Stanley's love of Italy started right here in Florence, where he spent a year living with his family when he was 12 years old. Stanley and his parents visit the historic Florence Duomo and admire the mosaic ceiling, as Stanley's father shares that they brought their family to Florence so that he could study figure drawing and sculpture.

Stanley meets Florentine chef Fabio Picchi at Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio, the liveliest market in Florence. Here, they buy meat for Tuscany's signature dish - the famous Bistecca alla Fiorentina - whose ideal thickness, according to Fabio, should be the length of a matchstick.

Back at Picchi's deli, Fabio cooks Tuscany's signature dish - Bistecca alla Fiorentina - the secret to which is plenty of salt and using olive branches in the fire to give it a very distinctive taste.

Accompanied by professor and guide Elisabetta Digiugno, Stanley goes on a (brief) old-school bar crawl, starting with this bistro that offers wine through its Renaissance-era "wine window." The tiny openings, called "buchette del vino," "don't exist anywhere outside of Tuscany -- another example of Renaissance genius," Tucci explained.

To cap off their wine window tour, Tucci and Digiugno enjoyed the local dessert wine, Vin Santo, with almond biscotti at this charming osteria.

Here, Stanley learns about beans and cucina povera from Leonardo Romanelli, Italian food critic and culinary historian.

Stanley visits the town of Ponte Buriano to attend the Festa della Battitura, a peasant festival that celebrates the cucina povera of the Tuscan countryside. Among the many hearty dishes that the cooks prepare are crostini d’ocio, crusty toast with a topping of sauce made from a male goose (gander).

One of Tucci's favorite restaurants in Florence, this place specializes in dishes like ribollita, pappa al pomodoro and panzanella. "Their recipes are so heavenly," Tucci says, "I'm sure it's where old bread would choose to come and die."

Here, Stanley tastes a sophisticated foam version of panzanella, Tucci was introduced to this restaurant reimagining Tuscany's rural food in the heart of the city.

In Livorno, Tucci joined Picchi at this local institution that serves up a renowned pancake made from chickpea flour.