Favorite Things: Italian Sparkling Wine

One of my favorite things to drink is a nice glass of Italian sparkling wine. This is a subject I didn't know much about, beyond prosecco, before I moved to Italy.

I felt it was time to get educated on this extremely important topic.

I attended Vinoroma's Sparkling Saturdays wine tasting. For a more detailed description of the wines and much better photographs, my friend Gina wrote about it HERE.

Hande is a fantastic sommelier. She chose five very different wines for us to taste.

I liked how Hande explained the history of the regions and the wines. It was informative and interesting.

My favorite wine of the evening was Belecasel's Asolo Prosecco Extra Dry. It would be perfect to pair up with shellfish or a fish risotto.

It was my first time seeing the newish Vinoroma space. It's fantastic. The cellar is over 900 years old. That's right, nine hundred. I may need to camp out there during the summer as I do not have A/C.


I took these photos with my new phone's camera.

Flashback Friday - St. Peter's cell - Mamertine Prison

We're talking very old school today...over 2000 years.

I wrote a guest post for Nile Guide about Rome's Mamertine Prison.

It is believed to be the first maximum security prison in Rome and the place where St. Peter was held before his crucifixion.

It's an incredible place to visit. Post is HERE.

Have a great weekend.

Christmas Eve, St. Peter's Square, Rome Italy

Last night Erica, The Professor, Baby X and I went to St. Peter's Square after enjoying a tradition Christmas Eve dinner. It was the first time I've been to St. Peter's on Christmas Eve.

The Vatican unveils their life-size manger on Christmas Eve.

It was raining and I'm not Catholic but I was moved by the entire experience.

Merry Christmas/Buon Natale a tutti!

Day Trip from Rome: Castel Gandolfo

This little town 40 minutes (by train) outside of Rome is the Pope’s summer residence.

A couple weeks ago I decided to take quick trip out of the city. Unfortunately, it was a Saturday. I had no desire to deal with all the crowds going to Sperlonga, or any other beach, so I headed for the lake instead.

Castel Gandolfo is definitely worth a day trip if you have time. It’s easy to get to and cheap. Only 1.90 euros each way.

The center of town is tiny! On the main square, Piazza della Libertà, there’s a very pretty church, San Tommaso di Villanova. It was designed by one of my favorites, Bernini.

The day I went just happened to be the same weekend as their Sagra. They were setting up dining tables, a stage and music was playing.

There were also tables selling local wines, cheeses, hand made crafts, African jewelry, etc. I saw one table filled with Scientology paraphernalia. It tripped me out to see Hubbard’s Dianetics in Italian. I wanted to take a photo but didn’t want to risk the Scientologists asking me to take a “test”. For a minute I felt like I was back in L.A. on Franklin Blvd. across from the CoS’s Celebrity Center.

For lunch I went to the restaurant, Hosteria La Fraschetta. All the outdoor tables were packed. I ordered the Rigatoni alla Carbonara. My glass of wine was a very full pour.

There were so many photos inside of Pope John Paul II. I can see why the Pope liked La Fraschetta. My pasta was delicious.

I got completely lost walking down to the lake. I should have turned left, not right leaving the train station. On the upside I saw a lot of pretty villas. I talked to a tourist from Toronto as we took photos of two donkeys. I assume they were wild. I wondered where they came from.

It was cooler by the lake. When I arrived it looked like it was going to pour but then it cleared up. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

Hosteria La Fraschetta
Corsa della Repubblica, 58
Castel Gandolfo (centro storico)
+(39) 06-936-1312
Closed on Mondays

Random donkey sighting.


View from a restaurant on a side street in the Historic Center.


Get your Sagra on!


Perfectly cooked pasta. I could eat it every single day.


I'm an ocean person but this small lake is very pretty. Lots of green.

The Restaurant Sora Margherita is Ghetto Fabulous.

A few weeks ago I finally went to lunch at Sora Margherita with two friends.

Annie has her own scooter guide/tour guide business and often sends her clients to Sora Margherita. Our friend Marianna, who used to live in Florence and Milan, was in town from New York City.

The restaurant is located in the Jewish Ghetto. The Jewish community in Rome is one of oldest in Western Europe. In 1555 the Ghetto was formed with three gates that locked the occupants in at night.

The word ghetto comes from Venetian dialect. It has a different connotation now but not all ghettos were poor. The Venetian one was very affluent.

The gates in Rome came down in 1888 but the Ghetto was reinstated during the Nazi occupation.

The history of this area is incredible. I can't imagine over 30,000 people forced to live in such a small space. Once the gates came down the wealthier occupants bought property else where. Of course now it's one of the most expensive areas in Rome.

The 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. The prices are moderate and the food is so good. I will be back.

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

If you go when artichokes are in season, you must try the deep-fried ones.


Cacio & Pepe. Still thinking about this dish. This is a half-portion.


Marianna looking fab.



The entrance.

SAID...A place in Rome for lovers of chocolate

A few weeks ago, my friend Matt was in Italy for research and we met up in San Lorenzo. His New York Times cover story on Italy's Home Food program ran last weekend. HERE is the article. Warning...do not read it if you are hungry.

A good friend of mine now lives in San Lorenzo so I have been spending more time there. It's a very funky neighborhood, near the university, with a lot of interesting street art.

San Lorenzo was the area in Rome most damaged by Allied bombing during WWII, which is ironic given the area was very anti-fascist. You can still see some of the damage.

A couple months ago my friend Marco pointed out a chocolate store located in side alley. We passed it after dinner. The store was closed and I made a mental to return.

When Matt suggested we check it out during a cold, wet day I couldn't be happier. I was not prepared for what awaited my eyes and nose.

I'm not even a big chocolate person (I'm more into Jelly Bellys and Swedish Fish when it comes to candy) but this place is INSANE.

The SAID Antica Fabbrica Del Cioccolato has been around since 1923. I kind of wish I didn't know about it. I actually schlepped across the city just to buy some chocolate. I savored every single piece. My favorite bars so far are ones with cinnamon and the ones with little pieces of biscotti.

There is a restaurant in the back. I was too distracted to look at the menu.

SAID DAL 1923
Via Tiburtina, 135
+(39) 06 446 9204

We were there before Easter. They had great baskets, eggs and bunnies.


Jars of chocolate covered goodness.


Matt trying to decide what to buy. He said the hot chocolate was amazing.


I need some chocolate.

Amore and a rainbow - Ponte Milvio, Rome

Last week I went to meet a friend near Ponte Milvio and finally remembered to bring my camera.

Couples buy locks (there were three guys selling locks on the bridge) write their names, the date and then throw the key into the river. Amore.

After the success of my friend's movie "Ho Voglia Di Te" so many people started doing this, one of the lampposts started to collapsed. Now there are several reinforced steel columns for the locks.

The original bridge was built in 206 BC. In AD 312 Constantine defeated his bitter rival Maxentius.

Later as I waited for the bus, I noticed the rainbow. Bellissima.

Pictures of Trinità del Monti church, Spanish Steps, Rome

The first two times I visited Rome on vacation, there was scaffolding covering this beautiful church.

A lot of people over look the church focusing on taking pictures of the incredible views. It's definitely worth a visit.

Construction was started by the French in 1495 to celebrate their successful invasion of Naples.

During the Napoleonic occupation of Rome, this church like many churches/villas had it's artwork stolen and taken to France. It was eventually returned.

There are several works by Daniele da Volterra. He was a pupil of Michelangelo. Da Volterra was later hired to paint clothes onto the nudes in the Sistine Chapel's The Last Judgement.

Gorgeous day - some pics from Gianicolo Hill

We're having a a run of beautiful weather.

Instead of the constant cold and wet weather we had last November, it's been warm and partly sunny.

I went on a run up to to Gianicolo Hill. I have written about one of my favorite fountains located there.

The views of Rome are incredible from the hill.

Here are some pictures I took a while ago.

Not sure what time the puppet show starts but it's very popular.


The statue of Ana Maria de Jesus Ribeiro da Silva di Garibaldi (aka Anita Garibaldi) above her tomb. She was the Brazilian born wife of Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi. Her statue has her holding a gun and a baby. She fought along side her husband and died while pregnant with their fifth child during the Retreat from Rome.


A cannonball that was found during renovations of this church. This area was the scene of vicious bloody battles between the French and Italian revolutionaries fighting for Italy's freedom.

Places to Eat and Drink in Rome..DRINK

I don’t do pub-crawls, Sloppy Sams or The Drunken Ship, as I’m a grown woman, not a 19 year-old exchange student looking to get wasted. That said, I do love to get my “cocktails on” with my friends. Here are some of my favorite places:

Freni & Frizioni – near Pz. Trillussa, Trastevere,
Youngish crowd, mostly under 30. One of the best mojitos in the city. Great in summer/spring. It gets packed so not the kind of place where you get to chat up the bartenders.
Via del Politeama

Friends Café
Part of a small chain
Good Wifi , young crowd
Piazza Trillussa

Bar della Pace - near Pz. Navona,
Nice place to sit outside.
Via della Pace 3-7

Etabli – near Pz . Navona
Good winter/cold weather place. Nice décor with a fireplace
Vicolo delle vacche 9/9a

'Gusto Wine Bar, great aperitivi – off Via del Corso south of Piazza del Popolo
Drinks during aperitivi are 9 euros and up.
There is another ‘Gusto cocktail place located in Piazza Augusto Imperatore which also has excellent cocktails but the aperitvi are not self-serve.
Via delle Frezze


Tre Scalini - Monti area
Very chill spot in a great neighborhood. I think it’s owned by some actors. Good selections of wines.
Via Panisperna 251

Hotel de Russie – Near Piazza del Popolo.
Very expensive, ala the Four Seasons or L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills. The terrace garden is lovely and the bar is fantastic. I’ve only been there once, for drinks with a film exec. Thank God she paid.
Via del Babuino, 9

Salotto 42 – near the Pantheon
Funky little bar co-owned by a Swedish ex-model. Library is filled with books on art, fashion and design. Crowd spills out into a pretty piazza
Piazza de Pietra 42

Caffe Farnese – Historic center
More expensive than places on the Campo. You’re paying for the view. Older crowd. Mostly well dressed locals mixed with some tourists. I had an Aperol Spritz there that was crazy strong.
Piazza Farnese

Places on/by Campo dei Fiori:
Aristocampo, Obika or Vineria.
Vineria was one of the first bars/caffes to open in Campo. Since the owners of Teste Matte sold their place (to a chain type place) many in that crowd have moved on to Vineria.

I live close to Campo, but it's not the place I go to for aperitivi or for lunch/dinner.

On weekend nights the Campo is full of mostly high school and college aged young people. There's a heavy police presence because in the past the crowds were quite rowdy.

Salotto Locarno added 3/14/11
Very L.A. reminds me of Chateau Marmont. Not sure when it became such a scene. I stayed at the hotel during my first trip to Rome and the bar was lovely but quiet.
Drinks are expensive. The mostly Italian crowd is very chic/hip. Not sure how the crowds are earlier in the week but Thursday - Saturday, it's packed. Reservations recommended or go early in the evening.

Salotto Lorcano
Hotel Locarno
Via della Penna, 22
+(39) 06-361=0841

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.

Eat, Pray, Love movie shooting in Rome

This morning while running an errand, I bumped into the crew again.

Yesterday they were all over Campo dei Fiori. Tourists were standing around trying to get a photo of Julia Roberts.

I stopped by the set to say hi to the producer, who is in from L.A. and one of the African security guys asked me out. Uhm, I'm just trying to say hello to someone.

Anyway I didn't see him later that day (he said he would give me his number) but I wouldn't be surprised if I see him on the way to the post office tomorrow. ha

I also spoke to an American guy who lives here now and is a fireman. He was one back in the States, fell in love with a Roman woman and moved to Rome. He was able to get a job as a fireman specializing in production work.

I kind of miss being on set. However, I imagine shooting a big Hollywood movie in a place with so many tourists and narrow streets must be tough. The poor P.A.s and security had their hands full trying to clear the set.

Turning a sunny afternoon into an early evening night.


A light crane in front of the Forno. Once of the greatest places in Rome.

Siamo in Ferie/We're on Vacation!

Well the blog is. I'm still working. Tears.

Last summer was my first in Italy and it blew my mind to see EVERYTHING shut down on August 15th which is Ferragosto.

Ferragosto is a Catholic holiday celebrating the Assumption of Mary. Before christianity it was the day the Roman Empire celebrated the gods, in particular Diana. The word Ferragosto is based on the Latin words for "Holidays of the Emperor Augustus." The month of August gets it name from the Emperor.

I hope everyone has a great vacation.

See you in September.

Roseto Comunale, Rome's Rose Garden

I have walked past this spot many times. However, last week was the first time I went into the garden. I had a doctor's appointment on the Aventine Hill and saw the entrance after getting lost.

The garden is built on the site of an ancient Jewish cemetery. From the top of the garden you can see that it's laid out like a Menorah.

The garden is free and for this blooming season is open May 16th - June 28th. It's worth a visit.

Here's more info on the garden, directions, from Wanted In Europe.

You can see the Palatine Ruins on the left.


"I beg your pardon. I never promised you a rose garden." This a very pretty place. Smells lovely.


When I looked at these roses, the line "Think Pink!" from the film Funny Face came into my head.

Rome's Auditorium Parco Della Musica a must for lovers of music and/or architecture.

I finally made it up to this concert hall located north of Villa Borghese Park. One of my friends works there and got us tickets for the Wayne Shorter Quartet concert last weekend. Saturday night I went to see Cuban singer Omara Portuondo.

The hall opened in 2002 was and designed by world famous (and sometimes controversial) Italian architect Renzo Piano. It is beautiful and strange looking. I will take more photos of the structure when I return during the day time.

I can see why it's one of the most popular concert halls in the world. The acoustics are AMAZING. Seriously outrageously so.

I love jazz but Wayne Shorter is on a whole different level. The first two pieces went completely over my head. I was with two hard core jazz heads and after the concert we were trying to figure what the heck happened. While the music was very esoteric I appreciated the musicianship.

It's interesting to me how jazz, a true American art form, is more popular in Europe and Asia than in the United States, why is that?

Omara Portuondo is 79. She was born in Havana. Her mother was from a wealthy Spanish family and created a scandal when she ran off and married a black professional baseball player.

She has been performing for over 60 years. Her popularity in the States increased after she was featured in the film/CD Buena Vista Social Club. Several of the members have died and she dedicated a song to Ibrahim Ferrer.

Her show was one of the best concerts I've been to in a long time. The hall was packed. Portuondo's voice is still strong and her range is incredible. Her band was phenomenal. It was nice to see her highlight these young talented Cuban musicians. Two surprise guests, Italian musicians Joe Barbieri & Gino Evangelista joined her for one number.

The crowd was on their feet for several of the upbeat numbers. Portuondo was visible moved during the extended standing ovation.

I was on a high the rest of the weekend. Portuondo is touring Europe this spring. If you get a chance to catch a show please do.

Outside the main hall.


I'm not sure what a "math festival" is but it seemed to be popular with children.

A great new blog for food lovers living or visiting Rome

The very talented Jessica at RomePhotoBlog pointed me in the direction the following blog:

Food in Rome

I see some favorites on there. Buon Appetito!

Fontana dell'Acqua on Gianicolo Hill

I took these photos a few months ago. This huge fountain is visible from Trastevere and other parts of the city. It was built in the 1600s with the basin being added in 1690 by Carlo Fontana (really).

This pool of fresh water is from an ancient aqueduct built in AD 109. Don't think about taking a dip though. There are armed men and women with machines guns standing around. Security is pretty heavy due to all the embassies in the area.

Piazza Farnese On A Spring-Like Day

It was gorgeous out this past Saturday. The outdoor tables at cafes were packed. Unfortunately, it’s supposed to rain all week.




Another one of my favorite fountains. There are two of these in Piazza Farnese. The lily is the symbol of the Farnese family and the large tubs came from the ancient Baths of Caracalla. The Baths were complete in AD 217 and were in use for over 300 years until the invading Goths destroyed the aqueducts.

View of Rome from the Gianicolo Hill

Rome is built on seven hills. One of the tallest is Gianicolo. It's a great spot to see a panoramic view of the city.

I went up to the hill a day or two after it stopped raining.




I used a zoom to get better shot of the snow top mountains in the background. Notice how the "typewriter/wedding cake building" dwarfs the others.