Thursday, June 19, 2008

roman holiday

Ah, Rome. As was mentioned in a recent NYT Frugal Traveler, Mark Twain writes this in "Innocents Abroad," on Rome:

“What is there in Rome for me to see that others have not seen before me? What is there for me to touch that others have not touched? What is there for me to feel, to learn, to hear, to know, that shall thrill me before it pass to others? What can I discover? Nothing. Nothing whatsoever.”

With all due respect to Mr. Clemens, I'd like to disagree. There are things left to discover! There are things yet to learn, to feel, to hear...mainly, in restaurants. A word of caution to the savvy traveler - the Euro/Dollar exchange is painful right now. So - go forth with your appetites and savor every bite.

Dal Bolognese
Piazza del Popolo 1-2
06-36-114-26

This white-tableclothed post is my very favorite kind of place. It dresses up and serves a great number of elegant Italians - but the menu is as comfortable as they come, simple food made with only the best ingredients. We liked it so much, we went twice in one day. And don't be disappointed when I tell you I ate the same thing twice - it was just that good. To start, I enjoyed the caprese salad - with milky fresh mozzarella slices and fat, ripe slices of red tomato. Just a drizzle of olive oil, some fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt - perfection. Ben snacked on the prosciutto di Parma twice that day - it was, of course, perfectly sliced. The flavor was brighter than most prosciutto flavors - something a little peppery. I just loved it when he gave me a taste. For dinner, I enjoyed the spaghetti cacio e pepe, which must be the simplest food in the world. It's salt and pepper spaghetti, served with plenty of grated pecorino cheese on top. The hearty strands of spaghetti were coated in grassy olive oil, pecorino, and pepper and made each bite a real delight. Ben enjoyed the tortellini con burro e parmiggiano - another simple classic. The tortellini were filled with bites of pancetta, topped with plenty of butter, and as much parmesan as you like. Really, totally delicious stuff.

Sabatini
Trastevere
Piazza Santa Maria 13

Set up shop on a weekend evening at a table in lively Piazza Santa Maria. Sabatini offers wonderful outdoor tables and a menu chock-full of Roman Specialties (don't miss: the artichokes!). We had an 8:00 reservation - which is an early dinner for most Romans. We watched over wonderful appetizers of stuffed zucchini flowers, prosciutto, and carciofi, as the Piazza transformed from a sleepy public square to a lively public stage - complete with a street performer who grew his audience from 10 to 50 by the time we left. We really ate our hearts out here - as for me, I started with the pasta con vongole, and ended with the lovely veal piccata. We sipped on a local chianti, and enjoyed steamy cappucini after dinner. Trastevere is the spot for Roman nightlife, as we found wandering a couple blocks down for a drink after dinner. As one online reviewer noted of Sabatini - order carefully or your bill can triple before your eyes...

1 comment:

Unknown said...

hi, indeed two excellent places everybody should go to if in Rome.
If you are planning to visit the eternal city i suggest to research in vacation rentals in rome to find a b&b or apartment or hotel room...