Culinary Destination: Rome

It is time to do as the Romans would and take you down the culinary roads of the eternal city. My stay in Rome this summer was quite a treat. Our neighborhood, Trastevere, was the prime place to escape from the tourist sites and enable us to live like a local. Drew and I loved cooking in our kitchen and shopping in the fresh market, Campo de' Fiori. On days dedicated to exploring, we hunted for affordable trattorias and found some great gems! We encountered that every menu had basic specialty dishes such as bucatini all'amatriciana, cacio e pepe, spaghetti alla carbonara and gnocchi alla Romana. It turns out that we made a better amatriciana sauce at home, with some tips given to us by the local butcher (the key is spicy guanciale). In my opinion, it is best to only have carbonara when they serve it with homemade pasta and gnocchi is best eaten on Thursdays when it is made fresh. Pizza is always the perfect, never disappointing meal, after a long day of walking. And although, I love the traditional dishes, my favorite meal was the Zucca di Risotto (pumpkin risotto) from a Calabrian trattoria. Drew and I stumbled upon La Zucca Gialla, just behind Piazza Navona, on Via del Governo Vecchio. We were hooked on the melanzane (eggplant) croquettes and the pumpkin dishes. The risotto
was creamy, flavorful and al dente - simple yet out of this world! The portion was just enough and the flavors melted in your mouth so much, that we craved it every few days. All jokes aside, we wound up eating here 3 more times! We never could seem to get away from ordering the same dish, but we did cheat and bring guests to try their meals. All in all, we had the melanzane croquette, the pumpkin risotto, the pumpkin ravioli (the risotto was better), the spaghetti alla vongole, maccheroncelli pasta served with spicy black olive and cuttlefish sauce, the rice croquette and the gnocchi. Everything was delightful and after stuffing ourselves, we wandered over to Piazza Navona to watch the street performers finish off the evening. Rome has so much to offer both historically and culinary and no matter how long one stays it is impossible to see it all.

My Best of Rome List:

Da Luigi
Location: Piazza Sforza Cesarini 25, 00186 Roma
(main road is Corso Vittorio Emmauel Due on the left side if heading toward the Vatican)
Recommendation: Prosciutto Crudo with Melon, Mussels, Clams, Risotto stuffed Pomodoro, Penne alla Vodka and my favorite Paglia e Fieno alla Papalina (fresh yellow and green pasta with a mushroom and pea cream sauce)

La Zucca Gialla
Location: Vicolo della Cancelleria 4, 00186 Roma
(near Piazza Navona)
Recommendation: Zucca di Risotto (pumpkin risotto)

Filetti di Bacala
Location: Santa Barbara Largo dei Librari 88, 00186 Roma (066 864018) (Campo de' Fiori)
Recommendation: Don't sit and eat - walk to the back where the kitchen is and order the fried bacala to go. They will wrap it in paper and send you off with a hot filet.

Panini Stand by Campo de' Fiori
Location: I think it is on Via dei Baullari just off of Campo de' Fiori (Melissa is standing in front of it)
Recommendation: Hot Pressed Panini with Prosciutto Crudo and Fresh Mozzarella

Pizzeria ai Marmi
Location: Viale di Trastevere 53, 00153 Roma (06 5800919)
Recommendation: Pizza with topped with Arugula

Pizzeria da Ivo
Location: Via di San Francesco a Ripa 158, 00153 Roma
(06 5817082) (Trastevere)
Recommendation: Pizza Margherita

Pizzeria Dar Poeta
Location: Vicolo del Bologna 45, 00153 Roma (06 5880516) (Trastevere)
Recommendation: Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella

La Casa Del Caffe' Tazza D'Oro
Location: Via degli Orfani 84, 00186 Roma  (Pantheon)
Recommendation: Granita di Caffe con Panna

Others:

Bir and Fud 

Location: Via Benedetta 23 00153 Roma (06 5894016) (Trastevere)

Recommendation: Escape Italian cuisine and order a micro brewed beer and homemade potato chips

La Taverna de' Mercanti

Location: Piazza de' Mercanti' 3a. 06/5880449 (Trastevere)
Recommendation: Splurge for expensive authentic Roman Cuisine with rustic ambiance

Gelato Wars (Drew vs Marni)

Drew and I have had the biggest debate over gelaterias in Rome. In fact, Drew is so loyal to his gelateria that we had to go there, every night we were in Rome, in 2006. The ONE time I wanted to try a different place (earlier in the day) he told his gelateria that I wasn't loyal and cheated on them!

Drew's favorite:

Fragola e Limone owned by Alessandro and his mother
Location: Via Giustiniari Next to the Supermarket Desparo near the Pantheon
Flavors: Coffee and Pistachio
(I must admit, the limone is delicious and Alessandro and his mom make you feel like you are part of the family)



Marni's favorite:

Portofino Cafe
Location: Via Cola di Rienzo (Shopping Street not too far from Vatican)
Favorite Flavors: Chocolate & Frutti di Bosco (has seeds)

You can never really go wrong with Giolitti - but it is a tourist trap.

Culinary Destination: Valle dell’Angelo (Region of Campania, Province Salerno, Italy)

Drew and I had the opportunity to live in Italy for six weeks this past summer. The culinary landscape exceeded our expectations by far. Imagine going into any grocery store or market and there was a surplus of Italian ingredients (heaven). In 2006, Drew and I hit all the major tourist cities (Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome, Amalfi, Salerno and Genoa). This time around, our perspective and resources were different. Our home base was the charming neighborhood of Trastevere, Rome. We had our own kitchen and were wide-eyed about actually living in Italy for a substantial amount of time. From there we took trips south, heading into the region of Campania. This region offers some of Italy’s best culinary experiences and is famous for its buffalo mozzarella. The region encompasses the lemons of Capri and Sorrento as well as the vongole of Naples. My favorite destination that I will always hold true to my heart is my family’s home town of Valle dell’Angelo. For those of you who love a local experience, nature, hikes and agritourism – Valle dell’Angelo is the place to go. It is still Italy in the raw. Valle dell’Angelo is nestled away in the Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano. There are many mountain towns in this area and you can easily gain access to hiking trails, caves, olive groves and breathtaking views. A trip to this area is best for the anti-tourist-tourist. As you linger from town to town I must emphasize getting on board with Italy’s Slow Food Movement. Try as many of the locally produced foods as you can. Drew and I stayed in a locanda (inn) in Valle dell’Angelo and were fortunate enough to eat the best Italian food we have ever had in Italy and in our lives. Our gracious hosts, Angelo and Carmela, took care of us beyond belief. Carmela was our chef of the evening. She presented us with a phenomenal primi of rigatoni ragu, followed by secondi which was chicken in a wine sauce with olives and vegetables. She then topped off the meal with a liquor-infused cake, famously known in the area, for dessert. Angelo poured us endless amounts of homemade wine and guided me on a genealogy tour of the entire town. We also had the pleasure of obtaining a bottle of limoncello produced by the Coccaro & Bruno family. I am so excited to have this keepsake and not to mention the limoncello was delicious too!

My other recommendations for this region:

Baia: Underwater Archaeological Park offers incredible views of sunken cities toured by glass bottom boats. Visit The Underwater Park of Gaiola.

Valle dell’Angelo: explore this mountain getaway by hiking and absorbing the local culture at the Locanda in the city center. Enjoy the local salami, cheese, limoncello, olive oil and wine. Read more on Valle dell'Angelo Daily Traveler: Dispatches from the editors from Conde Nast Traveler: In Praise of Bawdy Italian Folk Songs

Paestum: Offers Italy’s best preserved Greek Temples

Salerno: Offers the most affordable boat ride to Amalfi & Positano. I highly recommend eating spaghetti alle vongole.

Sorrento: Offers the most direct and hassle-free way to access Capri. Eat at La Kambusa near the port. The owner has his own lemon grove and a bed & breakfast located in the heart of the town.  He is one of the lead producers of limoncello in the area. For a more-than-satisfying dining experience, I highly recommend the foccacia, mussels, salmon gnocchi and the saffron walnut ravioli at La Kambusa.

Capri: Hike to the Arco Naturale, with a refreshing, fresh-pressed, blood-orange granita in hand. The stand can be found in the town of Capri in the piazza where the funicolare drops you off. Enjoy the breathtaking views and swim at the Marina Piccoli. It’s Capri need I say more?

Agropoli: Must have the buffalo mozzarella and explore the old historic center. Agropoli has had its hand in history with occupancy from the Turks, Greeks, Bourbons etc.