Welcome to Taverna Fiorentina, Atlanta’s premier Tuscan kitchen. Taverna Fiorentina presents time-honored, authentic Florentine dishes that stand alongside contemporary classics from Italy’s most famous region – legendary both for its rich tradition and daring diversity. Fresh, simple and flavorful, Taverna Fiorentina brings a taste of Tuscany to Atlanta. Taverna Fiorentina is a neighborhood restaurant offering a bustling yet intimate dining environment, the bounty of the season and authentic Tuscan dishes.
The intimate dining room invites a sense of community. The tables, custom designed in Florence, Italy, are quickly filled with oversized china and convey an immediate sense of comfort and sophistication without pretense. As stark contrast to the Old World charm of the dining room, the intimate bar is contemporary with a flat screen television and showcases the carefully crafted wine list.
It is the perfect recipe for a successful restaurant – two partners – one from the kitchen and one from the vineyards. Paolo Tondo and Jasmin Reyes Scott each bring their own unique set of talents to the partnership and to Taverna Fiorentina.
Tondo’s passion and experience are the keys with which he opened Taverna Fiorentina with partner, Jasmin Reyes Scott. His twenty plus years in the industry, combined with his Italian heritage and commitment to his native Tuscan cuisine have already garnered the attention of the Atlanta restaurant community.
Before entering into this venture, Tondo was the owner of TMR, Inc. – a company that imported and distributed Italian specialty restaurant equipment in San Francisco from 1987 until 2006. This experience proved to be invaluable for Tondo as he learned the skills of a successful businessman and gained critical insights into the restaurant industry as a whole.
Originally from Italy, Tondo learned to cook in his hometown of Florence, gaining exposure and experience at restaurants such as Spaghetteria Pizzeria, Tarocchi Via Dei Renai, Ristorante Davide and Trattoria il Sordo. He also trained for five years under chef Luigi Moretti. However what is most surprising is that culinary pursuits were not his initial endeavor; Tondo was educated at Istituto Tecnico of Engineering Leonardo Da Vinci in Florence and graduated with an electro/mechanical degree in 1982.
Tondo is thrilled to bring part of his own country to American diners, and therefore strives to keep Taverna Fiorentina as authentic as possible.
Sommeliers don’t just know wine, they live it – and such is the case with Jasmin Reyes Scott. Taught a deep-rooted appreciation for wines by her great aunt who owned a wine shop in her native Madrid, Spain, one could say that Reyes Scott’s passion for wine is in her blood.
Reyes Scott’s natural aptitude has been enhanced by her education. Currently, she has an intermediate certificate with merit from the internationally recognized Wine Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and recently took the exam for the advanced certificate. Next she will enter the Diploma program to continue her education and explore the wonderful world of wine.
Born in Madrid, Reyes Scott came to the United States in 1977 where she was raised by her grandparents in New York City. However, she returned to her native Madrid every summer and continued to learn about fresh, organic ingredients and wine pairing under the tutelage of her great aunt.
Prior to moving to Atlanta, she was sommelier at La Pergola in San Francisco under the direction of Chef Giancarlo Bartolotti for two years. Before that, she earned an undergraduate degree from Mary Baldwin College in Virginia where she majored in business management. Upon graduation, she celebrated with a three-month trip to Italy and thus began her love affair with Italian culture, food and wine.
Reyes Scott has carefully created the wine list at Taverna Fiorentina. The by-the-glass menu features a wide variety of both red and white wines at a reasonable price point. Just like the restaurant itself, there is no pretension when it comes to the wine at Taverna Fiorentina; with every glass she pours, Reyes hopes to impart her love and knowledge of wine to her guests.