TUSCANY'S BEST RESTAURANTS: MICHELIN STARS 2015

Chef Roberto Rossi at Michelin
starred restaurant Silene in Seggiano

If you ask my Tuscan native about memories of his best meal at restaurant Silene - the latest arrival among southern Tuscany's Michelin starred restaurants - he won't recite the dishes of an epicurean tasting menu but deliver the account of an epic football game right after his best friend's wedding lunch.  Challenged by a group of local teenagers during a post wedding cake cigarette break, my Tuscan native and friends were drunk and stuffed with Roberto Rossi's gourmet food, but must have managed to look smart nevertheless when entering the village's football pitch in their designer suits. Legend has it that team Armani managed to battle off the assault of the sober 17-year-olds, but seemed on the verge of a break down when one of the wedding guests summoned for a penalty had to excuse himself behind the goal post to throw up a mix of vintage Brunello, wedding cake and homemade tagliatelle with locally sourced funghi porcini. He managed to keep the remaining courses to himself and - according to his friends - kicked a penalty that 15 years later is still being talked about by the inhabitants of the small Tuscan hamlet. But remain from bringing the issue up next time you order Silene's tasting menu - the locals may have a differing view.  But to focus on stars not scores, Tuscany's gourmet classification is still led by Florence' Enoteca Pinchiorri created by chef Annie Féolde - the sole Tuscan restaurant with three Michelin stars. Valeria Piccini is coming close though from the south of the region with her Da Caino in Montemerano tightly holding on to two Michelin stars, whilst Winter Garden by Caino - her new culinary outpost at the St. Regis hotel in Florence - already gained its first.   My Tuscan native overjoyed to meet the great Valeria Piccini  at Extra Lucca (no football involved this time round) The Michelin star ratings 2015 highlight a full six freshly starred restaurants in Tuscany (new entries in red in the list below), whilst the gourmet temples with two stars remain four: Valeria Piccini's Da Caino, Bracali in Massa Marittima, Arnolfo in Colle Val d'Elsa near Siena and Viareggio's Piccolo Principe, which gained its second star right in time for the season 2015, whereas Il Pellicano on the Monte Argentario coast lost one out of two Michelin trophies since its talented chef left the famous hotel to bring the kitchen of the Mandarin Oriental up to scratch in time for the opening of Milan's Expo 2015. TOSCANA ( 1 ,  4 ,  25  ) Località Prov. Stelle Locale Cortona AR Il Falconiere Firenze FI Enoteca Pinchiorri Firenze FI Ora D’Aria Firenze FI Il Palagio Firenze FI  N La Bottega del Buon Caffè Firenze FI  N Winter Garden By Caino Calenzano FI  N Le Tre Lune Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa FI  N La Torre Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa / Badia a Passignano FI Osteria di Passignano Castiglione Della Pescaia / Badiola GR Trattoria Toscana-Tenuta la Badiola Massa Marittima / Ghirlanda GR Bracali Montemerano GR Caino Porto Ercole GR Il Pellicano Saturnia GR All’Acquacotta Seggiano GR  N Silene Marina Di Bibbona LI La Pineta Forte Dei Marmi LU Bistrot Forte Dei Marmi LU Lorenzo Forte Dei Marmi LU La Magnolia Lucca LU Butterfly Lucca LU  N L’Imbuto Viareggio LU  N Piccolo Principe Viareggio LU Romano Tirrenia / Calambrone PI Lunasia Pescia PT Atman Casole D’elsa SI Il Colombaio Castelnuovo Berardenga SI La Bottega del 30 Chiusi SI I Salotti Colle Di Val D’elsa SI Arnolfo San Casciano Dei Bagni / Fighine SI Castello di Fighine For more info about southern Tuscany's Michelin starred restaurants click here. And in case you still wonder about the final scores of the best dressed football team of the nineties - they obviously won (3-1). A victory that made more than up for having to throw out their grass stained Armani suits.