TRSW

bm

sarge56

franco and ek,

I'll search the site, but specifically looking for those famous fried artichokes and risotto...risotto w just parm/risotto with fungi/risotti w asparagus.mmmm. I also heard some good things about fried rice balls? We will be in Rome, Florence and Venice. Any hints on which city/restaurant I can find the best of these personal culinary faves?

Thanks...
Paula

AmanteDelLimoncello

bookmarking

lovesroses

bkmkg
thank you

plafield

Paula,
You'll find the famous fried artichokes all over Rome. The Jewish Ghetto restaurants are especially known for them. I had an amazingly delicous fried artichoke at Popi-Popi in Trastevere (as well as fantastic pizza and the best tiramisu ever!)

The fried rice balls (called suppli) are also found in many restaurants with classic Roman menus. My notes reccommend Checco er Carrettiere, in Trastevere, Via Benedetta 10/13 06 5800985 "Don't miss the carciofi alla romana (in season, of course). The supplì are outstanding, made with carnaroli rice and the sauce from the involtini, ossobuco, and coda alla vaccinara." This restaurnt is a bit on the expensive side, and I imagine you can get decent suppli elsewhere for less money, but the whole meal here should be great.

Risotto is best in Venice. We had the most amazng asparagus risotto at Riviera (Tel: 041-522-7621, Fondamenta Zattere Ponte Lungo – 1473)a fantastic restaurant right on the Giudecca canal in Dorsoduro. Not cheap but well worth it.

If you're interested, my Italy trip report has a ton of food descriptions/restaurant reviews in Rome/Florence/Venice with addresses, phone numbers and prices for meals. Just click my name and look for "Donkey" in the title.

Enjoy!

dorie

Having just returned from Rome this weekend, I can tell you that artichokes are not in season now, and the better restaurants are not serving any. We had lunch in the Ghetto and the first thing I asked for was an artichoke, having had them in the spring a few years ago. We were advised that they are not available and if a restaurant has them beware!

Zerlina

I would not insist on an asparagus risotto. Cooking in Italy is very much a seasonal thing; if asparagus is not in season, no one will have asparagus risotto on the menu - or if they do, they shouldn't.

plafield

I agree about the seasonal choices. We were lucky enough to be there in the spring when both asparagus and artichokes were in season! But suppli and plain risotto with fine cheese and/or other lovely seasonal vegetables will be available, as well as many other delicious Italain specialities.

LJ

Cooking is such a regional thing in Italy: those rice balls you are talking about would probably be called aranci, (like oranges) in Florence and would likely be stuffed with fresh mozzarella.

Zerlina

Arancini (the diminutive is always used, even though they are anything but small) are actually a Sicilian dish. There they come with various fillings, the most common being ham and bechamel or tomato ragu, cheese and peas.

franco

Sorry for being late at the party... Paula: risotto agli asparagi is a Venetian specialty, but as the others said, the asparagus is just over, and it is absolutely impossible to get any serious Italian cook to prepare anything out of season. Risotto ai funghi or al parmigiano are no regional specialties anywhere, and while mushroom risotto can be found here and there all over northern Italy, I've never heard of risotto with parmesan only. Generally, northern Italy is risotto country, the south is not - and yet, as Zerlina said, arancini di riso (aka supplì al telefono!) are a Sicilian, and today also a Roman specialty. I must admit, though, that I don't recall any Roman restaurant where they were memorable... it's typically a preparation to make use of the leftovers of yesterday's risotto, so I usually prepare them myself at home! It's easy - any good risotto can be used, adding an egg to the risotto, a spoon of tomato sauce if you feel like, and some mozzarella and/or ham at the center of each arancino (or also boiled peas), coat the arancini with more egg and breadcrumbs (like a Wiener Schnitzel) and fry in olive oil.
As far as fried artichokes, see above: the season is from November to April/May. The best I had in Rome was at Sora Margherita, Piazza delle Cinque Scuole 30 (in the Ghetto, of course) - a place that I DON'T otherwise recommend, extremely uncomfortable, and a terribly unfriendly service to boot. But the fried artichoke was memorable...

sarge56

franco, you say the season for artichokes starts in November. Think there's a chance we can find some around the 23rd of October when we're there?

franco

sarge, in theory, I'd say no (second half of November is rather when they're arriving). But on the other hand, I seem to remember that I actually had good artichokes myself in Rome in October... or is my memory mistaken?

TexasAggie

bookmarking for my trip planning. Thanks franco!

smetz

bookmark - thanks again, franco

Marit77

Great stuff. Thanks!

Glencoe

Great info for our trip.

janrantoo2

Thanks Franco for you advice. My sister & I will be traveling to Rome in October to visit a niece who will be there for a semester. We are gathering up all the information we can and this certainly has helped. Thank you, Janice.

janrantoo2

I've noticed that many postings are commenting that the meal price included a 1/2 to a full liter of wine. I know a collective gasp will be heard throughout the universe, but I don't like wine. To my unappreciative palate, it tastes like turpentine. My sister can appreciate wine, but I prefer an ice cold beer while on vacation but will settle for water or lemonade. The website for Checchino's seemed like it only referred to the wine cellar. Do restaurants have a full bar? Thanks Janice

franco

A full bar, no. They have wine (as you know), and mineral water, that's what Italians usually drink; and it won't certainly be a problem to get a cold beer. Lemonade, however, is inconceivable in a good Italian restaurant.