Oh! mangiare...

Oh! mangiare... who doesn’t like it? A real pleasure, a MUST to do it properly. Being a big city, Rome, is no exception: restaurants everywhere, so many options, you would just need to choose what and where to eat, as if it were that easy. We would like to help you in what it seems an arduous duty, so we left below a list of our gastronomic roman highlights. Stay away from those tourist traps, and don’t let what could be a wonderful experience to become a nightmare.

I PRIMI DELLA TRADIZIONE

To the Roman cuisine belong many famous and beloved Italian classics dishes like pasta all’Amatriciana, Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe, but there’s a fourth one called Gricia, and these together are the perfect quartet for initiating your palate into the flavors of the city. Simple, but high-quality ingredients, short but precise cooking times, make these dishes a real delight. Where to go try them? These are our favorites:

-Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe and Mezzemaniche Alla Gricia:

Felice a Testaccio. Via Mastro Giorgio 19, Roma

feliceatestaccio.it

- Rigatoni all’Amatriciana and Rigatoni alla Carbonara: 

Santo Palato. Piazza Tarquinia 4, Roma

Facebook @santopalatoroma

 

SE MAGNA TUTTO

The traditional Roman Cuisine is characterized by putting il Quinto Quarto up front as a fundamental ingredient of the most succulent dishes. The Quinto Quarto is all of that which remains of the animal (bovine or ovine meat) after the extraction of the most precious and expensive parts: the two anterior quartets, and the two posterior ones.

We’re talking about all, which is then edible from the interior, like the intestines, the kidney, the heart, the liver, the spleen, the pancreas, the salivary glands, the brain and the tongue. From the ox, is used the tale as well to prepare the famous Coda alla Vaccinara. And in the case of the pig and the calf, the legs are also used.

If you dare, and you are one of those who like to try everything, be adventurous and have one of these meals: Pajata, Trippa alla romana or la Coda alla Vaccinara. You will not regret it.

Trattoria Da Danilo. Via Petrarca 13, Roma

trattoriadadanilo.com

Tanto pè Magna’. Via Giustino de Jacobis, 9/15, Roma

Facebook @tantopèmagna’

Felice a Testaccio. Via Mastro Giorgio 19, Roma

feliceatestaccio.it

Santo Palato. Piazza Tarquinia 4, Roma

Facebook @santopalatoroma

 

LA PIZZA AL TAGLIO

If you’re into pizza (who isn’t), the Roman way is to eat it at any time of the day, in its taglio version, which means by slides. If you visit one of these places, you will find the pizza trays, ready to be cut it in the size of your choice, and with a variety of toppings, ranging from the classic ones like Margherita and Marinara, or la Bianca con Mortadella, to more extreme combinations like Patate (potato) and Speck. You can find Pizza al taglio pretty much everywhere, but if you want to try a high quality and very digestible one, you must go to Gabriele Bonci’s places.

Pizzarium. Via della Meloria 43, Roma

bonci.it

 

THE NEW PIZZA ROMANA

The classic roman round pizza is thin and crunchy, without the thick border, a typical trait of the Neapolitan version, but a new generation of roman Pizzaioili, offer new alternatives, experimenting with rising methods, flours combinations and flavors innovation. Among them, Pier Daniele Seus stands out, who in short time has caught the attention of connoisseurs, and already has established two pizzerie in town. One, inside Mercato Centrale di Roma Stazione Termini, and a bigger one in the city’s south-west part. His pizza? Not Romana, nor Napolitana, we would call it Seusiana.

Seu Pizza Illuminati. Via Angelo Bargoni, 10 – 18, Roma

seu-pizza-illuminati.business.site

 

IL TRAPIZZINO

The Trapizzino is a gastronomic invention that in only ten years has become an icon of the city´s street food culture. Stefano Callegari, famous pizzaiolo, was inspired by the Tramezzino´s form (that of the classic triangular sandwich) and created using a words play, the Trapizzino, a triangle made from pizza dough and filled with the flavors of famous Italian dishes. It´s like eating a dish of Pollo alla Cacciatora, Polpette al Sugo o Parmigiana di Melanzane, without renouncing to the practicality and the price of a street food meal. Seems like a good idea, right? That´s why Callegari patented, and has now opened restaurants in Rome, Florence, Milan and New York.

Trapizzino.it

 

I FRITTI

When in Rome… Well, if you are planning to come over and visit, and you would like to camouflage between the locals, you must choose the fritti (stir fry) as a starter. From all the great variety, the most iconic one is the Supplì. It’s like a croquette of rice filled with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. You can also find it in more gourmet versions, such as all’ Amatriciana o all‘nduja.

180g Pizzeria Romana. Via Tor de Schiavi 53, Roma

 

EL MARITOZZO

After a night out partying, Romans tend to go home only after eating something sweet. As tradition dictates il Maritozzo is the place to go and have this sweet bread filled with cream.

Il Maritozzaro. Via Ettore Rolli, 50.

www.ilmaritozzaro.it

Adriana Gerbasi