But Mama, What About The Food?

I had no idea what to expect from food in Rome. Italian food in the States is probably my least favorite to eat out (this includes you, Mr. Olive Garden). Fortunately, I've read that the majority of Italian restaurants outside of Italy don't get the dishes right so most of us only have a rough idea of what Italian food is all about.

A typical Italian meal (more likely at lunch, the big meal of the day) might include a first course (primo) of pasta or antipasta (or both), a main course (secondo) of meat or fish, then dessert or fresh fruit, then some strong coffee. Of course, all with wine.

First night we wandered to a place that sounded fantastic: no menu, an old Italian lady cooking in the back, and nobody speaks a word of English. The food was very simple and not all that bad -- it just gave us the feeling that Ada, the lady in back, had decided to cash in on our tourist dollar (the place apparently had just been mentioned in several new tourist books.) The wine was nearly swill even by my standards. The highlight of the night turned out to be the worldly couple sitting next to us: they were from Israel but had lived in London for many years and were now back in Israel. We traded contract details since one of our future trips might be to their country. That said, there was a second old lady at the place who sat and talked to us for quite some time even though we had no idea what she was saying. She was the good kind of crazy and I loved it. She even let me take her picture but she couldn't really stop talking long enough to pose!

Saturday, we had just left Vatican City and were looking for a bite to eat on the way to the hotel. We were no doubt in a touristy area but ended up with a good meal. This is where I had Roman-style tripe (2) (stomach with a tomato and pecorino cheese sauce) and it was very tasty. Not like the tripe they put in Mexican menudo which too often smells like the wrong end of the stomach! The missus had a spaghetti with red sauce and small chunks of sea bass in it (3). Both dishes were simple but delicious.

Sunday night was a hunt for a place our limo driver from the airport had recommended. It was easily worth it but the walk was more than we bargained for. Trattoria Da Bucatino was in Testaccio, a funky neighborhood (a bit rough looking) built up around an old Roman landfill. We had two of the specialties: Bucatini all'amatriciana (2) and fettucini with a truffle and cheese sauce (2). The bucatini was a pasta like spaghetti but a bit thicker and with a hole in it (a tube!). The dish had chunks of bacon, a rich and spicy tomato sauce, and lots of pecorino. A typical meal out for us means we keep trading dishes and I was having trouble deciding which one was better. The food was excellent.

Monday night was a place right next to our hotel. The Hostaria Costanza served up the most refined food of our trip. To start, I had a risotto with squash flowers (1) and R had another simple dish, pasta a cacio e pepe, that was a spaghetti-like pasta with more pecorino and sharp black pepper (2). That risotta was the single best thing I ate on the trip. We followed that course up with veal saltimbocca and a mixed sea food fry (including whole anchovies and a whole baby cod). Good, but a small step down from the pasta course. We drank the house white wine all night. To finish, we went for dessert at this place: a chocolate gelato and zabaglione. Followed that up with some grappa, a strong brandy traditionally made from the grape wastes after winemaking. A meal that I wouldn't mind repeating.

Tuesday night was a place right next to our hotel (another one). The Trattoria Der Pallaro was bustling and we didn't get there until well after 10PM. It was a set menu (nothing written down, no one spoke English) that just kept coming. It started with plates of cured prosciutto crudo, black olives, fantastic little green lentils, fried risotto balls (arancini), fried savory dumplings, and super-fresh tomatos with basil and olive oil. Next round was big rigatoni with pecorino cheese (anyone else notice a theme?) and chunks of bacon -- this was a rich dish. The main course was a thick slice of roasted veal with a side of homemade potato crisps, broad beans with mint, and some chunks of buffalo mozzerala. A tart came for dessert -- it had a crust that had cornmeal in it, I think, with an apricot-ish jam on top. It reminded me of popcorn. This place had a great vibe and the meal was solid from start to finish.

If I learned anything in Rome, its that I have barely scratched the surface of good Italian food. I definitely want to go back and check out some of the other regions and see what they have to offer. I don't think I can cook this stuff at home, though. I think I would cringe when I realized how much cheese, olive oil, and bacon went into some of these dishes -- best I never know.

Cheers!