DAX

We're leaving on October 19 for 9 days of Rome and the Amalfi coast. Food is an important element for our trip enjoyment, we really need your help to find places where we can get a memorable food experience or just plain but fantastic comfort food in Rome and Sorrento & Amalfi.

ekscrunchy

The small fishing town of Cetara is the food mecca of the Amalfi Coast. If you are willing to travel there (by bus or car) I will give you ideas. For Rome, there are many threads here with food information.

Here are two trip reports I wrote here with food info on both locations:


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...and-naples.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nuary-2007.cfm


This place is on my radar, in the countryside near Sorrento:


http://www.fattoriaterranova.it/

tejana

Cumpo Cosimo in Ravello - look at the menu, but then eat whatever Mama tells you to eat.

DAX

Much obliged Eks and Tejana, I'll check out your links.

What is the highlight of Roman cuisine? I know that the must eat thing in Naples is pizza which many claim to be better than in Rome. What's the THING to try in Rome?

tejana

For my hubby, Rome always means spaghetti carbonara.

Zerlina

This Web page has a handy rundown of Roman dishes:
http://www.liveinrome.com/cuisine.htm

ekscrunchy

Not only pizza in Naples, but the fried tidbits known as sfizi fritti. And certainly the pastries of which baba and sfogliatelle are the most famous.

There are books written about Roman cuisine. MAny of the iconic dishes are those from the old Jewish ghetto and Sephardic cuisine has left a strong impact on the cooking of Rome today. The most famous dish of this tradition is carciofi alla giudea, artichokes Jewish style.

http://theartichokeblog.com/tag/carciofi-alla-giudea/

Offal dishes are common; one famous offal dish of course are coda alla vaccinara, oxtail stew, and rigatoni con la pajata, pasta with a sauce made from the entrails of a suckling lamb, which is much better than it sounds. Much better!



Spaghetti alla Carbonara. Spaghetti alla gricia. Cacio e pepe. Pasta alla Amatriciana, Amatrice being a town in Lazio.

DAX

Thanks for the good links! Anyone knows link for the best restaurant list in Rome?

ekscrunchy

What kind of restaurant do you want and in what price range?

DAX

Any GREAT restaurant/enoteca regardless of price and preferably ( but less important than food quality) where they can barely speak English so I can practice Italian. By the way we like everything including entrails. I heard Testaccio area is one place I should go. Thanks!

Zerlina

The best "quinto quarto" cooking in Testaccio is at Checchino dal 1887, quality ingredients carefully prepared. It costs a few Euro more than the trattorias in the area, but it is totally reliable. Closed Sunday and Monday.

DAX

Thanks Zerlina. That's one restaurant on my list, although Augustarello on Via Branca was recommended to me in place of Cecchino, I may just try both if the taxi ride is not prohibitive.

Ekscrunchy, my wife and I fell in love with Rome just from reading your extra long long but excellent report! Thanks again.

ekscrunchy

I am so glad you found it helpful. Rome never disappoints! Have a wonderful trip!

jerirl

Went to Rome and Amalfi Coast last summer and had a great time. You can check out my trip report below which includes several restaurants we enjoyed.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...alfi-coast.cfm

Zerlina

I'd beware of Augustarello. There was a devastatingly bad review of it just a little while ago by someone who really knows Roman food.

franco

DAX, here's one more rather long thread on Roman restaurants that you'll probably find interesting:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...estaurants.cfm

DAX

Franco: Thanks, I only skimmed through your thread but already I found a lot of very useful info. I am trying to follow your accommodation advice but have a tough time picking from the limited choice of apartments/B&B's for Oct 20-24 (very last minute trip). Perhaps you can help if you have time. Is Rome-rental.com less reliable than sleepinitaly? Any reason why you prefer the latter?

Zerlina: Glad you warn me about Augustarello, I'll just stick with Cecchino. Would you mind giving me a link on the bad rap about Augustarello if you can find it?

Jerirl: Thanks for your short report, I'm glad to have the sorrento and amalfi restaurant list.

Eks: Your thread is invaluable as it explains why we didn't enjoy dining at any of the restaurants in Rome on our previous visits. On several occasions,I actually felt very insulted to get a different treatment than the local regulars. More often than not, we became too upset to obtain the waiter's recommendations and ended up with poor quality dishes and service! I will try your approach for a better dining experience. This will be our 4th attempt to enjoy Rome.

ekscrunchy

DAX: Just briefly now, the poor review that Zerlina mentions was given on Chowhound; there is some interesting dialogue in the now-extended thread. Note that the OP has lived in Rome and has written food guides to Italy:




http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/734...s;topic-734843

worldinabag

Hi

If you're going to Positano try Ristorante Da Costantino - http://www.dacostantino.it. I grew up in an Italian kitchen and this is the real "McCoy" Bookings essential, ask for a window seat for a spectacular view.

DAX

Worldinbag: how do we get to Da Costantino up in the mountain if we don't have a car? Is there a specific taxi that we ought to prefer or it doesn't matter. Do they charge as soon as you call or only when you get on? Anyway the restaurant seems ideal, thanks.

Eks: I loved reading about all the restaurants on chowhound,thanks for the link.