Favorite Things: Cacio & Pepe at Roma Sparita

I've been hearing about this restaurant for years.

Anthony Bourdain recently raved about their Cacio & Pepe. He didn't name the restaurant, but several expat friends here figured it out.

A few weeks ago I went with my FRIEND to see what the hype was all about.

Roma Sparita's version of the classic Roman dish is perfection. It's not heavy and the pasta had the right amount of bite to it. The basket of parmesan cheese is a nice (and delicious) touch.

The restaurant is located on the quieter side of Trastevere. Reservations are suggested, especially for outdoor seating.

Roma Sparita
Piazza Santa Cecilia, 24
+(39) 06 580 0757

UPDATE: Interesting post from Katie Parla HERE regarding Roma Sparita and service charges for tourists.

Renato e Luisa restaurant

My first trip to this restaurant in my area was with my infamous Italian friend, G, and a friend of ours who was visiting from L.A.
I wish I had written down what we ate it was so freaking good. We ordered three of the daily specials. I remember there was one fish dish, a ravioli dish and a spaghetti dish with a tomato based sauce.

We barely spoke as we were too busy eating. The restaurant was packed and the service a little scattered. We didn't mind. The food was worth the wait. The crowd was a mix of locals and tourists. The restaurant is located on a side street near Largo Argentina. It's tiny. There are only a few tables.

Renato e Luisa
Quelli della Taverna
Via dei Barbieri, 25
+(39)06-68-69-660
http://www.renatoeluisa.it/

Places to Eat and Drink in Rome...EATING

It seems this fall everyone and their mother is passing through Rome. I have received so many emails from friends and friends of friends asking where to eat and drink.

I thought I would post a list of a few places. Please feel free in the comment section to add your favorites.

The best overall advice I can give is, go to places Italians go. The touristy places are a rip off and the food is suspect. While any place can have an off night, if there are no locals, that’s a sign you need to pass.

Also, service is not like it is in States. Waiters for the most part do not hover and ask you every five minutes is everything okay. It might take a while to get your check, as it’s considered rude to give you one while you’re still eating dinner.

Regarding the following places, earlier in the evening there are more tourists, but locals do go to these restaurants (Italians eat later than most Americans, something I’m still not used to).

I left off some of the smaller places that are impossible to find or are “very local”.

Today I’m posting places to eat and later in the week, places to drink. Most of these restaurants are either inexpensive or moderately priced and near or in the Historic Center.

Reservations are recommended for the first four. Some restaurants close on Sundays or Mondays. I don't think the last two places take reservations:

TO EAT

Le Mani in Pasta - Trastevere (near Santa Cecilia)
Great for pasta, small place. Downstairs is the smoking area and where most of the Italians sit.
Via de’ Genovesi 73
06-581-6017

Taverna Trilussa – Trastevere
Good Roman style food. Not fancy but has a nice outdoor area.
Via del Politeama 23-25
06-581-8918

Maccheroni – Historic center near Pz. Navona
One of the first restaurants I went to in Rome. One of the waiters is a bit much, but he’s harmless. American female students swoon over his antics.
Piazza delle Coppelle 44
06-6830 7895

Osteria ar Galletto – Piazza Farnese 102
Good “home”cooking and one of nice prettiest places to sit outside and eat.
The restaurant spills out into Piazza Farnese
06 686 1714

La Montecarlo - Historic center off Corso Vittorio Emmanuel
I think the children of the owner’s of Da Baffetto own this restaurant.
The service can be surly and the bathroom is one of the most unpleasant I’ve ever seen but man, is the pizza good. This place along with Da Baffetto gets packed.
Viccolo Savelli 12
06 – 686-1877


Added 4/19/2010
Sora Margherita - Jewish Ghetto
This restaurant is a little hard to find. There's no sign. It's small and gets crowded very quickly. The crowd is eclectic. From construction workers to judges, this is a well-known local place for down home Roman and Jewish cuisine. It's not fancy...at all. Some think the food is overpriced and not that "authentic". I'm not Jewish or Roman but I thought the prices were moderate.

When you go for the first time you have to fill out a little card to become part of the "Associazione Culturale". Reservations recommended.

Sora Margherita
Piazza delle Cinque Scole, 30
Rome
06-68-74-216

A post about places to eat near the Spanish Steps, including the restaurant GiNa.

Added 5/24/11
Roma Sparita - known for it's Cacio & Pepe. Post is HERE.

UPDATE: See Katie Parla's post about Roma Sparita HERE. I only been there twice, both times with Italian Americans who speak Italian fluently. We didn't have any issues with our bills. That said, there are other nice places to eat outside who don't do things like this.