Brendan Eats and Drinks in Italy

Blog Over

2007-08-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

As I prepare to leave Rome and embark on a new adventure, I will not longer be continuing with this blog. However, stay tuned, as the blog is likely to change scope as I get settled in my new home/city/country in the next few months.

I'll be back soon

2007-07-16T04:04:00.001-07:00

I've been extremely busy.

Ciao.

Ditirambo in Rome

2007-04-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

I’ve been to this place three times now. That usually means that it is a good find. However, my visits to Ditirambo took place over a period of three years, with at least a year separating each one. The first time was by far the best, and I seem to remember being slightly more disappointed with each successive visit. That is not to say that the quality was lacking. Perhaps I should have stuck to the meal I had the first time instead of sampling the other items on the menu. After all, I am a very “go with what you know” kind of guy.

The restaurant is located right off Campo dei Fiori, which usually means it is likely to be a spennaturisti, or “tourist trap” (literally, tourist-skinner). However, there was a good mix of locals and tourists alike. The menu hasn’t changed in the past three years, and they aren’t big on daily specials. My 9:30pm Friday night reservation was honored and we were seated 3 minutes after arriving. The staff was cordial, and the main room was comfortable with a shade of paint on the wall that blended well with the not-too-dim lighting. The table was ample, and not too close to other tables to the point where you end up listening to people’s bad conversations all evening, and vice versa.

We opted to skip the appetizers and go right to the first course. After perusing the menu, I don’t remember any outstanding appetizer so I would not know what to recommend. As a first course, I had the Calamari con polpa di granchio e vellutata di carciofi (calamari with crab meat and tomato sauce, which was not really calamari, but ring shaped noodles doused in the aforementioned condiment). It was, well, good, not exceptional. The word carciofi, or artichoke, is mentioned in the entry yet I did not taste any. My dining partners went for the Testaroli della Lunigiana al pesto genovese (flat, square shaped pasta thicker than lasagna, smothered in delicious fresh pesto) while the other had the Lasagne integrali con cavolo nero e crema di Raschera (whole wheat lasagna with black cabbage and cream sauce). I had the pesto dish last time I was there, and although it was good, I was not very impressed. The lasagna on the other hand was delicious. The first time I was there, in 2004, I had the Tagliatelle integrali al ragù di coniglio con pesto di pecorino romano e pomodori secchi (whole wheat pasta with wild rabbit and herb sauce with sundried tomatoes) which I loved. We accompanied our pasta dishes with a Verdicchio white wine (Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Vigna delle Oche Fattoria San Lorenzo 2003), which was tasty but not something I would go out of my way to look for again. As a main course, I had the Spezzatino di capriolo al Primitivo di Manduria con riduzione di frutti di bosco (wild boar stew with onions and tangy fruit sauce condiment). It was good, but this is supposed to be a bit of a refined place in the center of Rome. The wild boar stew is something I would expect at a more rustic establishment in the countryside. My dining partners had the Tagliata di angus argrentino (Argentinean filet with rosemary condiment). We washed the second course down with an Umbrian Sangiovese & Merlot blend ( Rosso delle Regine from Castello delle Regine) which I would highly recommend.

Desserts are a strong point of Ditirambo. I had the chocolate and pear cake swimming in hot fudge. One dining partner has the chocolate flan while the other sat it out. The chocolate and pear cake was highly recommendable while the chocolate flan was a bit bland. Both desserts were paired with port and a French liqueur that had the word “poire” in it. I think that means pear, which is probably why it went very well with the chocolate and pear cake.

Ditirambo
Piazza della Cancelleria, 75
00186 Roma
Tel. 066871626

The Kingdom of Tiramisu'

2007-04-12T05:48:00.000-07:00

I had been hearing about it for years. I frequent the area, yet I don’t know why I had never been there. Every resident of Rome knows about it, but only few seem to have ever really been there. Then one day, after a grueling day of shopping with Federica on via Appia Nuova, I remembered that I was near it. I didn’t know the name, I only knew it by Quelli del tiramisu’ vicino a piazza Re di Roma, or, “the tiramisu’ place near piazza Re di Roma”. I decided to turn to the person who is usually the most current of all neighborhood gossip, the newsstand guy. The answer rolled off his tongue, literally, before I finished the question. Pompi, it was called, the self-proclaimed regno del tiramusu', or, “Kingdom of Tiramisu”. Bar Pompi looks like every other bar-slash-pastry shop in Rome except for that it is roughly the size of a supermarket. The espresso machine looks like something that would be used against your enemy in time of war. About 40 people donning immaculate aprons with cute little hats man the counter in an assembly line fashion. “Ok, here’s your coffee” they tell you as they rip the little receipt exactly one centimeter down the middle. “Please move down 2 meters to collect your croissant”. The coffee was delicious, but we hadn’t gone there for that. We sought out the tiramisu’. Wasn’t this place supposed to be a shrine dedicated to the god of tiramisu’? Where was it? I expected to see someone in a tiramisu’ costume greeting people at the door. I walked the length of the showcase and saw an usually high quantity of small servings of tiramisu’, we were close. One offs, if you will. I almost forgot, for those of you unfamiliar with tiramisu’, it is a very popular Italian dessert made with mascarpone cream, fresh egg yolks, sugar, and lady fingers doused in coffee. The best thing about it is that you don’t even need to cook it. The worst thing about it is that it must settle in the fridge for several hours after you make it so it doesn’t fall apart when served. It is made by taking the egg yolks, mascarpone, and sugar and whipping them into a delicate cream. Then, you dip lady finger cookies in coffee and make a layer on the bottom of the pan. Top that with cream and then you add another layer of coffee-dipped cookies. The last layer should be cream. Stick it in the fridge for 12 hours and there you have it, tiramisu’. The literal translation of “tiramisu’” is “pick me up”. And that’s what it is, a little pick me up of coffee and large amounts of sugar. And there it was, off to the side, a cargo train-length shrine dedicated to the most delightful Italian dessert, tiramisu’. There was tiramisu’ of all sizes. You can get one for yourself, or your family, your squadron, whatever, from an ashtray-sized pan to a bathtub-sized one, they were prepared for anything. I opted for one that could feed approximately 10 people, and it ran me about 15 euros. The photo you are about to see was taken about 0.0005 seconds after the box was opened. That is all that needs to be said.

Bar Pompi
Via Albalonga, 7b (50 meters from piazza Re di Roma)
00183 Roma
tel. 067000418
Closed Mondays

Easter Lasagna

2007-04-09T05:10:00.000-07:00

In a country in which 98% of the inhabitants claim to be Catholic, it goes without saying that Easter is some what of a big deal. As with every other major religious holiday in Italy, there is a state decree stating that every citizen must gain 5kg by the time they return to work the following Tuesday. Italians do not joke when it comes to holidays. Similar to Christmas, day following Easter is a day off from work as well. For lack of a better name, they dubbed it Pasquetta, or, “Little Easter”. After all, when one thinks about the quantity of food that is consumed the day which honors that dramatic moment in our Lord’s life, an extra day of rest is often needed to focus on the body’s digestive process. In Italy, work somehow always greatly interferes with the digestive functions of the human body, and that it is why is absolutely must be avoided in the days immediately following a holiday.

I am not here to discuss Easter, nor the day after Easter. I am dedicating this entry to the first time I have hosted a major holiday in my home, massive meal and all. I decided that I would make lasagna. In case you don’t know, lasagna is a layer cake of a sauce or vegetable of your choice, cheese, with thin sheets of pasta in between. Usually, you can buy the pre-made sheets of pasta in the supermarket. Or, if you’re serious like me, you go at it hardcore and make the pasta yourself, from scratch. I know most of you are thinking that is crazy. How could one possibly make pasta? With all of its intricate shapes and holes, wouldn’t it require an artistic skill of some sort? Absolutely not, in fact, pasta is one of the easiest things to make.

First, go out and buy a bag of flour and some fresh eggs. The general rule is 100 grams per person, and one egg per 100 grams of flour. Now, remember, Italians do not cook using scales and measuring cups. They do everything by eye. If you read recipes in Italians, you will often see terms such as “a half of glass of water” or “a bit of salt” and even “a handful of basil”. Italian cook books usually do not contain specific measurements. After all, your ingredients, elevation above sea level, and water hardness can vary greatly depending on where you are, so it is best to keep tasting your concoction to assure things are going according to plan.

Dump the desired amount of flour into a bowl. There were to be 5 hearty-appetited people at lunch, so I put about two-thirds of a 1 kg bag. The real pros put it right on the table, but if you’re inexperienced like me, that can be a real mess. Use the bowl. Next, take your finger to make a “hole” in the middle of the mountain of flour. Once you are satisfied with the dimensions of your hole, crack the eggs and throw them in one by one. Then, use your finger the whip the eggs so that some flour slowly falls into the hole, so that the flour and eggs begin to have a dough-like consistency. For those of you who do not want to be bothered with grimy hardened egg and flour caked on your fingernails for the next ten days, use a sturdy wooden spoon. Add a bit of water and salt, until the concoction becomes a big lump of yellow pizza dough. Once it becomes like this, keep kneading it for a little while, then let it sit for a half hour or so. It cannot be to hard, as you’ll need to be able to work with it. It needs to be have a consistency somewhere between soft pizza dough and clay. At this point, I decided that my lasagna was going to contain zucchini and eggplant. I went ahead and sliced the zucchini and eggplant into very small pieces and let them simmer in separate frying pans with some olive oil, garlic, and onion. Throw in a bit of salt and keep tasting them until you think they are good. They will need to cook for at least a half hour, I’d say. At this point, you might as well cut up some fresh mozzarella (please, none of that Polly O chemical stuff) and grate your parmigiano cheese and put it aside. Once you have that under control, go back to your lump of yellow dough and smell it. Doesn’t it smell good? Good, now, rip it into smaller lumps and flatten it out with a sturdy rolling pin so it becomes a massive thin sheet. You need to size the lumps and sheets correctly, based on the size of the plan in which you will cook the lasagna. You can always cut it after. Once you create sheets thin enough and sized correctly, you can then proceed to put them somewhere to dry out a bit. Make sure you coat them with flour so that they don’t stick to whatever you rest them on. Let them sit for about another 15 minutes, as you do not want mush lasagna. This will probably be necessary anyway, as working each lump into a useable sheet of pasta will take some time (unless you have one of those very expensive pasta machines). Now comes the easy part. Smear some oil on the bottom of your pan and throw down the first layer of pasta, preferably the hardest, thickest one. That didn’t sound nice. Anyway, on each layer, spread some béchamel sauce. Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Béchamel sauce is quite easy to make, and even easier to mess up. Put some whole milk into a small sauce pan and add some butter and flour until it gets to a thick liquid consistency. Too much flour will make it doughy, and too little will make it watery. If you don’t think you can handle it, simply go to the supermarket and purchase a ready made carton. Ok, back to the lasagna. Spread the béchamel sauce around your layer just so it is completely covered with a thin coating. Get the sides good, as they can get too crusty while cooking. Add your vegetables (or you tomato sauce), making sure that you’ve put enough aside to last for all 4 layers, as it was in my case. Slap down the next layer and repeat. I prefer to cover the top layer with only cheese and béchamel, although other schools of thought and lasagna theorists prefer to add the sauce as well. Do whatever you like. When you’ve completed at least 3 filled layers, stick it in the oven at 220 degrees Celsius and let it cook for about 40 minutes, checking it often. When you determine that it is finished cooking, let it sit for another 15 to 20 minutes outside of the oven, or else you risk eating lasagna soup. Buon appettito!

Porca Vacca in San Lorenzo, Rome

2007-04-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

This restaurant should be classified under the T-Boning in Roma post. The name means "pig cow" and when shouted in the Italian language, the conditions of usage are similar to the American "Dammit!" or the British "Bollocks!". My reaction after eating there was quite the opposite, as it is by far the best steak house I have ever been to here in the EC (Eternal City, in case you were wondering). The wooden interior reminds me of a rustic Texan outpost, not like I have ever been to one. The only thing distinguishing it from Texas is the Italian flag instead of the set of bull horns over the front door. The staff is helpful and efficient, and they will help you work your way through understanding the various cuts and provenances of the steaks. In the back of the restaurant next to the fire pit is a huge showcase where the massive hunks of steak are proudly on display. The steak is served several ways: tagliata semplice (a mid-sized cut with no condiment), tagliata con condimento (a mid-sized slab with choices of toppings including mushrooms, thinly-sliced lard, and rocket, cherry tomato, and parmigiano shavings), or, alla Fiorentina (Florentine style, meaning that it is cut very thick and cooked bloody rare with no condiment other than salt and pepper). They boast several nationalities of beef, including Italian, Chianina (famous Tuscan cow), Danish, Irish, and Argentinian. I opted for the Danish (fatty on the outside and tender on the inside) smothered with thin slices of lardo di Colonnata. Ah, rare steak wrapped in lard, my arteries were thrilled afterwards. My dining partners opted for the leaner Argentinian topped with rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes, and parmigiano shavings. All were of utmost quality, not to mention quantity. Best of all, the steak is served on cast iron dishes which keep them sizzling while you eat them. Ragazzi... it doesn't get much better than that.

Porca Vacca
via dei Sabelli, 99 (San Lorenzo, near the Cinema Tibur)
00185 Roma
tel. 0644361167
closed Mondays
€ 25 per person (starter, wine & water included)
Highly recommended!

Ai Tre Scalini in Rome

2007-04-05T04:53:00.000-07:00

Ai Tre Scalini
via Panisperna, 251 (Rione Monti)
00184 Roma
tel. 0648907495

Another good find in the Roman winebar circuit. I was actually attempting to go to my favorite winebar, La Barrique, but they happened to be closed. We got back on the Vespa and passed another place whose dimmed lighting and old-style wooden bar made it seem very enticing. What a nice find! The staff was very cordial, and seated us in the back room and immediately offered some snacks. The ambiance was pleasant, with comfortable couches, non-obtrusive lighting, and best of all, wifi access! We ordered a bottle of Virtu' Romane, an inexpensive delicious Frascati white and a plate of assorted salamis and cheeses. They must be doing something right, as the sign out front says that they've been around since 1895! Highly recommended.

A Roman wine bar to avoid

2007-04-03T01:25:00.000-07:00

Enoteca Ferrazza
via dei Volsci, 59 (San Lorenzo)
00185 Roma
tel. 06490506

Well, unfortunately, it seems that most of the winebars in Rome are to be avoided. I have discovered that there are prevalently 2 types of wine bars in this town. One is a serious establishment, run by sommeliers who can speak passionately about their selections and offer excellent pairing advice. The other is the trendy type, where people go to see and be seen, the staff is rude, and the wine list is not worthy enough to be used as birdcage lining.

Once place that falls into the latter category is Ferrazza in via dei Volsci in San Lorenzo. The place has a nice appearance, with brick walls and wine stowed on stylish shelves which line the space. The problem is, they are not serious. First problem, they did not have the first 4 wines I asked for on the menu. The waitress suggested that try something similar, and proceeds to bring us over a bitter and bland Muller Thurgau which cost way more than it was worth. Plus, they tack on an obligatory 3.50 euros per person for their aperitivo buffet, which consists of canned beans with olive oil and vinegar, burnt bread, these delicious-seeming-in-appearance hors d'oeuvres which taste like fried wet bread when you bite into them, day-old cous-cous, and tuna-product. It was revolting. We decide to get another bottle, so I grab the list thinking that I must be able to find some decent economical Frascati for under 15 euros. Not possible, my first 2 choices were of course unavailable, so we were brought an atrocious wine-water concoction with had no smell and no taste, and marked up from 4 euros (I saw it in the supermarket next door) to 14 euros! The service is quick and cold, and the owner sits around the bar staring his flirting with his 5-strong fleet of waitresses. Another place to add to the long list of boycotted establishments in Rome.

T-Boning in Roma

2007-03-30T02:30:00.000-07:00

There comes a time, approximately once every other week, when this Yankee feels the need to unleash pure mayhem on his arteries. The preferred method of this lethal assault on the vital organs in question is the ingestion of 1 kg bloody raw-ish T-bone steak. We're not in Texas, so the task of finding a restaurant that can prepare a Peter Lugar style NY T-bone is not an easy one. The Italian version of a T-bone is called the Fiorentina, or, the Florentine, which is more commonly found in Florence. The typical Florentine steak is prepared bloody raw, cut 3-4 cm thick, and has no condiments other than salt and maybe a drizzle of olive oil. Here are some of my favorite steak restaurants in Metropolitan Rome.

Il Duca degli Abruzzi
via Veio, 8 (near via Appia Nuova - metro A San Giovanni)
00183 Roma
We know this place quite well, as we have been coming here often for the past 2 years as it is conveniently located right next door to The Roman Wine Co.'s partner shop, the Off License, therefore very convenient. The decor looks like it has not been touched in about 30 years. The wood paneling, 1970s lighting, and faded window panes reeks of an outskirts trattoria straight out of a Pasolini film. The owner, Pino, hails from the town of Montereale in Abruzzo, and he inherited the place from his parents several years ago. He now runs it with his Ukrainian wife, and their beautiful 1 year old daughter can be found frolicking in the playpen outside the kitchen. Pino, an avid hunter, kills most of the menu himself, and his meat is of the utmost quality. The cuisine is very rustic, meaning you are brought knife-sliced hunks of cold cuts, heaping bowls of beans and sausage, and home made papardelle pasta smothered in wild boar stew. All presented on non-matching plates, of course. Then, the specialty of the house, La Fiorentina, which Pino sizzles up on the grill and serves with delicious roasted potatoes. No need to book it, but you should make sure he is open. He has odd opening and closing days, as he prefers to spend most of his time at his beautiful country house in Abruzzo. € 25 - 30 per person.

Ristorante La Pampa
Via Collatina Vecchia, 127
00155 Roma
tel. 0622755107
web www.ristorantelapampa.it
We thought this place was a just a legend. Massive Texas countryside style steakhouse. Who would have thought it could exist in Rome? Well, it does exist, and chances are, if you frequently drive on the A24 Roma - L'Aquila (towards Tivoli) highway that you unconsciously acknowledged its existence as well. It is a beautifully restored orange 18th century farmhouse which is curiously visible just as you're passing the Palmiro Togliatti exit. These people are the kings of T-Bone in Rome. The place is massive. I think that it can accommodate 1000 people on a summer evening due to its sprawling outdoor space and multi-level indoor space. They boast the best cuts of steak from all over the world, and it is probably the only restaurant in Rome where fine American culinary delicacies such as Bisonte Americano, or, American Bison, are proudly advertised. It does not quite work as a traditional restaurant. Upon arrival you announce your presence to a body-guard looking host armed with walkie talkies and a headset. You are then seated, and instructed to remember your table number. At that point, you enter the structure and proceed to the front counter where all the steak is on display. Then, you choose your steak, and your cut, it is weighed, and then sent off to the grill while you head back to your table and order wine, side dishes, or in our case, grilled pig livers. The only thing is that it was a bit hard to find, and you have to drive in a very sparsely populated area, and then about 0.5 km thorough a shady nomad camp before you arrive to a massive parking lot with hundreds of cars. Don't forget to book it, I would go as early as possible in order to avoid the usual delirius Romanus that occurs when too many Romans find themselves in the same place and end up employing their usual survival tactics of pushing, shoving, and climbing on top of each other. Plan on spending € 35 per person wine included.

Efeso il Barrocciaio
Via dei Salentini, 12 (San Lorenzo)
00185 Roma
Tel. 06/490408
Web www.efesoilbarrocciaio.it
I rarely trust guide books any more. I have had too many not-so-good experiences from the guide books that I have turned to for good advice on eating establishments in Italy. The best advice is of course word of mouth. And word of mouth not just from anyone, make sure the person is packing at least a pancia (pot belly). Seriously, hwould you trust restaurant advice from someone who stands 2 meters tall and weighs in at 60 kg? Anyway, I purchased a new guidebook called Il Gambero Rozzo, the rude shrimp, which obviously pokes fun at the famous Gambero Rosso, the red shrimp, which can be considered the Italian "Zagat's". The best translation I can think of for the word rozzo when used to describe a restaurant is "down-home" or "comfort-food". It means that si mangia bene e si spende poco, or, one eats well and spends little. When I saw the Il Gambero Rozzo contained recommendations for restaurants that I already like, I thought I figured that it might be the right guidebook for me.

The restaurant is located in the northern end of the San Lorenzo quarter, right near the citta' universitaria. The entry in Il Gambero Rozzo placed emphasis on this restaurant's ability to serve up a mean steak. And it was true. We ordered the tagliata di manzo, like a Fiorentina but only 2/3rds the thickness. It was crispy but not burnt on the outside, and tender and al sangue (bloody) on the inside. We washed it down with a bottle of Casale del Giglio Shiraz. Honestly, I think that a juicy high quality steak warrants a delicate Sangiovese such as Il Diavoletto, or even a Campora for those with higher budgets. About € 35 per person with wine.

Updates

2007-03-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

I was having trouble publishing to my website, so, I deleted the blog and republished it and now it seems to work. As you can see, I have changed the name. The name "Il Blog Enogastromico di Brendan" was a bit misleading since the blog is written in English. I have also taken down all of the posts with wine tasting notes, as I plan on using them on my new blog (which will be launching very soon) blog.romanwineco.com. This blog you are reading right now will focus mainly on restaurant reviews, and general food and wine interest in Italy. I will also include practical information about living and traveling in Italy. With the other blog, I will focus on pairing and reviewing the wines we sell on my website Italian Wine Online, and discussing my adventures in the Italian wine business. It might sound like there is a lot of overlap now, but it will all pan out once both blogs are up and running.

Some links might have been deleted during the transfer. I will put them back up very soon.

La Barrique Wine Bar in Rome

2007-03-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

I have found a new place to spend my Friday late afternoons after work. Well, other than the gym, of course. And it's so good I might even concede a Wednesday or two. It is not the usual Roman wine bar. The bottles are not marked up 300%. The staff is polite, efficient, and knowledgeable of the wine list. The décor does not look like a cheesy version of a 'Back to the Future' set. And the food is excellent.

Do not come here if you are looking for a gutbusting meal. The menu is simple and rustic, and consists mainly of Bruschette (toasted bread with various condiments), Carpacci (thinly sliced raw meats with condiments), and Affettati e formaggi (Sliced Cured meats and cheeses). The closest thing they have to cooked food is the "Hot Cheeses" which I did happen to sample. Thank you, um, I come from the land of grilled cheese.

Of course, my male dining partner and I opted for the lard bruschetta topped with honey. We always desire to start off light. I highly recommend the smoked salmon carpaccio, the smoked swordfish, and the Portuguese Cod (baccala' portoghese). The ideal thing to do is to grab a fish dish and a bottle of white, and/or a meat dish and a bottle of red. Duh. We drank Dessimis Pinot Grigio from the Vie di Romans winery (Very Good - € 25), Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore "La Crocetta" (Excellent - € 14), Sagana' from the Cusumano Winery (Excellent - € 26), and Il Repertorio from Cantina del Notaio winery (Excellent - € 18). As of right now, The Roman Wine Co. only stocks the Cusumano Sagana'.

Who: La Barrique
What: Wine Bar
Where: via del Boschetto, 41/b - 00184 Rome (near via Nazionale in Rione Monti)
When: Perfect for an after work drink and light dinner
Will I be going back?: Yes, I have been there 3 times already
Price: € 25.00 per person for 4 plates and 2 bottles of wine
Tel: 0647825953
Notes: I don't think you really need to reserve. I rang them up once to do so and the response was "um, yeah, sure, come on down at that time"

Au Temp du Temps in Paris

2007-03-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

Who ever thought existed a land whose people take very seriously fine cuisine and wine would also have a fully functional public transportation system? Well, this land does exist, and it is called France. From my weekend-long observation of France, I came to the conclusion that it is sort of like a slightly more serious version of Italy with a bit more innovative style culture and a much more functional infrastructure. After eating in one of the city's widely discussed bistros, I was quite perplexed as to how 99.99% of the population could be skinny.

Having the menu explained to us in Frenglish by an attractive Parisienne was quite a treat to my ears. The words that we heard consistently were foie gras, duck, fat, and liver. And of course, when she pointed out to what seemed to me like an elegantly written French main course and translated it to "A big fat pig" I was immediately sold.

The typical French menu consists of the entrée, the plat, and/or fromage, and the dessert. I know nothing about French wine, so we asked the waitress for something that would pack a nice punch and be able to subdue my "big fat pig" plat and make sure that the foie gras didn't stick to me arteries. She recommended the Sierra du Sud Cotes du Rhone, weighing in at a whopping 13.5% and costing € 31.

I started off with veal cutlet smeared with foie gras. Exceptional. While my dining partner had something with truffles which was equally appetizing. As for my plat, the "big fat pig" was very big and fat. I don't think I had ever tasted such freshness in pork. It was the rich cousin of a backyard BBQ pork chop. My dining partner instead opted for chicken stuffed with truffles with a side of roasted nouvelle potatoes, which was unbelievably good, perhaps one of the best dishes I have ever tasted in my life. Forget all of your prejudices about ordering chicken in a fancy bistro. This was like no bird you may have ever had. To finish off, I ordered the millefoglie with mascarpone while my dining partner opted for chocolate cake floating in what seemed to be its own tepid fudgy blood.

Who: Au Temp du Temps
What: French Bistrot
Where: 13, rue Paul Bert, Paris 75011, France, near the Faidherbe-Chaligny metro stop in the Bastille neighborhood
When: Definitely a late night romantic dinner place, book it for 9:30 or 10pm
Will I be going back?: Yes
Price: €60 per person with wine and dessert
Tel: +33 1 4379 6340
Notes: You should book this place at least a week in advance, and it is supposedly much easier to get a table at lunch

Agriturismo La Cerra in San Gregorio da Sassola

2007-02-04T05:26:00.000-08:00

What does the typical Rome resident do almost every Sunday? Why, they go to the countryside in search of some rustic little hideout and and stuff their face as if there were no tomorrow, of course. And I am certainly no exception, as many of you already know. This weekend I decided to try out a new place which was highly recommended by my friend Emiliano, a reliable source and fellow wine and spirit appreciator. We set out at around 12pm to head to La Cerra Agriturismo, right outside the beautiful town of Tivoli, in the locality of San Gregorio di Sassola. I was afraid of getting lost, directions on the website were unclear. Lost and bewildered, I turned the wrong way down a one-way highway ramp while missing the turn. Where I am from, this is grounds for a horrible head on collision with an SUV or even worse, incarceration. No need to fear, I was in Italy, and all I got was a few scolding hand gestures as I pulled over to the side of the road and turned around.

The "La Cerra" agriturismo was styled in the fashion of a Swiss Ski Chalet, which of course stood out profusely in the stone house - red roof ridden Italian countryside. There were probably about 200 cars in the parking lot, which, albeit a bit sad when one thinks about a countryside oasis, was a a very good indication of the quality of the venue. We entered and I announced our presence at the immense reception area of the maître d'. Due to our tardiness, we were greeted in the usual Roman fashion. That is, not with "Hello I am Sandy let me show you to your table" but instead "You're a half hour late, we were about to give your table away." This is after we were given the opportunity to see, even though there must have been at least 1000 people in the place, that there were several unoccupied tables.

Once seated, we immediately got down to business. There are no menus at places like this, the general rule is to not be a vegetarian and open to many things. An army of servers each equipped with different courses and the appropriate utensil for shovelling them into your plate was running about. The guy running the garbage can lid sized portions of mixed cold cut platters and the devil pitch fork, the two fellas running around with the bucket of pasta, and the industrial-sized cart of desserts being wheeled around as if it were one of those stands commonly seen at hospitals. You know, the ones used to administer IV therapy.

The first course was quite a treat. A decorative, but ignorantly lovely plate of cold cuts. To us US natives, a plate of cold cuts might not sound so appetizing. But, let it be known that these were top quality Italian hams, salamis, and cured meats mixed with homemade cheeses. Here, have a look for yourself:

The prosciutto, which some of you call "Parma Ham", was as red as a firetruck, tasty as a, well, cured ham, and fresh as if it were recently amongst its colleagues in the adjacent grazing space.

Next, was the pasta fagioli (pasta with beans). I am not really a big fan of pasta fagioli, but this was quite good. Also, it was a bit unnecessary, almost an act of war on our st. This is when one takes into account the next items that were to be thrust upon us.

Unfortunately, I do not have an image of the flagship pasta dish, the tagliatelle con funghi porcini. It went before I was able to reach for the camera and snap it. You'll just have to come and try it out for yourself. Several chewing sounds and glasses of house wine later, we were already on the secondo, the main course. A beautiful mix of roast lamb, pork, sausage, and beef and a side of potatoes that were clearly seasoned with the flavors of whatever substance exits whenever the aforementioned species reach a certain temperature.

The overall experience was good, and we highly recommend this venue for a Sunday lunch dining adventure. Plus, after you've enjoyed your meal, you get to spend quality time with next week's menu. Very good for the youngans.

Who: Agriturismo La Cerra
What: Agriturismo-style dining
Where: San Gregorio da Sassola (RM), near Tivoli (see map on website). Take the A24 Roma-L'Aquila highway from Rome, exit at Tivoli, and follow the signs to San Gregorio da Sassola until you see signs for the agriturismo.
When: Sunday lunch
Will I be going back?: Yes, but not for a while. I need to try many agritursmos first!
Price: € 35.00 per person with wine

Burgers in Hell's Kitchen, Fine Dining in San Francisco & the East Village

2007-01-27T05:23:00.000-08:00

Island Burgers
Still more eating experiences in the USA. This place is highly recommended, a small, but chic and comfortable burger joint in Hell's Kitchen. The most interesting thing on the menu is the long paragraph explaining, and apologizing, as to why they do not serve French Fries. It has to do with the fact that their space does not have the ventilation that a fryer would require. I ordered the Cowboy (barbecue sauce, onion, bacon, cheddar, ranch, sourdough) and anything labeled "Charasco" is a safe bet. One very big problem though, NO BEER!
Island Burgers, 766 9th Ave (bet. 51st 52nd Street), New York, NY 10019 Tel: +1 212 307 7934

Myth
I was a bit turned off when they asked for a credit card number for the reservation and told me "you must cancel within 72 hours, or else your credit card will be charged $25 per person". Um, OK. A bit snobbish, no? As if they would have trouble filling the table if I didn't show. Just to be safe, I gave them a made-up credit card number. This place was recommended to me by someone whose palate I trust dearly, therefore it was a must. I had the Seared Sweetbreads with Bacon, Quail Egg, Toast and Black Trumpet Mushrooms as an appetizer, which was fantastic, and Garganelli Pasta with Foie Gras Cream, Maitake Mushrooms and Marsala, which was even more delightful. I finished it off with a juicy Seared Duck Breast with Oranges, Corn Cake, Chanterelles, Spinach and Port Sauce. The wine was of course very overpriced, so we opted for the under $25 special, something from the 5 Vintners Winery, and it was perfect. I suppose I would recommend the place, but I was very turned off by the reservation bit and the helmet hair Asian hostess who seemed like she had an attitude. I really liked the interior.
Myth, 470 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133 Tel: + 1 415 677 8986, Web: www.mythsf.com
Price: $60 each, wine & tip included
(reservations strictly enforced!)

Enoteca Barbone
Ah, good old Avenue B, my old stomping ground. I remember when I moved to 11th Street and Avenue A in 1996, the only place in operation on Avenue B after 8pm was a laundromat which sold porno magazines and pot. Now, the street is bustling with restaurants, cafés, and bars. "The Hobo Wine Shop" is what its name translates to (or maybe it is someone's name), is a place with a serious Italian wine list that I can appreciate! Although, the usual excessive markups made most of the affordable-in-Italy items prohibitive. They even sold one of my favorites, Tenuta dell'Abate Giffarrò, but I was not about to shell out $55 for it, especially when I sell it for around $20. The menu was simple, similar to what you would find at an "innovative" restaurant in Rome. Think Italian with a spin of NYC funkiness. They did not go overboard with the silliness in naming the food, and that was good. The asparagus fries were delicious, and the polenta with truffles, fontina cheese, and a fried egg was even better. I ate the chicken liver ravioli with balsamic onions, which were especially nice. I highly recommend this place. The atmosphere is seductive and the service was cordial. We washed it down with a nice Montefalco di Sagrantino from Scacciadiavoli, a bargain at $30! This time when the weasly waiter came over to pour out my wine into my glass I told him that he needn't bother.
Price: $60 each, wine & tip included
Enoteca Barbone, 186 Avenue B (bet. 11th and 12th Street) New York, NY 10009 Tel: +1 212 254 6047, Web: www.barbonenyc.com

The Parkside, Corona Queens

2007-01-20T05:16:00.000-08:00

Now that I have been living in Italy for about 5 years, I have started longing for what was my first introduction to Italian culture: good old down home Italian-American comfort food. You know what I mean: Spaghetti & Meatballs, Fettuccine Alfredo, Eggplant Parmigiana, Fried Calamari with Marinara Sauce all cooked with obscene amounts of garlic. This stuff does not really exist in Italy. Many of today's Italian restaurants in the US feature creative cuisine based on international tastes, a spin on what one might expect to eat in Italy. It is very rare nowadays to get a good old-fashioned Italian restaurant with a big fat smiling man man smoking a cigar grabbing your arm and seating you at a checkered-cloth covered table. Think big trays of food in the window, obnoxious middle-aged waiters, gaudy decorations, and the customary old lady sitting in the corner.

Lucky for me, that craving was soon to be satisfied. My dad told me that he wanted to take the family to the Park Side Lounge in Corona, Queens. His Italian-American friend grew up down the street, and he was kind enough to introduce it to my dad a few years back. Of course, the next thing I do is google it, and it was interesting to find out that the owner is an alleged mobster, but nevertheless very respected in the neighborhood. This place was the real thing, something straight out of Goodfellas. I could hardly wait. My dad told me that it reminded him of the restaurants in Italy. I am not sure in which way, but he was paying, so the family and I took him up on his offer. I was also interested in seeing a part of New York that I have only seen from the window of the 7 train. Corona is supposedly the most ethnically diverse "region" in the world, and there are something like 167 nationalities represented there. I didn't even know that were that many countries! We get to the restaurant and it is packed with people with, well, the kind of people who you would expect a mafia-owned restaurant to be packed with. My dad had an inside tip, and said that you need to "shake hands with Alberto", the host, and slip him a $10 bill in order to reduce your waiting time and get seated in a nice part of the restaurant. Sure enough, one greased palm later, and we were brought up to the "Marilyn Monroe" room. It was nice and quiet, and stocked with round tables, velvet curtains, and the all of the pictures hanging up had, well, Marilyn Monroe in them. The piano music drowned out by thick New York accents in the background. It could not be more perfect. The crowd consisted of fat men in suits, women with way too much make-up, couples out on a date, and us.

Without looking at the menu, I knew that I was going to order Calamari (pronounced "galamad" in New York) with Marinara Sauce and Mozzarella in Carozza. The calamari came with a bucket of marinara sauce, just like grandma used to make. The Mozzarella in Carozza was of course, good. Take a huge chunk of fresh mozzarella and deep fry it, how can that not be good? I then sampled my dining partners' (i.e. mom, dad, brother, and sister) dishes. The stuffed artichokes, which were nothing special, and the Zuppa di Clams, or, Clam Soup (note the interesting combination of Italian and English employed here), was more like clams covered in Marinara sauce, yet very tasty. Then came the old "Italian" specialties that I had missed so dearly, even though I live in Italy. The Penne alla Vodka was rich, creamy, and not too heavy. I thought it was spectacular, and the portion was not nearly as vulgarly large that I expected it to be. Thanks to that I was physically able to move on to the Broiled Short Ribs with Barolo Red Wine Sauce. By the way, the wine list was non-existent. With heavy, rich food like this you would require a similarly robust wine to counter it. I ordered a glass of Cabernet, and besides the fact that I think it actually was pure Cabernet, it was very good. The short ribs dripped off off the bone and required little chewing. And this is America, so I can take a piece of bread and wipe all of the delicious sauce off my plate without worrying about making a "brutta figura" (doing dippy, or, the scarpetta, is a big no-no in Italian restaurants, in Italy). Unfortunately, the short ribs left me too full (not to mentioned satisfied) and I was unable to order dessert. Next time.

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10 (good)
Cost per person: approx. $40 USD with wine & tip
Will I be going back?: Yes, it makes a nice place to go to with dad when I am in town
Contact / Arrival Details: Park Side Restaurant, 107-01 Corona Avenue (bet. 51st Ave. & 108th St.), Corona, NY 11368 USA, 1 718 271 9871 web: www.parksiderestaurant.com.

Sushi in Brooklyn

2007-01-15T05:12:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a fantastic 22 day trip to the USA, where I continued my eating and drinking adventures. The striking difference between eating in Italy and the USA is the variety of cuisine. US fine-dining establishments try too hard to be more creative and daring, whilst Italian restaurants stick to the tradition (rightfully so, it works). This is due to the fact that the Italians do not need to be creative, as the things they have been eating throughout the years have always been good. I ate at about 7 or 8 establishments during my trip to the USA, and I plan on writing about each one in separate posts. The first stop was Bozu in Brooklyn, a Japanese tapas bar in the trendy Williamsburg section. I have probably eaten at about 20 sushi restaurants in my life, and although I like it a lot, it tends to not fill me up and leaves me requiring a "pizza chaser" at the end of the evening. This all changed after eating at Bozu, where the individual "pieces" were the size of racquetballs. I first tried it back in August, and it became my favorite sushi place, and secured a place on my top favorite restaurants of all time.

The interior was perfect for a first date. Dimly lit with dark furniture, and a stylish round bar. We were seated right away by a very kind maître d', who promptly offered us cocktails. I am usually turned off by US restaurants when they pressure their patrons into drinking (due to the hefty mark up), but I had to try to $8 house mojito made with shiso mint, and I was glad that I did. It brought out the creativeness that I was going to need in order to properly navigate the menu. Ordering was a bit of a chore. I barely eat sushi anymore, so I am not experienced. We decided to order a lot of food, and just divide it up amongst ourselves. There were 6 of us, so this would give us ample opportunity to sample most of the menu. I was hoping that there would be an Italian wine that we sell at The Roman Wine Company on the menu, so I could do a little pairing and promote the site. But since there wasn't, we opted to pair the meal with something that it was meant to be paired with, sake, the Japanese beverage made from rice. I wish I could comment more on the sake, but we just ordered the one that was suggested to us. I was never a big fan, but my maturing taste buds were able to appreciate it as it mingled with the raw fish in my mouth.

We decided that this experience was going to be a tour de force, and to all order huge dishes. It was the holidays, our gym memberships were to be renewed in the next 3 weeks, and those who were fortunate enough to get holiday bonuses were itching to spend them, as there were only 2 days before Christmas and most of the shopping had been done. The "snacks" section of the menu offered several appetizers, and we ate them all. The stuffed mushroom and rice croquette were particularly noteworthy, until the rolls arrive. The "Italian Onigiri" was something along the lines of a dream, sun-dried tomato and olives, food from my adopted country, transformed into a Japanese delicacy. Then came the Guacamole Roll. Forget about chips and dip, something about this roll made you think of silk and butter. I can almost describe it as a all-emcompassing remedy to the bad food that has been shoved down my throat in the past. Then, as in every multi-faceted feast, came the clincher, pure culinary genius art. The eel-shiso and cucumber roll and boiled shrimp, tempura flake, and spicy mayo roll. I don't know how to describe them, but think of crunchy flakes with the perfect amount of flavor and disintegrate gracefully as you chew them. Once you start enjoying the taste, you are introduced to the tender filling. It actually gave me second thoughts about swallowing.

Then came the "bombs", which we're essentially chunks of sushi. I do not know why they call them this, nor was I able to distinguish them that well, apart from the una bomb, again, with eel, shiso mint leaf, and wasabi cream sauce. The spicy version had a tiny gob of that wonderful spicy mayo. I suggest the party bomb, that way you get to sample all of them. There was not one thing that we ordered that I did not think was exceptional.

Overall rating: 9.8 out of 10 (Exceptional)
Cost per person: $50 USD / wine included
Will I be going back?: Undoubtedly
Contact / Arrival Details: Bozu, 296 Grand Street between Havemeyer & Roebling, Brooklyn, NY 11211 USA, tel. 1 718 384 7770, web www.oibozu.com (take the L train to Lorimer Street, follow Metropolitan Avenue under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and make a left on to Havemeyer and a right onto Grand)

Sicily in Your Mouth

2006-12-15T05:01:00.000-08:00

The title of today's post is a literal translation of a new Brendan top 10 restaurant in Rome. Maybe even top 5. I went to "Sicilia in Bocca" twice now, and both times I walked out a fatter, but much happier, man. The restaurant has 3 locations, one in Prati, one in Flaminia, and a smaller sister restaurant in Trastevere. Apparently, they're doing quite well. Rightfully so, because their food and service are fantastic.

As I've mentioned before, most restaurants in Rome go by the mantra "You're only coming here once so I might as well rip you off". Sicilia in Bocca was quite the opposite. They start you with a smile and a mimosa-like aperitif as soon as you sit down. I was with my dad and girlfriend, Federica, so we were speaking English and the waiter was nice enough to come over and greet us in perfect US-accented English (he was from Palermo, and he worked in NY as a waiter for 2 years). In most restaurants in Rome, you're usually being rushed to order as you open the menu, and here we were chatting with the waiter. I like that. We started off with the "Gran varietà di affumicati", the "Great Variety of Smoked Raw Fish". It included smoked salmon, swordfish, and tuna over a bed of rocket. I was able to taste the freshness. The next starter was the "Alicette Marinate", marinated sardines in oil, garlic and hot pepper. Since dad was in town, and treating, I thought that we might as well go all out and pair every course, my favorite hobby, as you all know. The starters were washed down, nicely, with a bottle of Donnafugata Chiaranda, a voluptuous Sicilian DOC blend of Chardonnay and Ansonica. It went beautifully with both dishes.

With a good half bottle of Chiaranda left, we received our primi (first courses). My dad and I ordered the Pasta con le Sarde, an interesting Palermitan pasta, which seemed home-made and without egg, topped with again, sardines, pinoli nuts, fennel, and bread crumbs. Federica had the classic Sicilian Maccheroni alla Norma, pasta with ricotta, tomato sauce, and sauteed eggplant. The portions were perfect, not too big, not too skimpy. I think that the dish that my dad and I ordered was superior, but Federica insisted that hers was better, probably just to contradict me. To be fair, they were both excellent.

With the Chiaranda drained and 2 big secondi (main courses) on the way, I asked to have a look at the wine list again. We were all excruciatingly full and just beginning to come to terms with the fact that a hearty dish of calamaretti ripieni alla griglia, stuffed grilled calamari, AND grigliata mista di pesce, mixed grilled fish, we're on the way. Knowing that we were about to be bombarded by an explosion of flavor, I knew I needed a tough wine to counter attack. We opted for the Cusumano Jalé, a chardonnay-based bomb of white wine that weighs in at a whopping 15%! I hate complimenting myself, but I really paired that one good. The calamaretti were extremely tasty, and therefore they required a good balance. The Jalé sucked the flavor right out of them and made sure it hung around my palate for an extra few seconds. Oh, lord, and the grilled fish. The Jalé is a bit sweet, so it smacked the bitterness of the grill taste around just enough to have it be declared the perfect, perfect pair. What the hell did I just say there? I don't know.

It was then time for my favorite part of the meal, the dolce. Dad opted for the Cannolo (the Cannoli in US speak) and I went for the ricotta and pear cake topped with steaming hot fudge. Nothing more needs to be said, right? Federica opted to remain horrified at the fact that dad and I were still eating. We washed this down with a sweet zibibbo wine.

Overall rating: 9.8 out of 10 (c'mon nobody gets a perfect score!)
Cost per person: €70.00 with 2 bottles of wine, but you can probably get this down to €45-50 if you are less extravagant
Will I be going back?: Definitely
Contact / Arrival Details: La Sicilia in Bocca, via Emilio Faà di Bruno, 26 (Prati, near Piazza Mazzini), tel 06 3738400, you can walk to it in 15 mins from the Ottaviano metro stop. See their website www.siciliainboccaweb.com for information on their other locations.

Al Grottino in Sacrofano

2006-11-30T04:59:00.000-08:00

I have now been to Al Grottino twice and I am starting to think that it is one of my favorite restaurants in the greater Rome area. It is located in a small medieval town called Sacrofano, which is about 20 minutes north of Rome along the via Flaminia. This place was recommended to me by my business partner, John, and his suggestions have always been a safe bet. Unfortunately, I do not have any photos. I am embarrassed of the photos I take because my digital camera is a piece of junk. I think it has been dropped too many times. I'd kind of feel like a jerk sitting there taking photos of all of the dishes as they arrived.

Al Grottino is a very rustic trattoria, so don't come here if you're looking for nicely decorated dishes of refined cuisine. Be prepared to eat a lot, a whole lot, I'd even recommend skipping breakfast and eating a light dinner the night before. It is one of those no-menu restaurants, which means that they bring you the courses that they've prepared for the day. The only thing that was lacking was perhaps a bit of variety, as I remember that they served us the exact same things as we ate back in April. The wine list was non-existent, and we were served the house wine as soon as we sat down. I thought about asking, but it just didn't seem like that type of place. Usually the house wine in Rome is barely drinkable, and in some cases chilled to protect you from the harsh taste, but theirs was pretty good, I liked it. You see, at these type of places, "take what we give you" trattorias, you usually know what you're getting only what they give you and you're expected not to complain about it.

We started off with porcini mushroom paté spead over toasted bread drizzled with olive oil. I am a porcini fanatic, so needless to say I was very happy. Then, there was your usual dish of prosciutto (Parma ham) and Lonza, a pork cold cut. Nothing special, but very fresh. There was also a dish of beans, which were delicious, but somehow I think we could have done without them. Just when we were relieved that the appetizers seemed to stop arriving, they bring out a big plate of fried eggplant. Not sit-in-your-stomach for 2 weeks fried, but likely fried in a light oil.

Then, they started bringing the primi (first courses). There were 4 in all, and they were all excellent. First, they bring everyone a dish of tagliatelle pasta with porcini mushroom sauce and olive oil. Then, the gnocchi with tomato sauce. Once your gut has been busted by the gnocchi you're expected to shovel down a big tray of polenta with tomato sauce and hunks of spicy sausage. At this point we were begging for mercy but the flagship dish arrived, the papardelle pasta with wild boar sauce. I know, it doesn't sound so appetizing in English but it was absolutely delicious. An excellent combination of all of right herbs, spices, and diced veggies mixed into homemade pasta.

I then removed my belt and tossed it into the trash, as I knew I would never be needing it, ever again. The second course was more humane as it consisted of several grilled meats such as sausage, lamb, pork chops, steak and chicken livers. They were all great, cooked just right on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. The chicken livers were especially good. Usually in out of all of the people I am with I am the only one crazy enough to eat them, but this time I had a contender, a fellow liver lover, so we divided the big hunks evenly. At this point, we were ready to pass out, but then a big bowl of goat stew arrives. The groans turned into "hmmms" and we each picked at it a little bit, but when I saw how much of the goat had actually been consumed it was clear that there was just no room left in our stomachs.

The dessert was a bit weak. A plate of cookies and cakes. But it is more symbolic when you think about how much you've just eaten. Eventually, 5pm rolled around and the owner came over and said "You can stay if you want, actually, I am happy if you stay, but I have to go, so please pay" and he seemed like a very nice guy.

Overall rating: 9.3 out of 10 (highly recommended)
Cost per person: €35.00 with house wine
Will I be going back?: Oh yeah, but I can picture myself getting bored of it if they always serve the same thing. Well, now that I think of it, I don't think I'll ever get bored of that wild boar sauce!
Contact / Arrival Details: Al Grottino, piazza XX settembre 9, 00060 Sacrofano (RM) tel 06 9086263 / 06 9086012. There is plenty of space but it never hurts to ring up and book in advance. From Rome, take via Flaminia for about 20 minutes until you see a sign for Sacrofano. Turn left on that road and continue for about 15 minutes and you'll eventually get to the center of town, where the restaurant is located.

My favorite Roman Trattorias

2006-11-15T05:03:00.000-08:00

Roman food has a reputation for being greasy, heavy, and made up of questionable animal body parts. Some of the principle pasta dishes are Bucatini all'Amatriciana (hollow spaghetti with pancetta, onion, white wine, and tomato sauce), Spaghetti alla Carbonara (Bacon, Egg, and Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese), and Rigatoni alla Pajata (Pasta with calf intestines still filled with the mother's milk). The principle main courses are Saltimbocca alla Romana (veal cutlet rolled with prosciutto and sage leaves), Coda alla Vaccinara (oxtail cooked in tomato sauce with lard and vegetables), and Trippa alla Romana (tripe cooked in tomato sauce).

Cacio e Pepe - da Gianni

This is probably my favorite Roman trattoria. Nicknamed "the fast food of the Carbonara", this place is literally a hole in the wall, a tiny space about the size of an NYC falafel joint. If you sit near the kitchen, the cook might even ask you to pass the salt and pepper. Most of the tables are outside, in front of the neighboring post office. At first glance, it might even seem that the post office is running a trattoria on the side. Although the inside can only accommodate a few customers, you can eat outside during the winter, as they have the big "mushroom" heaters lined among the outdoor tables. Upon arrival, you will see Gianni, the hip owner, standing out front with a large notepad and a pen. Tell him your name and number in your party. Asking someone else might delay your seating, as all decisions must be run by Gianni first. There are no menus, starters, or desserts, just straight up first, main and side dishes. The service is efficient, but don't expect smiles and small talk. I always order the Tonarelli alla Carbonara (see above - homemade "square" spaghetti - the "alla Gricia" version is without egg) or Pasta al Forno (oven baked pasta). The dishes change nightly, so you should probably ask. I tasted their Gnocchi alla Sorrentina once and it was fabulous, but only available on Thursdays in the winter and autumn. As for main dishes, I usually opt for La Parmigiana (egglplant parmesan, which is really a side dish, but substantial enough to be a main dish) or the Polpettone (meatloaf - not always available). The winelist is nonexistent, and you'll only have a choice of either the house red or white, which are just good enough to wash the grease down. When you ask for the bill, the waiter summons Gianni to your table. He asks what everyone has eaten, and then writes the price down on the paper tablecloth. Get there early, around 8:20pm (12:45pm for lunch) and avoid waiting up to an hour to be seated. You can also call and book. Keep in mind that Gianni works so hard during the week that he closes the restaurant on Saturdays and Sundays.

Overall rating: 8.9 out of 10 (Very Good)
Cost per person: €15 - 20
Will I be going back?: I go about once per month
Contact / Arrival Details: Cacio e Pepe, via Avezzana, 11 (Prati neighborhood, near Piazza Mazzini), tel 06 3217268, you can walk to it in 10 mins from the Lepanto metro stop.

Betto e Mary

This place is a little out of the way from the city center in Rome's Casilino neighborhood, but certainly worth the trip. Let me warn you, it is not for the faint of heart. Many of the dishes consist of animal parts that normal people would not even think of eating. As soon as you sit down, the wait staff sits down at your table with you and starts making fun of you while they take your order. In fact, it is not uncommon to ask for something and be told you cannot have it. It's part of their theme, so don't be offended. The walls are decorated with funny posters, such as a tie rack labeled "please leave tie here as they are not allowed in the restaurant". Instead of "no smoking", it says "they even took that away from us" over the crossed-out cigarette symbol and another one stating that they only serve mad cow. The bathroom says "cesso" on the door, which is the Roman equivalent of "sh-thouse".

The Carbonara Vegetariana (see Spaghetti alla Carbonara, but substitute the eggs with zucchini) is my favorite first dish, but the Pajata (see above) is good too. They are equipped with a huge grill which is visible when you walk in, so needless to say this is a meatlovers paradise. As far as main dishes go, I always get the fegatelli (grilled liver with bay leaves) and granelli (fried bull testicles). Yes, I was skeptical at first but they are actually really good. Anything grilled like sausage, chicken, and steak is also a safe bet. The Misto Romano ("Roman Mix") is a big hit, but I couldn't even tell you what is in it. I think I recognized oxtail and intestines. The house wine is not so good, and they will make fun of you if you ask to see the wine list. However, they do have a few good wines. We got the Casale del Giglio Antinoo white, and Shiraz red. The white went very well with the bull testicles and the red was perfect for the grilled meats. It gets packed, so it is best to book the afternoon before.

Overall rating: 8.7 out of 10 (Very Good)
Cost per person: €25 - 30
Will I be going back?: I've been there 5 times since February 2006
Contact / Arrival Details: Betto e Mary, via dei Savorgnan, 99 (Casilino / Tor Pignattara neighborhood, near viale Filarete), tel 06 45421780, you can walk to it in 10 mins from the Alessi tram (Laziali line from Termini) stop on via Casilina.

Da Marcello

Da Marcello is right near my house and usually the first choice should Federica and I decide to go out to dinner without planning in advance. The annoying thing is, they will seldom let you in without reservations. If a male is deciding the seating arrangements, sometimes we can get lucky when Federica does her Italian girl thing. The food is very good and very cheap. The ambiance is nice, with wood tables and checkered tablecloths, and is oftena good mix of families, students, and neighborhood folks. The service varies. There is one woman who doesn't speak and throws your silverware and napkins down in the middle of the table. The others are mostly student-types who are a bit nicer.

I religiously order the Spaghetti alla Carbonara or the Agnolotti con sugo di noce (ravioli with creamy walnut sauce) and one of their many "in umido" stew-type meat dishes with a side of roast potatoes. Again, there is not much of a wine list and the house wine is mainly to remove the grease from your arteries. I've found that their food goes well with beer, so don't be afraid to ask for a Peroni and a couple of glasses. That said, this is a great place to go before a night of drinking in San Lorenzo's nightlife district.

Overall rating: 8.7 out of 10 (Very Good)
Cost per person: €20
Will I be going back?: Yes
Contact / Arrival Details: Da Marcello, via dei Campani, 2 (San Lorenzo neighborhood), tel 06 4463311, you can walk to it in 10 mins from Piazza di Porta Maggiore, where many trams and buses stop.

Trip to an Olive Oil Factory in Basilicata

2006-10-31T04:57:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting an Olive Oil Processing Plant "Oleificio" in Rapolla, a small town in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy. It was quite an interesting experience, but I have to say that my romantic idea of old farmers in overalls manually pressing the olives in the back of the barn is now ruined forever. Olive oil processing is done by expensive industrial equipment that looks like it belongs in a NASA laboratory. And this was a small oil plant, owned by 60 local farmers from the area. The big producers must have facilities that resemble the Pentagon. We arrived just as the tractors were dumping the day's harvest into huge bins lining the front of the plant. The farmer's name, address, date-of-birth, and the weight of the yield would then appear on a screen above the bin.

First, the leaves and branches get removed. I tried to take a picture of the pruning machine but since it was dark it didn't come out so good. If you interested in an elaboration, think that the pruning machine looked like one of those things that landscapers toss wood into to turn it into wood chips.

Then, no time is wasted as the olives are immediately crushed by the "presser".

From the presser, they go through a series of machines. I don't quite know what happens then, but I have a photo. The room where all of the machines were was very hot and humid. The fog you see was steam coming out of the machine and not a result of my lousy photo taking skills.

Then, after they pass through all of this heavy machinery, a diarrhea-like (sorry, but what else can I use to describe it?) substance is poured into yet another container, where I assume it is well on its way to becoming olive oil.

From there, we were brought over to the "almost-finished" section, where the unfiltered olive oil is inspected before it gets filtered and bottled.

Then, a guy came over and started scooping out the gunk. Knowing the way things work in Italy, the gunk is probably going to be used to produce something else. Doesn't he just look like he belongs there? Working in an Olive Oil Factory?

The guy then asked me if I'd like to try some. Sure, I said, but instead of coming back with bread he came back with little cups and said "don't shoot it, take very little sips instead and let it sit on your tongue". It was fantastic. It tasted like warm velvet.

Then, the farmers got together in the next room, lit some cigarettes, and started cutting the bread while they made fun of each other. Each of them presumably did something else during the day and they were all calling each other by their titles (architect, doctor, engineer).

If I must say, the olive oil was excellent, possibly the best I've ever tasted. It was still warm off the press and unfiltered. Remember, about an hour ago the oil you are looking at was a truckload of olives.

The guy in the orange sweater is the president of the cooperative. All of the other guys were calling him "presidente". I asked him where he sells his oil and he told me in local shops in the area. What? Unfortunately, high quality products like this never make it out of the town they are produced as there are no means to market them. A real shame! And I think I will have to do something about that very soon!

Bravo, Presidente!

Sending euros to the US

2006-10-15T04:55:00.000-07:00

I found a new service which I used to transfer money to the US for my forthcoming trip. I have visited the site frequently for exchange rate info when I found out that they offered a money exchange service. The site is www.xe.com if you're interested (I assume that other expats who read this blog may require the same services). Setting it up was a bit of an annoyance due to all of the security controls. But, thanks to terrorists and scams I suppose they are more than necessary. They had to call me and confirm all of the data I entered and they caught me at a bad time and I had actually forgotten most of the things. Anyway, they somehow believed that I was legit and agreed to set up my account. I had to set up my Italian bank account as the "source", and my US bank account as the "beneficiary". The trade is simple, plus, the exchange rate was much more favorable than what I get at my bank. I initially thought that everything was automatic, but I actually had to go to my bank and order a money transfer. XE routes the money through a bank in Germany, so it takes less time than a transfer to the US. If I were to do it from my Italian account directly to my US account, the international transfer costs €15 going out, and the US bank charges $10 for incoming transfers. Between charges and lousy exchange rate, you can wind up losing close to $100. Since I did it with XE, who routed the money through a European bank, I paid an inter-EU transfer cost of €5, and I haven't seen any charges from my bank for the incoming wire. The whole ordeal took 5 working days, not bad!

By the way, I have no profitable affiliation with any of these places mentioned in this entry, and use their services at your own risk!

Day Trip to Calcata

2006-10-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we decided to take a little day trip to Calcata. No, we didn't go to India, but about 42 km (30 mi) north of Rome, between via Cassia and via Flaminia, 2 main roads that lead to Rome (yes, all roads in Italy lead to Rome, but there are only about 5 of them). Calcata is unique in that it seems as if its builders literally chiseled the town from the mountain top. I have a friend who lives there who has been inviting me for the last 2 years. I finally decided to make the trip.

Not only is Calcata an interesting place, but it also has an interesting past. Apart from being initially inhabited by the Etruscans and it was evacuated after the big earthquake of Messina in 1908. Some reports say up to 100,000 people died. After the December 2004 tsunami in SE Asia, I did research on "earthquakes in Italy" on Google and Wikipedia. Just in 1980, a huge earthquake in Eboli (near Naples) killed almost 3000 people. Italy is no stranger to powerful earthquakes throughout the last century. I've witnessed at least 2 since I've been here. One was the aftershock of the Assisi earthquake in 1997 and last summer Rome shook enough to send frightened beach goers to run inland and scream "tsunami tsunami". The medieval hamlet of Calcata shook during the earthquake of 1908 and its inhabitants were moved to the planned community of Calcata Nuova (New Calcata) about 3 km up the hill from Calcata. It wasn't until the 1960s that it was re-inhabited by so-called hippies who came from other places in Italy and around the world. Today the old town counts 60 inhabitants.

There was something very special about Calcata. I've been to many beautiful historic towns in Italy, and most of them are overrun by tourists and all of the garbage that comes with tourism. Stands selling junk, expensive restaurants with ugly menus in bad English out front, huge tour buses blocking the streets, endless fields of out-of-place parking lots, bars selling 2 euro cappuccinos, hotels hotels hotels, etc. These things didn't exist in Calcata. It was too small to accommodate mass tourism. The main square consisted of a few people sitting around talking, quite the contrary from the endless masses of fake portrait dealers, grotesque advertisements, counterfeit Gucci bag sellers, and sandwich stands that line Piazza Navona in Rome.

It was nice to see it empty at lunchtime, no scooters parked on the sidewalk, no cars trying to mow you down. There were a few shops which sold art work and a couple of others that sold hippie garb.

Now, the highlight of the day. We ate lunch at a small restaurant called "I Tre Monti" right at the town's main gate. The porcini mushrooms tasted as if they picked that morning. Calcata's inhabitants seemed content with what they had. There was no need to attract throngs of tourists and ruin the tranquil vibe of the town. It was really a stunning place.

The foundations of most of the houses on the edge of the town, including my friend's, were actually carved out of the grotto.

He had a little balcony which overlooked a beautiful park. The only noise was the sound of the stream. It was truly paradise. He probably paid close to nothing for the place. Always wanting to live in a medieval historic center, he bought it in 1999 when he realized that he would never be able to afford Rome.