enita is my Mamma Mia! Because everyone should have a market mamma! It is difficult to find Sicilian food in Florence. But inside the Central Market, Benita and her sons, Luigi and Filippo, now also with her grand daughter, Tecla, have brought a little of Sicily to us. Pork's is the place to be! Before opening in the market over 20 years ago, Benita ran a restaurant in Sicily. Now that her family is grown, her dream is to run a summer seasonal restaurant again in Sicily! You can take a woman out of Sicily, but not Sicily out of the woman! Many Italian Americans are from Sicily and when you eat at Benita's, you will find food like grandma used to make, and she probably understands your family's dialect too! Every day there is a huge fabulous selection of fresh pasta, from the shop in the market, all with great sauces. Last week, we enjoyed a wonderful gnocchi with zucchini blossoms and cheese sauce. Vegetarians can go crazy with her roasted vegetables! My favorite is the pumpkin, and I ask for some of her salsa piccante for an extra kick! Benita makes a killer chili sauce which she will drizzle on anything! The glass display case shows all her fabulous eggplant preparations, sandwiches and what ever dishes seize her fancy! Benita's eggplants are the BEST! On any given day, eggplant dishes may include: > melanzane fritte - batter fried eggplant slices > melanzane alla parmigiana - Benita-style roasted eggplant with tomato > caponata - eggplant stew with peppers and onions > abuttonata - baked eggplant with garlic and cheese "buttons" > grigliate - grilled and marinated The restaurant is famous for the "PORK"-etta (porchetta), a whole spit-roasted pig from a local artisan. Traditionally, it is served in roadside stands as a sandwich (panino con porchetta). Another one of my favorite dishes, which she rarely has time to make now is fruscheddedu, a Sicilian savory French toast! Feeling homesick? Stop by Pork's. Benita will be your mamma too! READ ABOUT David Lebovitz Kate Hill Paulette Mitchell Benita Leo Piazzesi Gianni Migliorini Germana Conti Gabriele Ferron Osteria Luchin Federico Bacci Gastronomia Perini Romeo Colzi Dario Cecchini Mimmo Baldi Donatella Lauteri Giovanni Cappelli Fabio Picchi Andrea Francini WATCH FOR FUTURE PROFILES!