So... I am a veggie and going to Rome
 

My DH and I will soon leave for our first trip to Rome and Tuscany (Siena and Montalcino- and various day trips). We are vegan (no meat, cheese, eggs), but will eat cheese on this trip, if it becomes difficult to find something to eat at a restaurant.

We are budget travelers, not just for $$, but also for comfort level - i.e. don't like the really fancy restaurants, etc.

We plan on eating at more family run, small, authentic, non-touristy places on our trip. I will soon pick up a phrase book, so i can at least explain our dietary restrictions in italian.

Does anyone know of some great places to eat that fit my requests? i have already did a search for vegetarian restaurants in Rome, so i don't need those names, but how about some really good places that have great pasta and aren't too upscale?

There's a list of restauarants available in Rome here, I'm sure you could find some vegan ones among them: http://www.travel--guide.org/Rome

Not to put a damper on your plans but how can you eat pasta if you do not eat eggs??

I think it might be easier to have an apartment and cook for yourselves, with such strict dietary restrictions.

As above, even pasta doesn't fit your requirements.

I don't think that the small, family-run places will particularly appreciate being asked to accommodate dietary restrictions. Italians take enormous pride in their cuisine, and might even be offended by requests for modifications. I second the suggestion that you plan to cook for yourselves. (Though you'll be missing out on some of the most wonderful, most beautifully prepared, healthiest food in the world!) :)

Or some people carry a card with their dietary restrictions written in the local language. Unless you really speak Italian with some fluency, I can't picture this conversation with your waiter going very well.

Our son is vegetarian, though we are not, so I was looking at menus with him in mind during our last trip to Italy (without him).

If you were lacto-ovo vegetarians, I'd say that you'll have no problems at all. Even without considering pasta, I noticed that many restaurants had vegetarian items listed as main courses. For example, scamorza is roasted or grilled cheese, and I had it as a main course one day, and an appetizer a different day. I also noticed polenta as main courses occasionally; depending on what's served with it, this item might be vegan.

Most or all restaurants have great contorni (vegetables), though because they're considered side dishes, I'm not sure how easy it will be to have a meal of only contorni. If you see it, have the artichokes - they were always fantastic. Also, the spinach is good.

As noted above, it's the vegan part that will prove a problem, and mean that pasta isn't an option. If you decided to eat cheese AND eggs for this trip, you would eat like kings!

&quot;<i>some really good places that have great pasta</i>&quot; I'm bewildered by your post - where do you eat at home that you get pasta w/o eggs in it? Sure, you can make pasta from scratch w/o eggs - but in restaurants it will almost always have eggs.

Lexma, I, too, am basically a vegetarian, and, over all the years I've visited, I've never had to ask any restaurant in Italy to do anything different for me -- and I have always enjoyed every meal, every snack, every morsel I've eaten there! But veganism is a whole 'nother ball of wax.

I am curious about that part too. What comes to mind is my Italian grandmother making hers by hand. Pile of flour with the hole in the middle where you put the eggs before you knead it.

Maybe the OP really didn't know about this?

Side-trust me, you won't have any problems at all being a veggie-there are some GREAT veggie restaurants in Rome. Besides just sticking to antipasti trays in every osteria-grilled veggies, salad fixings, you have these three that I can recommend, particularly the first one (and yes, there IS pasta made w/o eggs!):

All of these restaurants are authentically Italian (but don't forget the excellent Indian restaurant cuisine available in Roma as well):

ARANCIA BLU: This restaurant is located in the hip student quarter of Roma these days-San Lorenzo, over by the University. Choices include potato ravioli with fresh tomatoes and cheese and, here's something to think about-dark chocolate tort with orange sauce! Not to worry, over 400 types of wine, beer, there's live music-this is a VERY popular place. It's located on Via dei Latini-this is located some streets over from Pze. Tiburtina, and Piazza di Porta Maggiore.
Tel# 064454105. Moderately expensive.

Another all vegetarian restaurant, located in Trastevere, is JAYA SAI MA, one of the longest running veggie restaurants in the city- it is a buffet restaurant-both hot and cold, and allows you to go back for seconds. Drinks are 100 percent organic, and most of the vegetables dishes are as well. Quite cheap, full meal with drinks will run you between 12-15 Euro. The Sunday buffet is only around 6 Euro! This is right there at Porta Portese flea market-a good place to go on Sundays as you stroll around. Via Angelo Bargoni

Also, one more, more upscale and elegant, and a lovely restaurant with its atmosphere and artwork. MARGUTTA RISTORARTE, on Via Margutta. Several organic wines, tagiliolini with figs and fresh tomatoes-you get the idea. They have a website you can check out as well: www.ilmargutta.it

Enjoy! (this is making me hungry)



(although don't forget-Rome has many excellent Indian restaurants

thank you all for your concern and your responses. the pasta i am used to here in america is the dried boxed version that does not contain eggs. although i am vegan for reasons other than health, i can certainly see myself eating pasta with eggs in it and some cheese while in italy. i don't want to offend or make a fuss, and that was my reason for the question.

veganism isn't THAT weird.

happycow.net has listings for vegetarian restaurants around the world.

Here's a good list for Rome inclduing some vegan-friendly places. They also list other Italian cities so hopefully some of your daytrips will be covered.

http://happycow.net/europe/italy/rome/index.html

An easy, vegan, lunch in Rome is Pizza Bianco. It's pizza dough (almost like focaccia) that is filled with ingredients that you choose. Lo Zozzone is our favourite; you'll find it on Via del Teatro Pace (nearby the Piazza Navona).

We just came home last week from our third trip to Rome and had no problem w/the food (we're lacto/ovo, though). Time Out Rome gives good veggie/vegan resto options if you still need to get a guide book.

Lastly, if you want to splurge a little in Rome, Ditrambo has some interesting vegetarian options:

http://www.ristoranteditirambo.it/en/menu.html

Vegetarian dish

Courgettes casserole with fresh tomato sauce
Courgette flowers with ewe's ricotta and aromatic herbs
Potato flan with wild mushrooms (boletus)
Calabrian style aubergines rolls
Chef aromatic salad with fresh salad, corn salad, tuna in olive oil, wild fenner, mint and basil
Pachino tomatoes and rocket salad
Mixed salad
Roast patatos

Lastly, two good phrases to know:

*senza prosciutto (without ham)
*senza alici (without anchovies)

Have a terrific trip!

Side-in case you're not British, &quot;courgettes&quot; are zucchini-an Italian vegetable, by the way...

veganism may not be weird, but its very uncommon in europe - you will have to be precise in your requirements. The manufactured tubular pasta is suitable for vegans, even some of the homemade. Pizzas work for vegans and there are many interesting vegetable preparations depending on when you go. But they frequently have meat as a flavoring some where in the composition though not visible in hunks (many of the vegetabel soups)and many of the veg and vegetable pasta dishes will have cheese or butter as a component.

Beans (fagioli) are a great vegetarian food in tuscany, as well as soups like pappa pomodoro and ribollita (though as noted there may be some meat, a parmesan rind or some such in flavoing the latter or garnishing.