Lori N.
Yelp
Focaccia doesn't get any better than this! Take my word for it. Monterroso is the largest town of the Cinque Terre, but the biggest thing it has going for it, in my book, is their focaccia, a well-known Ligurian specialty.
The nice thing about this place is its close proximity, right by the train station, directly on the left as you come into town. You can't miss it, as it's the first you'll see of many places serving focaccia in town. The not so nice feature is the long lines during the warm weather. No need to fret, as it moves fairly quickly.
You'll have the option of having your focaccia room temperature or heated. I strongly suggest having it lightly heated, the way it's intended to be eaten. Since it's made with lots of olive oil, having it heated helps to just slightly crisp both the top and the bottom, making a great contrast to the soft interior. I've never attempted making focaccia at home, but now I'm tempted to at least try this.
I never ever have focaccia in the San Francisco Bay Area. Never Ever. Even the so-called best places really suck. If I could, I would have focaccia every day here. We've had plenty of focaccia from well-known bakeries in Florence since coming here and they've all been outstanding. However, we keep thinking back to the phenomenal one we had here at Il Massimo. We had ours smeared all over with their fresh brilliant green pesto, and it was to die for! Seriously. We just purchased focaccia for dinner from a local bakery in Florence tonight, and though it was excellent, it wasn't quite as good as the one at Il Massimo, where they specialize in focaccia. Actually, they don't just specialize in focaccia, they excel in focaccia!!