The Picturesque Tuscan Farm Where Rick Steves Ate The Best Meal Of His Career

Most people know Rick Steves as a prolific travel writer who's journeyed and dined across the globe for decades, particularly in Europe. He's eaten in Michelin-starred dining rooms, colorful street markets, and tiny trattorias tucked into winding cobblestoned alleyways. With likely thousands of meals abroad over his lifetime, little slows him down – except perhaps a long, leisurely meal in the Tuscan countryside, earning a nod as what he considered the best meal of his life. 

There was no trendy restaurant involved, rather a family farmhouse where he was welcomed not merely as a guest, but as an extension of the family and community that grew the food on his plate. It wasn't just any farmhouse, instead being a historic family estate nurtured and loved for generations by the aristocratic Gori family. In his account of the dining experience, Steves declares that "aristocratic elegance survives in Tuscany," describing it as a venerable manor house that, along with others like it, remains viable by supplementing farming income through "agriturismo," essentially renting simple, rustic rooms to travelers.  

The Gori family's roots run more than six centuries deep, back to 1400, well before the United States was even a concept. In a video titled "Tuscany: Aristocratic Family in a Farmhouse B&B," Steves carries us with him through the dining experience that impacted him in such significant ways. Here's a closer look at that unfolding meal, as well as the ambience and sense of connection that made it so defining and memorable. 

The farmhouse itself is living history, but the true soul of the place emerges at the family table, which Steves was sharing on a Sunday afternoon. Three generations of family gathered for lunch — a natural, routine tradition with lots of food and lively conversation. The meal began and progressed slowly, in typical Tuscan fashion. Wine came from the estate, as did many other components of the meal. Locals use a phrase, "zero kilometer meal" to describe what he was experiencing, meaning that nothing has traveled far to reach the kitchen and the table.

Plates of creatively-served prosciutto and pecorino appeared as starters, followed by a pasta course, during which Steves enjoys watching the littlest family members maneuver. "The children prefer theirs bianco — with only olive oil," he notes. The courses continue, and he later tells Travel + Leisure, alongside the "best meal of my life" revelation, that the food was simple, rustic, and delightful, a good union between the meat, cheese, and wine. It goes on and on, with more cheeses, more wines, then digestifs, liqueurs, and estate-made classic limoncello.  

But the magic comes from way more than the food. Including the continuity, the feeling of being woven into a centuries-long story of family, heritage, community, and togetherness — all celebrated without fanfare through the simplicity of sharing a meal. As for keepsakes from his Tuscan journey that day, he turns to the camera, red wine in hand, and declares that "It's memories like these that you take home that really are the very best souvenir."