Long waits, stifling crowds, mopeds bumping your table, jazz bands or jackhammers (or both) drowning out your conversation — it’s all part of the exquisite torture that is the Rome food scene at the height of tourist season. The good news is, with a bit of planning and a few insider tips, it’s fairly easy to avoid the worst crowds and most overrated (and overpriced) trattorias and take in the full flavor of Rome. Start your day with a fresh-baked cornetto (“little horn”), the slightly sweeter cousin of the croissant, at tiny Pasticcera Trastevere in the heart of the Trastevere district. By late afternoon, the party will be in full swing with packed sidewalk tables, street performers, craft vendors and locals out for their daily passeggiata (stroll). Walk to the lively main square, Piazza Santa Maria, and stop in at the Church of Santa Maria, one of Rome’s oldest churches, dating back to the fourth century and rebuilt in the 12th century with shimmering mosaics by Pietro Cavallini that depict the life of the Virgin Mary. The nearby 2,000-year-old ruins of Portico d’Ottavia served as a boundary to the original ghetto — Jews were forbidden to leave at night — and was home to Rome’s fish market from the Middle Ages until the late 19th century. Save some appetite for a Locals Food Tour with the Roman Guys, which gives you VIP entrance to some of the best local eateries, accompanied by knowledgeable guides who pair a progressive feast of classic dishes with Roman culinary history. Highlights include fried salt cod at Filetti di Baccalà, a hole-in-the-wall spot where no-nonsense ladies deliver delicately crunchy battered cod wrapped in paper, made from a recipe dating back to medieval times; and da Teo, a tucked-away trattoria where toothsome amatriciana (hollow bucatini pasta in a sauce of pig’s cheeks, tomatoes and cheese) and rigatoni carbonara come with house wine poured from a barrel out back. [...] work off the carbs on your way to the Pantheon with a pit stop at Caffè Tazza d’Oro, one of Rome’s most celebrated coffee bars. Try a granita di caffè, a delicious crushed-ice-cream-topped coffee concoction, or go traditional with the secret signature blend espresso (pay at the cashier first and bring your receipt to the barista). After you’ve ogled the Pantheon’s improbable architecture — it’s the largest unsupported dome in the world and Rome’s best-preserved ancient monument — head to Giolitti, one of the city’s oldest and most famous gelaterias, founded in 1900. The dazzling array of ice cream flavors range from traditional stracciatella and hazelnut to Champagne, marsala custard, and rice (for fantastic fresh-fruit gelato, you’re better off at Corona Gelato or I Caruso). The wildly popular family-run salumeria, wine bar and restaurant is perfect for a light bite (the deli features 300 types of cheese and 150 cured meats) or a memorable meal in the intimate dining area. Try burrata with sun-dried tomatoes, and don’t miss the cacio e pepe — a deceptively simple and spectacular combination of spaghetti, pecorino, salted pasta water and pepper — arguably the best in Rome.
Comment on One Day, One Place: Eat up Rome during tourist season
By Bonnie Wach, San Francisco Chronicle: Travel
Sun, 06/26/2016 - 5:34pm
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