When I first heard the phrase “ZaZa,” I thought it might have referred to some strange dance move created decades ago, possibly performed by the Tracy Turnblad character, played by Ricki Lake, in the
original Hairspray (John Waters, 1988). I imagined Lake’s character
flailing her arms in the air, shaking her bum from left to right,
tapping her feet to the drum, and exclaiming, “ZaZa!” on a certain
beat. Thankfully, I had thought wrong: Instead of the ZaZa referring to
a dizzying dance stunt, it was the most tremendously tasty Trattoria in
Tuscany—a restaurant in Florence, whose food is so good, it may make
you want to flail your arms up in the air and yell ZaZa!
In the far back of a square, just beyond the San Lorenzo, in the Piazza del Mercato Centrale, a neon “ZaZa” sign hangs above the big Trattoria. Immediately, I was attracted, not only to the bright sign, but also the outdoor seating that the Florentine workers at ZaZa refuse to put to rest for the winter, despite the chilly weather. As my roommate and I approached the hostess stand, I thought to myself ‘Tonight, I will be eating dinner in style. Tonight, I will be eating true Italian cuisine,’ something I had not done yet since returning to Italy for the first time in two years.
“You know, I once saw an American TV show where someone was eating a fried Oreo.” This was the phrase that poured out my host in Torino’s mouth as we discussed the difference of food in each culture. I
couldn’t help but laugh. Instantly, an image of Oreos, fries,
chocolate, and dough being deep-fried at a county fair entered my mind.
‘In America, we can fry anything…even cheesesteaks,’ I thought.
The first time I ate at Coco Lezzone in Florence, it was at the invitation of film producer Dino De Laurentiis, who knows a thing or two about Italian cooking: 