If you missed Antony Bourdain’s Travel Channel show on Rome last night I suggest you find out when it will air again and watch it, preferably with a plate of Penne al’Amatriciana in front of you as I did (don’t skimp on the guanciale, it makes a difference).
Fab show. Supposedly a tribute to Fellini. I dunno, but visually entrancing. I don’t know what they did with all the people, but Rome looks stunningly working-class in black and white (they did let some color leak into the food shots though). Tony in a suit and tie provides the contrast to crumbly Rome. Like puntarella to roast lamb.
There’s just something different about Rome. Tony mentions “The improbable awesomeness” of the city. When you think about it, in most foodie cities folks develop a snobbish attitude and eat things fashioned by touted chefs who twist and bend food items until a signature dish is extruded. Rome isn’t really like that. Tradition rules—and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes though, you really expect a fight to break out, then reconciliation col vino and all is better than before.
You can’t always get good food in Rome. In fact, it’s probably harder to get a great meal there than in other cities in Italy. The problem is—the places tourists go are the most interesting places you don’t want to miss—and there is where the rip-off crap food congregates.
I liked the raucous scenes in Il Timoniere. It’s off the beaten track. You really don’t have to go that far off the beaten track though, to get good Roman food. I like Al Pompiere, not a bad walk from the Piazza Farnese, which is how I got there. That’s a picture of the fried artichoke over there on the left.
But then, behind the artichoke plate is the salad. It’s a puntarella salad. You only get this in late winter/early spring. Puntarella is the absolutely perfect foil to fried dishes—or the heavy dishes of winter. Dressed with a little anchovy to lend a salty bite and it’s the perfect palate cleanser. It whispers “spring is coming” to your deprived palate. You can have a foodgasm if you’re not careful.
You need some fast food? Hey, just walk over to the famous Campo dei Fiore and look in the buckets. There it is—all chopped and cleaned for you. How hard is that? Maybe the bucket makes you suspicious, but if that’s the case you’re way too afraid of a little dirt and probably your immune system is all the worse for it. You gotta feed that, too.
Say what you will about the Campo dei Fiori, but there are some good things there for the tourist who has had the good sense to get an apartment in the center of Rome. Good things I mean like Puntarella—or all the rest of the great greens ready for a squeeze of lemon and a thin coat of great olive oil.
Still looking for places to eat in Rome? I’ve found a wonderfully informative post from Food Lover Kathy, who volunteers to get you through the primo course with her favorite Roman pasta dishes (and osterie): Roman Pasta Dishes and 10 Places to Eat them in Rome
For me, the best place to go in Rome to eat is Testaccio
More Stories About Rome, Italy
Great Fermentations: Bread and Beer
Making Pasta in the Heart of Rome
Osteria Le Mani in Pasta Review