Rome Help, Per Favore

Bill Lundstrom

Bill Lundstrom
I'll be in Rome for the first time many,many years in mid April. My wife and I are taking my 80 year parents for long overdue trip to Europe. Mom taught Latin her whole career but has never been to Europe , let alone Rome. This will be a special trip.
I did use the search function and found some good info. But,I could really use more recent info/suggestions on all the things us disorderlies find essential like; retail wine shops, authentic roman restaurants or osterias (don't need anything Michelin starred unless so good they are not to be missed), cocktail bars, cafes, outdoor food markets, cheese shops, etc....
we will have an apartment near the Piazza Navonna.

i will be with my parents for 10 days. if nothing else i will need wine and booze. Grazie.
 
grappolo d'oro (http://www.hosteriagrappolodoro.it ) is a nice, honest, resto right near the Piazza Navonna. decent wine selection too.

cul de sac is on the piazza navonna and has a great list; food and service are variable, but well intentioned.

i think the food at L'Asino D'oro (Via del Boschetto, 73) is not to be missed; wine is serviceable; the chef/owner is more of a artisanal beer guy.

oh, and La Barrique is not to be missed; at least not for wine (especially Champagne): , via del Boschetto 41b.

if you are up for a little traveling around rome and want to see a true family place that serves great traditional roman trattoria food, try da Cesare http://www.trattoriadacesare.it/?lang=en vaux le voyage, as the Michelin people would say. no stars!
 
I've heard really great things about Katie Parla's app, should you have an iOS device. I haven't had a chance to use it, but really like her writing about Rome and respect her opinions, especially her passion for preserving traditional foodstuffs.

Also the Slow Food app comes somewhat recommended by a person who knows these things, but again, I can't vouch for it.
 
originally posted by Saul Mutchnick:
I've heard really great things about Katie Parla's app, should you have an iOS device. I haven't had a chance to use it, but really like her writing about Rome and respect her opinions, especially her passion for preserving traditional foodstuffs.

Also the Slow Food app comes somewhat recommended by a person who knows these things, but again, I can't vouch for it.

thank you. i'll check it out for sure.
 
originally posted by Saul Mutchnick:
I've heard really great things about Katie Parla's app, should you have an iOS device. I haven't had a chance to use it, but really like her writing about Rome and respect her opinions, especially her passion for preserving traditional foodstuffs.

Also the Slow Food app comes somewhat recommended by a person who knows these things, but again, I can't vouch for it.

Both are very useful and very reliable. the Slow Food Osterie d'Italia app would be incredibly useful to you Bill, if you are headed out of Rome at all.
 
Here is a link to 'Rome' entries in the blog of a remarkable little restaurant in the middle of nowhere in Stillwater, Pennsylvania. The proprietors, former teachers at the Wyoming Seminary, run a CSA and use locally grown ingredients in their dishes. Justin, the cook, is a proponent of Italian food, and the restaurant serves excellent five-course, prix fixe meals. Justin regularly travels to Italy and appears to eat well there. The blog covers his experiences. Note that he references Katie Parla; I don't know if you'll find anything in the blog that she doesn't cover, but I hope it will be of some use.
 
Bill,
Near to where you are staying is Enoteca Il Goccetto (Via dei Banchi Vecchi, 14), a wine bar with a good selection of wines and small producer cheeses, meats and pickled vegetables. Even closer is a Armando al Pantheon (Salita Dei Crescenzi, 31) , a restaurant specializing in Roman classics. A bit further afield is Ristorante L'Arcangelo (Via Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli, 59), another restaurant featuring classic Roman cuisine with a few modern touches thrown in. These recommendations come to you via Criteeq, a new food app for Android and IOS that features reviews by local food bloggers, etc. (disclaimer: I'm a contributor and alpha-tester)

Mark Lipton
 
It's been many years now (10?), and I understand they have renovated since then, but we were very underwhelmed by the food at Armando. The Pantheon, however, never disappoints.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
originally posted by Bill Lundstrom:
Mom taught Latin her whole career but has never been to Europe , let alone Rome. This will be a special trip.

Holy cow, her socks are going to be KNOCKED OFF.

yeah, i am pretty excited to see her actually experience the city she "knows" through film strips (remember those?), school books, teaching, movies etc...
 
I bet.

The first time I went there (in 2004, in May, just a lovely month) I was gobsmacked. I'd been in other places with Roman ruins (Nîmes, Lyon, Naples/Pompeii), but this was just astounding.

Fellini hadn't prepared me for this.
 
Let me piggy back on this thread.

We're staying near the Piazza Venezia. Looking for the best places, not necessarily traditional "Roman". My understanding is that the best food is actually from other regions. Thanks.
 
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