Rome Part 1

The last leg of our European trip was in Rome. Neither of us had been to Rome before as with other places we visited that trip, so it was yet again a new experience. We landed and headed into the city via train. When we finally got into the city we began our short trek to the hotel which was conveniently close to the station. The mild weather that we encountered in Rome was a welcome departure from the heat and humidity of the previous countries.

Our hotel room wasn't quite ready when we arrived at the hotel, but they had a balcony (which took some finding) where we enjoyed a rather large glass of wine while we waited. It wasn't long before our room was ready, so we headed up to get ready for our first glimpse of Rome. It was mid afternoon and we were getting pretty hungry so I went down to inquire about a place to eat while Terry finished getting ready. The guy at the front desk politely guided me out the front door of the hotel, and pointed to a place that was two blocks down the same street and said that they had good food.

The plan was to grab a bite, and then head over to the coliseum by foot. We got seated in what I would call a slightly touristy cafe. The table mats were neon, and techno was blaring. I wasn't too sure what to think when we first got there. We took a look at the menu and settled on two glasses of Chianti, mozzarella with prosciutto, bruschetta, and fried green olives that were stuffed with mince meat. The mozzarella was wonderful. It was moist, and had a great balanced flavor. It wasn't too tough, but wasn't falling apart either. The texture was nice on the tongue, and it wasn't bland or over done. The prosciutto was equally as refreshing. It was one of those moments where we sat their, wine glasses in hand, and said, so this is how its supposed to taste! The meat was tender and didn't have that overwhelming gamey taste that you encounter way to often when the prosciutto isn't stored correctly or isn't very fresh. It was a delightful way to start our trek.

The bruschetta was great too. The tomatoes were perfectly ripe, and weren't ruined by some goon who insists on over seasoning, and making the simple too complex. The bread wasn't over toasted and took the moisture well.

When we first laid eyes on the olives they were not what we had expected. They were fried as you can see above, but that wasn't advertised on the menu. Its not like we knew what to expect from an olive that is stuffed with mince meat in the first place. This was an interesting dish to say the least.

The fried layer was really crisp, though it was not greasy as you encounter with most fried things. The olive was delicious and very salty (just how we like it). The minced meat was great too. I'm not sure how to explain the taste as the crust, and olive did a pretty good job at masking the exact flavor of the meat. It was moist, and tender so there were no complaints from us. Our short snack had turned in to nearly a two hour event, and a couple of glasses of wine later we were out of there.

We met up with a friend, Danielle, who Terry met in her MBA program, who was also in Rome at the time. As if there is not a theme developing already, we settled down at a wine bar to get properly lubricated for dinner. The best thing about wine in Rome is that it is CHEAP, this was a welcome discovery, as any sort of alcohol -- most of which is much less tasty than a good bottle of Chianti -- was not cheap at all during the first part of the trip. So far so good. Good food, good wine, and both at a price that doesn't make you feel guilty.

Danielle took us to a restaurant she liked in Rome called Giggetto. It was nestled in by some ruins adding to the romance of the local. We got a seat outside, and started in on the starters including the now obligatory bottle of wine. Pictured above are the mussels that we ordered. One of my favorite starters. I love a bowl of mussels or clams in a garlic white wine sauce preferably with some clarified butter, just to keep things healthy. These mussels came in just that with butter and all. The mussels were cleaned appropriately leaving us to enjoy them rather than cleaning grit out of our teeth. Then there was the sauce. It had a wonderful kick compliment to the generous use of garlic by the kitchen. That is what put the dish over the top in my mind.

The Aftermath

  That was not nearly enough so we had to select a couple more items to start with.

We had to get the traditional Roman artichoke. Then we took a suggestion from our server, who said we should also try the fish, and I do not seem to remember what the other starter was. The artichoke was delicious, but I have nary encountered an artichoke that I was not pleased with. The starter that I believe might actually have been a rice cake/ball of some sort wasn't bad, but we were chatting a lot and did take quite a long time to get to these dishes. They probably weren't as good as when they were first served. The fish on the other hand, might not have had a chance from the beginning. It was dry and did not have much flavor.

On to the main course of the night. We started strong, but by the time it came to getting our main courses, we were sullen with starters and wine. We opted to split a large bowl of artichoke pasta. This time around  we got straight to eating. The pasta was cooked just right. The sauce was able to tread the line between light and heavy, while not leaving you wanting more or less of either. The artichoke was once again prepared beautifully. The dish was moist and hearty, with great texture in every bite. The firmness of the artichoke, and the slight resistance of the pasta was complimented and melded together quite well by the sauce. Though I was not to hungry, I handled my serving as if I had been stuck in a cave for the three days previous.

That put us in a wonderful place. We continued to chat amongst ourselves and with the server until everyone was gone. We spent the next couple of hours walking around the city enjoying every step we spent away from home, just as any vacation should be spent.