"One hears about these great neighborhood places to eat, that are off the beaten track in Tuscany, well, Il Merlo, is certainly one of them. Away from the tourist routes, in the village of Il Merlo and on the road to Casole D' Elsa, this...place was open, packed and still welcoming late on a Sunday night--the bar area was hopping with the World Cup on TV and we watched till the game was over. When we heard that the kitchen was about to close, we quickly ordered and the proprietor turned around and handed the order to the woman standing next to him, who had been offering helpful suggestions on what was good tonight, and said, Here, Mamma Well, when the food arrived, there was no doubt that Mamma was an exceptional cook, turning out traditional Tuscan meals with a flair, such as the steak with the sun-dried tomatoes or the steak with funghi (Porcini mushrooms) and the spaghetti with seafood Ragu. And finally, an extraordinary Flan de Catalan, topped off the meal with the house wines. It was close to midnight by now and a birthday party at another table, was still not wrapped-up. We had a great time with our late-night Sunday meal! Grazzie mille, Mamma and Il Merlo for a delightful experience!"
