Everybody has their favorite spots around Rome and the guidebooks are full of suggestions, many of which have been passed around and recycled so many times that the places mentioned no longer merit the high praise that they still garner.\u00a0 Some do, but not all of them.\u00a0 For example, the famous gelateria called Giolitti,\u00a0isn’t\u00a0all that.\u00a0 Nor is the coffee at Tazza D\u2019Oro.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get me wrong, they\u2019re good.\u00a0 But no better than 100 other places around town.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m no art aficionado, Roman historian, or culinary expert.\u00a0 These are simply the places that I like.\u00a0 Some of these are widely known while others are my own little discoveries.\u00a0 One of the most appealing things about this city is that you can never fully know it.\u00a0 Indeed, very few Romans have an in-depth knowledge of their own hometown\u2014there\u2019s just too much for a single lifetime.<\/p>\n
So for what it\u2019s worth, here are a few things that\u00a0I’ve\u00a0stumbled upon during my time here in the Caput Mundi.\u00a0 This will be a work in progress and I\u2019ll try to update it from time to time as I discover new places or if I receive a particularly credible suggestion from somebody else in the know.<\/p>\n
Favorite Fast Food:<\/span><\/p>\n Mondo Arancina<\/strong>, Via Marcantonio Colonna, 38.\u00a0 +39 06 9761 9214 \u00a0 \u00a0Website: \u200e\u00a0Mondo Arancina<\/p>\n They offer many variations of the famous Sicilian snack. \u00a0\u00a0But while some of their creative concoctions are tempting, I always stick to the classics: al rag\u00f9 or al burro (prosciutto and besciamella sauce).\u00a0 Best street food ever invented. \u00a0Period.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cPizza e Mortadella,\u201d<\/strong> Via Cavour, 281.<\/p>\n A great place to stop for a quick, cheap bite if you\u2019re doing the tourist itinerary near the Coliseum, Forums, etc.\u00a0 They have a lot variety, the quality is excellent, and you can get in and out quickly if you\u2019re in a hurry.<\/p>\n Dar Filettaro<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0Filetti\u00a0di\u00a0baccal\u00e0.<\/strong> Largo dei Librari, 88, +39 06 686 4018\u00a0\u200e<\/p>\n This place is semi-famous and can be found in many of the guidebooks.\u00a0 There is only one thing to order here: the fried baccal\u00e0. \u00a0OK, maybe two things\u2026you\u2019ll probably want a beer to wash it down.<\/p>\n Favorite Gelato:<\/span><\/p>\n RivaReno Gelato<\/strong> Via Magna Grecia, 25.\u00a0 +39 06 7759 0302\u00a0\u200e\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0rivareno.com<\/a><\/p>\n Only ten meters from the San Giovanni Metro Stop, \u00a0just outside the wall. You could stop here one day while visiting the famous Archbasilica or the Holy Steps, but don\u2019t wait for that.\u00a0 Next time you\u2019re on the A-Line heading in the direction of Anagnina, get off at San Giovanni and indulge in the best gelato in Rome (maybe in all of Italy).\u00a0 My wife is from Sicily and even she (reluctantly) agrees.\u00a0 If you want to play it safe, the pistachio will never disappoint.\u00a0 For a new taste, try the ricotta e fichi.<\/p>\n One thing you\u2019ll notice about this gelato is that the temperature is about 2\u00b0C (5\u00b0F) warmer<\/em> than most gelato\u00a0you’ve\u00a0ever had (and warmer still than our American ice cream).\u00a0 You might think that this strange for a frozen dessert, but in my opinion it is one of the secrets of their success.\u00a0 You see, when things are too cold our taste buds are numbed and we can\u2019t fully appreciate a flavor.\u00a0 (The same thing goes for white wine, by the way.\u00a0 It should be slightly chilled, but never cold, a mistake we Americans constantly repeat.)\u00a0 Anyway, whatever magic formula\u00a0they’ve\u00a0come up with, the results are undeniable. After\u00a0you’ve\u00a0experienced this \u201csogno,\u201d you may feel that you owe me some great debt of gratitude.\u00a0 But please, lavish gifts are unnecessary\u2014a simple \u201cgrazie,\u201d will do.<\/p>\n Favorite Enoteche:<\/span><\/p>\n Surprisingly, there\u00a0aren’t\u00a0that many true enoteche in Rome today.\u00a0 More \u201cdi moda\u201d are American\/British style wine bars, which try to capitalize on the trend.\u00a0 These new places have fancy machines to dispense the wines, which are fancier still, defeating the whole purpose of an enoteca, which is meant to be cozy place to drink good local wine and a fair price.\u00a0 Below\u00a0I’ve\u00a0listed two of the originals that are worth checking out.\u00a0 The first place also offers some meat and cheese plates to munch on, the second one does not.\u00a0 In both places, you might not find an English-speaking person behind the bar.\u00a0 No worries, vino rosso<\/em> and\/or vino bianco<\/em> are the only Italian words you\u2019ll need.\u00a0 Salute!<\/p>\n Ai Tre Scalini<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0Bottiglieria dal<\/strong>\u00a01895<\/strong>\u00a0 Via Panisperna, 251. +39 06 4890 7495\u00a0\u200e\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0aitrescalini.org<\/a><\/p>\n Il\u00a0Vinaietto\u00a0Di\u00a0Marco\u00a0E\u00a0Giancarlo<\/strong>\u00a0 Via del Monte della Farina, 38.\u00a0 +39 06 6880 6989\u00a0\u200e<\/p>\n And then there’s…<\/p>\n Cul de Sac<\/strong>\u00a0 P. PASQUINO 73.\u00a0 +39 06 68801094\u00a0 http:\/\/www.enotecaculdesac.com\/<\/p>\n I put this place here only because they call themselves an enoteca, but I really consider it more of a osteria.\u00a0 Sure, they have tons of great wines available by the bottle and several by the glass.\u00a0 But what they really do well here is their assortment of meats and cheeses from all over Italy.\u00a0 I like to order a sampling platter of 3 meats and 3 cheeses with a bit of bread.\u00a0 My favorite is the spicy salami from Calabria called, ‘Nduja<\/em>.<\/p>\n And if you sit outside, you can have a chat with Pasquino<\/em>, the talking statue.\u00a0\u00a0 Well, he\u00a0doesn’t\u00a0actually \u201ctalk,\u201d but there is a tradition of criticizing the Church or the government by writing\u00a0satirical poems\u00a0(or just general insults) and affixing them to the statue for all of Rome to read.<\/p>\n Oh, and don\u2019t leave this place without trying the crostatine con arancia<\/em> with a glass of Passito <\/em>for dessert.<\/p>\n Favorite Roman Restaurant:<\/span><\/p>\n Flavio<\/strong>\u00a0al<\/strong>\u00a0Velavevodetto <\/strong>Via di Monte Testaccio, 97. +39 06 574 4194\u00a0\u200e\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0flavioalvelavevodetto.it<\/a><\/p>\n I love Roman food and\u00a0I’ve\u00a0found a number of places around town that satisfy me personally.\u00a0 However, this particular restaurant comes recommended by several of my Roman friends who have independently and impartially judged this place as one of their city\u2019s best.\u00a0 I certainly don\u2019t disagree; it\u2019s fabulous.\u00a0 And once\u00a0you’ve\u00a0eaten here, I\u2019ll say to you, \u201cVe l\u2019avevo detto!\u201d\u00a0 I told you so!<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Favorite \u201cEthnic\u201d Restaurant:<\/span><\/p>\n Capricci Siciliani<\/strong> Via di Panico, 83. +39 06 4543 3823\u00a0\u200e\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0capriccisiciliani.com<\/a><\/p>\n If you get tired of Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe, Coda alla Vaccinara, \u00a0Trippa, and the rest of the Roman dishes, then why not try an \u201cethnic\u201d restaurant.\u00a0 No, I don\u2019t mean Chinese, Thai, Indian, or Sushi\u2014those places are, without exception, bad in Rome.\u00a0 For a city that has such an amazing food culture, the Romans (and Italians in general) are surprisingly inept with other cuisines.\u00a0 Or more likely, they just don\u2019t take them seriously.\u00a0 Fortunately, the Italian peninsula is rich with diverse culinary traditions that make experimentation abroad superfluous.\u00a0 The food of Tuscany and Sicily are particularly appealing to Italians from every part of the boot.<\/p>\n Indeed, Rome has\u00a0plenty\u00a0of restaurants that specialize in the cuisine of other Italian regions.\u00a0 Capricci Siciliani is a Roman outpost of a well-known restaurant in Messina, Sicily.\u00a0 They perform miracles with seafood ingredients\u2014the \u201cbraciole di pesce spada\u201d (swordfish rolls) are particularly magnificent.\u00a0 They also have an impressive list of Sicilian wines to accompany your meal.\u00a0 It\u2019s not a cheap place, but within the norm for the center of Rome.<\/p>\n Favorite \u201cother\u201d Churches:<\/span><\/p>\n We’ve all seen Saint Peter\u2019s and marveled at its magnificence, which is without question.\u00a0 Most of us have also visited the other important churches in Rome such as Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano, and Saint Paul\u2019s Outside the Wall.\u00a0 But Rome is absolutely packed with spectacular churches that individually would be major tourist attractions in any other city of the world.\u00a0 But there are dozens of these jewels and it\u2019s easy for them to get somewhat \u201clost\u201d among the more than 900 churches in the city proper. Here are a few that have struck my fancy:<\/p>\n Basillica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva<\/strong>\u00a0 Piazza della Minerva, 42.\u00a0 Near the Pantheon.<\/p>\n From the outside the thing that grabs your attention immediately is the relatively famous statue of an elephant and an obelisk by Bernini (designed by Bernini, executed by his pupil).\u00a0 The plain, simple Renaissance fa\u00e7ade of the church itself is actually quite boring and\u00a0doesn’t\u00a0really invite you to explore the interior.\u00a0 But once inside you\u2019ll discover the only Gothic-style church in Rome with a beautiful vaulted ceiling painted the color of the midnight sky.\u00a0 Also, there\u2019s Michelangelo\u2019s statue of Christ the Redeemer near the altar.\u00a0 Oh, and Saint Catherine of Siena is buried here (except her head, which is still in Siena).<\/p>\n San Clemente<\/strong> Via Labicana, 95.\u00a0 +39-06-7740021<\/p>\n This church is famous because we get to literally experience the metaphor of Rome\u2019s layers of history.\u00a0 You enter into the 13th<\/sup> Century Basilica at street level, then descend a steep staircase into a 4th<\/sup> Century Basilica.\u00a0 Then you go down further still into a 1st<\/sup> Century Roman house.\u00a0 2,000 years of history in about an hour\u2014you can\u2019t beat that!\u00a0 (It will cost you \u20ac5, however).<\/p>\n Santo Stefano Rotondo<\/strong> Via di San Nicola da Tolentino, 13.\u00a0 +39 06 4211 9130 \u00b7 santo-stefano-rotondo.it<\/a><\/p>\n This church is interesting for its unique architecture, which as the name suggests, is in the round. It was consecrated around 470 and dedicated to the martyr Saint Stephen, whose body had been discovered a few decades before in the Holy Land, and brought back to Rome. The church was the first in Rome to have a circular plan, inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n Chiesa di Santa Barbara dei Librai<\/strong>, Largo dei Librai.<\/p>\n Perhaps the smallest church in Rome which is about the only reason to check it out.\u00a0 That and the fast food place next door which sells the best fried baccal\u00e0 that you\u2019ll ever try (see fast food suggestions above).<\/p>\n