Rome - Dinner at the home of a Roman? Saw this on tv, please help me find information.
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Rome - Dinner at the home of a Roman? Saw this on tv, please help me find information.
Several months ago I was watching a travel or food show and the hostess participated in some sort of program where she ate dinner at the home of an Italian who had prepared local specialities. The concept was Italians sharing their local cuisine with tourists. I think she helped prepare the meal. It might have something to do with slow food. I am pretty it was Samantha Brown but could have been Lydia, Mario Batali, Gourmet Diary of a Foodie, Anthony Bourdain, any of the usual suspects. I think the host was a woman.
In any case, I thought that seemed like a lot of fun and I'll be in Rome next month and would love to find out more information about this. I've looked up the websites of all these tv shows and didn't find any information there. I also tried www.slowtrav.com and didn't find anything but that is a big site so I may have missed it.
Please let me know if you are familiar with this program, know how I can find out about it. If you've done it yourself, I'd love to hear about your experience!
Also, my husband and I are traveling with our baby. Is it bad form to even ask if we can bring her? I could see some in the US thinking it was rude of us to ask but I suppose anyone participating in a program where they invite strangers into their home would probably not be insulted by our asking if taking the baby is okay.
In any case, I thought that seemed like a lot of fun and I'll be in Rome next month and would love to find out more information about this. I've looked up the websites of all these tv shows and didn't find any information there. I also tried www.slowtrav.com and didn't find anything but that is a big site so I may have missed it.
Please let me know if you are familiar with this program, know how I can find out about it. If you've done it yourself, I'd love to hear about your experience!
Also, my husband and I are traveling with our baby. Is it bad form to even ask if we can bring her? I could see some in the US thinking it was rude of us to ask but I suppose anyone participating in a program where they invite strangers into their home would probably not be insulted by our asking if taking the baby is okay.
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I think this is the Italian program you mean:
http://www.homefood.info/
But I'm afraid I'd have to agree with those who suggest that your baby might not be welcome. The dinners are multi-course affairs lasting several hours, and there are normally about 8-10 guests, who would not, I think, be thrilled to share a table with a baby. Some dinners I have seen described have taken place in very elegant homes.
In any case, you do not "book" directly with the hostess but through the Home Food Association, so you can always ask if a particular hostess can accommodate a baby. But please don't expect that your baby can "dine" with you.
http://www.homefood.info/
But I'm afraid I'd have to agree with those who suggest that your baby might not be welcome. The dinners are multi-course affairs lasting several hours, and there are normally about 8-10 guests, who would not, I think, be thrilled to share a table with a baby. Some dinners I have seen described have taken place in very elegant homes.
In any case, you do not "book" directly with the hostess but through the Home Food Association, so you can always ask if a particular hostess can accommodate a baby. But please don't expect that your baby can "dine" with you.
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Could this be what you are looking for? I have no experience with them, but it looks liek a great idea!
http://www.homefood.info/
http://www.homefood.info/
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Just wanted to post an update that we had a wonderful experience with our Home Food experience in Rome. We were with a hostess who lived on the northern end of the city. The food was delicious and I really enjoyed the experience. It was great fun to have a meal in someone's home and I really enjoyed meeting the hostess and other guests. I would say the food was as good (and some courses better) than the very good food we ate in restaurants during the week, but it was such a different experience that it was likely the most memorable meal of the trip. I agree that the association is very organized and easy to deal with. I'd recommend the experience to anyone who is interested in trying something a bit different.
PS - our baby came and did great. Dinner started at 8:30 and she stayed awake hamming it up until after midnight - a record for us. Our hostess was very accommodating as far as the baby and didn't seem to mind having her at all but I was very glad that I had asked in advance.
PS - our baby came and did great. Dinner started at 8:30 and she stayed awake hamming it up until after midnight - a record for us. Our hostess was very accommodating as far as the baby and didn't seem to mind having her at all but I was very glad that I had asked in advance.
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Sally:
I will be in Rome at the end of December and would love to do this if there is an event offered. I went on the website and way they only book a month ahead. How far in advance did you book the event in relation to your travel dates?
I will be in Rome at the end of December and would love to do this if there is an event offered. I went on the website and way they only book a month ahead. How far in advance did you book the event in relation to your travel dates?
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I heard about this in 2003 while having dinner at a restaurant in Rome! Our waiter talked to us about how popular this dining approach is with Italians and, even more interesting, that the family can say no to a potential guest. The waiter talked about a high ranking Italian dignatary having what he described as "the best meal of his life" at a small farmhouse outside Rome. I thought of this almost as an "underground dining movement"
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As far as I know this is sponsored by the University of Bologna. It is absolutely wonderful to eat in the house of an Italian family, for me the experience goes beyond the food which is usually great. There is a reasonable charge around 20-30 euros per person.
Also in some convents they offer only the lunch and the experience has been wonderful too in a different way, food has been excellent, we paid in the convent 25 eu p/person.
Also in some convents they offer only the lunch and the experience has been wonderful too in a different way, food has been excellent, we paid in the convent 25 eu p/person.
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