Roman Pasta. 🧀
All Roman pastas are variations of the same four ingredients: Pecorino Romano (sheep cheese), Black Pepper, Guanciale (cured pork cheek), and Egg.
Carbonara
Egg yolk, pecorino, guanciale, pepper. That is it. If a restaurant adds cream, stand up and leave immediately.
Cacio e Pepe
"Cheese and Pepper." It sounds simple, but creating a creamy sauce using only pasta water and cheese is a high art form.
Pizza al Taglio. 🍕
In Rome, you don't buy a slice; you buy a rectangle. It is cut with scissors and sold by weight ("al taglio").
Bonci Pizzarium
The Vatican of pizza. Located near the Vatican museums. Gabriele Bonci is the Michelangelo of dough. Try the potato and mozzarella.
Supplì
A fried ball of rice and tomato sauce with a mozzarella heart. When you break it, the cheese stretches like a telephone cord.
Filetto di Baccalà
Fried salted cod. Go to "Dar Filettaro" near Campo de' Fiori. They serve only this, wrapped in paper.
Cold Truth
Avoid Neon
Artisanal Gelato. ❄️
80% of gelato in Rome is fake (powdered mix). Real gelato does not fluff up in high mountains; it sits flat in metal tins.
The Pistachio Test:
Look at the Pistachio flavor. If it is bright neon green, it is fake. Real pistachio gelato is a dull, muddy brownish-green color.
Trastevere Nights. 🍷
The medieval neighborhood that wakes up when the sun goes down. Ivy-covered buildings, cobblestones, and laundry drying on the line.
Da Enzo
The line starts forming at 7:00 PM. It is tiny, loud, and serves the best Carbonara in the city. No reservations.
Bar San Calisto
A gritty, authentic dive bar where old Italian men play cards next to hipsters drinking €2 Peronis. It is the living soul of the neighborhood.