Rome -

by tvff

La Dolce Eat-a: The Best Foods in Rome

I know that we took a look at the top ten things I ate in Rome (just updated with more photos!!), but to think of Rome as the sum of its individual parts would be a mistake. There is a larger story to tell.

First off, I should admit that I’m not going to be able to do justice in this post to the experience of eating a week’s worth of meals in Rome.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m not a good enough writer, though that may be true. I think it’s just that you can’t really talk about eating in Rome in a way that can even remotely replicate the experience. That said…

If you are a lover of food, you owe it to yourself to go to Rome at some point. If you fancy yourself a decent home cook, you really should go and see how you can make simple ingredients delicious.

And if you work in an Italian restaurant, you should be required to go to Rome. There really ought to be some sort of licensing process involved.

Here’s the thing, though. It wasn’t just about how good the food tasted, although that’s something we’ll cover point-by-point at a bit later. What was amazing was that there is an overwhelming and all-consuming food culture. It seeps into everything there. I was there less than one full week and it’s easily the greatest single food experience of my life.

What was so impressive? It was the little things, and it started first thing in the morning.

Top Ten Things I Ate in Rome

I asked. You chimed in. I’m back from Rome and I’ve just got to let you know the goods on what I had, including a recap of the dishes that I was most anticipating.

Did everything live up to my sky-high expectations? Let’s find out.

10. Gelato – I actually took it easy on the gelato. I only had it twice while I was there…tremendous restraint on my part. Our first time was at Giolliti, a famous spot, and I had a hazelnut/fior de latte cone and our second was at Della Palma (below) where I had creme caramel/ricotta with fig sauce. Both were delicious, but the thing that really struck me was the overwhelming number of varieties these places had. They made Baskin-Robbins and his 31 flavors look like a punk. I did a quick guesstimate at Della Palma and came up with more than 85 flavors. I’m convinced that the majority of the fun involved in the gelato experience comes from the process of choosing which varieties to get.

9. Zucchini Blossoms – I was a bit nervous that I wouldn’t be able to get these due to the early season, but after seeing how fantastic they looked in the market at the Campo dei Fiori (below) we ordered them as an appetizer at La Campana, a ristorante just around the corner from our hotel. Delicate, crunchy, and filled with oozy cheese. But the best, most flavorful part of the perfectly fried flower was the fact that it was filled with…

8. Anchovies – Listen, I don’t want to hear that you don’t like anchovies. And I’m not getting into the canned/tubed conversation because the ones I had in Rome were light years ahead of even the best canned anchovies you can get here. The anchovies that we had both in the zucchini blossoms and on a pizza were flavorful but surprisingly mellow. I’m now more convinced than ever that people who think they don’t like anchovies just haven’t had good anchovies.

Find out what topped this list and pick up the names of some great restaurants along the way, after the jump.

7. Amatriciana – This dish makes the list even though I didn’t order it during my time there. Of course, I did sample more than my fair share of it off of Mrs. TVFF’s plate (she got it twice), so it’s in. It was quite a bit richer than when I make it, and without the red onions that I typically put in. I asked one of our waiters if the restaurant made it with pancetta or guanciale and he replied quickly and forcefully: “Guanciale…if you want good amatricana, you must use guanciale!” There you go, folks, straight from the expert. If you’re in NYC, pick some up at Salumeria Biellese, which is where I get mine.

6. Filetti di Baccalà – Fried fish? Yep, pretty much the same as the fish and chips that you’ll find in the best places in London, but there’s something to be said for simple fried food executed perfectly. It’s just another reminder of how seriously they take their food in Rome…even the glorified bar snacks are inspired. We got ours as an early-evening snack at a place named, unoriginally, Filetti di Baccalà, located a few blocks away from the Campo dei Fiori, in a bustling part of town that we cut through after a long day of touring churches and walking through Trastevere.

Next: Top 5 Things To Eat in Rome

by tvff

Infinito Sobbollire: Anticipating Rome

Ladies and gents, I’m in dire need of a vacation and, as luck would have it, that’s just what I’ll be doing at the end of this month. My last two trips to Europe, which took me to Hamburg and London, certainly left me with a few good food memories, but that’s going to pale in comparison after Mrs. TVFF and I head to Rome. She’s been there a few times (and studied for a summer during college), but it’s my first trip. We’ll be looking at tons of artwork, visiting important churches and ancient ruins and gorging ourselves on every type of food we can put our hands on.

It’s funny…I plan on walking something like ten miles a day while I’m there, yet I completely expect to gain 5+ pounds. What, exactly, am I looking forward to most? I’ve got a shortlist of dishes that have my mouth watering already.

5. Gelato – Yeah, I know you’re probably thinking that this should be a bit higher on the list. And it would be, except for the fact that (a) I’m going to be there at the end of February and it’s not exactly frozen-desert season and (b) I work about a block away from what I think is the best gelato this side of the Atlantic, so it won’t likely be the kind of revelation it typically is for Americans raised on bland ice cream. Still, eating a cup of pistachio while walking through the Campo de’ Fiori will be pretty sweet.

Check out the rest…and help me find the best spots…after the jump.