their great-grandmother.

Back then, Florence had specific labour agreements known as ‘mezzadria’ contracts, under which landowners provided sharecroppers with board and lodging on the farmstead, the so-called ‘podere’, in return for managing the house, livestock and land and handing over half the harvest. This turned the farm into not just an economic hub but a meeting place visited by travellers, friars, hunters and writers. With the outbreak of the Second World War, the farm, the surrounding land and houses were abandoned, remaining uninhabited for decades. It was only in 1995 that the Masi family, heirs to the San Benedetto farm, managed to buy back the ancestral properties and give them a new lease of life: this was how Casa Masi was born.

At the time, truffles were considered little more than a humble tuber, but today they are one of the star ingredients on the Casa Masi menu, served almost year-round in every seasonal variety, such as the Pecorino alla griglia con tartufo nero or the Tagliolini all’uovo con tartufo nero.

Two standout dishes at Casa Masi are undoubtedly the Gramigna al Pecorino Dolce, a handmade short spinach pasta tossed in a delicate mild pecorino cream and black pepper, served inside an impressive wheel of pecorino cheese, and the Bistecca Fritta con Capperata, also known as ‘Bistecca alla Frantoiana’, fried in plenty of olive oil—historically a vital source of sustenance—and paired with a savoury, tangy sauce called ‘Capperata’.

If you have room for dessert, we thoroughly recommend the Crostata di crema pinolata, the Castagnaccio con ricotta, arancia e Olio Nuovo and the Cremoso al Tabacco con gelatina al Rhum e glassa al cacao, all strictly homemade with care. If you fancy a glass of Vin Santo or Occhio Di Pernice, pair it with Cantucci toscani, the traditional almond biscuits from the province of Prato. As for wine, let Lorenzo guide you through a wine list that spotlights regional bottles from across Italy, from small local producers to the most celebrated labels.