On The Way To Morocco We Stopped In Rome
I haven't been to Roma for over eight years, but have
reminisced over the food and wine since. While planning a buying trip to
Morocco with my daughter Ryan, we found a great flight via Alitalia and jumped at the chance for a 3-day
stopover in Rome. We had one plan: to eat and drink ourselves silly before
embarking on a more rugged adventure in Morocco.
We found what turned out to be
a rather dumpy, but magnificently located apartment (via Airbnb) just at the
top of the Spanish Steps. Upon our arrival and equipped with suggestions from friends and TimeOut Rome, Ryan and I immediately set out to find lunch, deciding on
Gino alle vicolo Rosini, a little trattoria well-known to the parliamentary crowd. We found it with little
trouble and arrived well before opening time and found ourselves on a little stroll around the neighborhood before venturing back at one o'clock. We got lost
and ended up walking into the Pantheon. That’s the beautiful thing
about Rome, around every corner lies an ancient ruin or palace, so getting lost
is fun.
By the time we ended up back at Gino’s they were packed and
had a two-hour wait. Instead, we made reservations for the following day and went off
to another recommended trattoria right by the Pantheon,
Armando al Pantheon. Also, too crowded, we made a reservation at Armando for the following day. Starving and frustrated at our poor luck, we
finally ended up at a little pizzeria near Piazza Navona – all Italian
clientele with decent pizza and great wine by the carafe.
Finally satiated, we realized better planning was necessary for the rest of our stay. We went to all the
restaurants where we wanted to eat and made reservations. Apparently, when in
Rome before Christmas, one must reserve to eat out and these places weren’t even fancy places,
but small cozy trattorias serving amazing food, house wines, and easygoing
service. By the end of our third day, we realized that our sightseeing
consisted of walking around looking for restaurants to eat at and cafes for
espresso. That was just fine with us since we’d accomplished our goal:
eating bowls of supremely al-dente pasta, roasted meats, and carafes of great
Lazio whites and reds.
Our Favorites in Rome (be sure to book ahead for both lunch or dinner):
LUNCH We
were the only tourists in these places.
Gino in vicolo Rosini – near Parliament building
Filled
with parliamentary workers, talking heads, and local regulars. We witnessed
one old lady stuff a roll with cheese, wrap it up in a cloth napkin, and stuff it
into her purse – she was a regular whose table had been reserved all afternoon!
What
we ate:
* Artichokes alla Romana (marinated
in olive oil and parsley, a Roman classic to die for)
* Spinach Ravioli in simple red
sauce
* Tonnarelli (typical Roman pasta) with
bitter greens
* Rabbit
stewed in white wine – so yummy!
* Puntarelle (salad of winter
chicory dressed in anchovy sauce) – also to die for!
* Poached Pear in red wine
Armando al Pantheon – just off the Pantheon
What we ate:
* Artichokes
alla Romana
* Gnocchi
alla Gorgonzola
* Oxtail
alla Romana
Giolotti – near Gino in Vicolo Rosini
* Famous for Felato. We had the quintessential
flavors – nocciola (hazelnut), pistachio, dark chocolate.
DINNER
Hosteria Romana – just behind Piazza Barberini – we ate
here twice!
Lovely
servers, great graffitied walls, good reds and whites by the carafe.
What we ate:
* Mixed Antipasti
* Artichokes alla Romana
* Tonnarelli Cacio and Pepe (ate
this twice, a Roman classic, great!)
* Roasted Pig: amazingly crispy
skin, fall-off the bone meat
* Roasted Lamb: fall-off the bone
meat, yum!
Matricianella – near Parliament as well
Knowledgeable
server, great affordable wine list.
What we ate:
*
Artichokes all Romana and alla Giudia (fried as a whole blossom-amazing!)
* Rigatoni with Oxtail: really, the
Romans know al-dente….soooo different than American al-dente, which seems mushy
in comparison.
* Polppetine
(meatballs) with shaved black truffles and arugula
* Ricotta
Cake – a Roman Jewish classic
* Server
suggested a great bottle of white: Grechetto
(from the Orvieto growing region
in Lazio – province of Rome)
