zenfoodist

Thanks for all of the responses. I've been off the radar for the last couple of weeks. The Homefood idea sounds fantastic. I will definitely explore it. Mille Grazie. My 11 year old informed me that he wants the cacio e pepe at Flavio al Velavevodetto. Apparently he's been doing his own research. Last night I made a cauldron of it for his friends who had missed our dinners while we were gone. And also fried up the first of the zucchini blossoms (stuffed with anchovies and mozzarella). These kids are spoiled rotten! With or without a food tour or a Homefood experience, I am certain we will eat very well in Rome. I am more worried about the heat at this point. A few of our friends returned from Rome on Sunday and they told us three people in their group had suffered heat stroke. I hate the summer so very much, but unfortunately it is the only time our family can get a two week chunk of time off from work and school. We will make the best of it. I hope.

sandralist

When in Rome, do as...

Knock off mid-day, or only do something indoors and cool. Set your 11 year old with the task of figuring out Rome's bus and tram system works, and buy a bus map online or when you get to Rome. But since you all like to eat, then enjoy some long lunches in shady places and even air conditioned places (high end hotel bars can be great for a bit of relief). Many of the outdoor attractions of Rome are great at night, so see how many you can push off until twillight. Stay out of the sun and you'll be okay. Take taxis if that's the only way to keep out of the sun.

scrb11

OK, maybe I didn't try it at the right places but cacio e pepe is not the most memorable pasta dish I've had.

Too salty is my recollection and otherwise, no distinctive taste, compared to pasta you get in Tuscany.

zenfoodist

Cacio e pepe is definitely not earth shattering, just deeply satisfying. Similar to the cucina povera of my Sicilian family. A few simple ingredients that taste like heaven. It's always been my son's comfort dish along with pastina with butter and cheese.

sandralist

scrb,

Since Tuscany has not much of a tradition in pasta at all, I suspect you really did go to the wrong places in Rome, or unusual places in Tuscany, if you ended up concluding Tuscany has better pasta dishes.

However, if you are sensitive to salt, you might simply prefer Tuscan cooking because of your palate. Rome literally built an empire in pursuit of salt, and it loves it for cooking, while Tuscany is notorious for its skimpiness with salt -- one of the reasons I don't care for it much.

For me, eating the regional food of Italy has been "earth-shattering," even the cucina povera. It is such a departure from the complicated-recipe cooking of other cultures, where the ingredients list is a mile long, and there is such reliance on the spice cabinet (mainly to hide the flavorlessness of the underlying agribusiness produced meat and vegetables). Eating in Italy changed all my daily life, from shopping to cooking to eating. Since I don't have any Italian ancestors, it was quite a switch.

scrb11

Oh it may not have been authentic Tuscan cuisine but I suspect tourism is influencing the kind of menus that restaurants throughout Italy are serving.

sandralist

You misinterpreted my post, in that I wasn't suggesting the pasta you enjoyed in Tuscany was inauthentic. Tuscany does have several quite delicious pasta dishes, but they do not dominate local eating like pasta does south of Tuscany. I was only saying that you must have gone to some unusually good Tuscan pasta places, or else gone to some of the worst in Rome, to have come to the conclusion you did.

There are only a handful of regions in Italy where tourists never go, but it still remains the case the more than 75 or 80 percent of Italian localities are never visited by tourists, and you would find in next to impossible in those places to find tourist-influenced menus. And even in Rome and the tourist-ravaged areas of Tuscany, if you make a point of looking for it, you can find restaurants serving the same classic local dishes that they have served for several generations, with no concession to tourist's expectations.

zenfoodist

Sandralist~

What are your favorite casual spots in Rome? We are looking for comfortable and casual and moderate. I'm not seeking the el bulli of Italy on this trip; molecular gastronomy be damned. I do that sort of thing in NYC and want simple and unpretentious on this trip. Just some well-loved places with hearty food and warm service. Thanks!

cafegoddess

You might like Enoteca Spiriti on Via Di Sant' Eustachio
We really did.

sandralist

Armando al Pantheon is within a stone's throw of where you are staying. I would actually eat there every night! Seriously. For Armando, you will need to reserve.

You probably want to try some pizzeria, but can't help you out because my favorite one around there closed.

The rest really depends on where you are going to be during lunch time -- and your son's wish list! In general, I never travel far for food when I am in Rome. I just try to find the best of what is closest to where I am staying. I enjoy Roman food, the downhome stuff, and most trattorie share the same menu, so I just find a good place and eat my way down the menu. However, you might want to make a special trek to eat Roman Jewish food, and I find the setting of Da Giggetto irresistable at night (food waxes and wanes in reputation).

Wherever I go in Italy, if I can fit it in, I go for a Home Food dinner. I've never done one in Rome, however -- largely because I have friends there who are kind enough to invite me to dinner, and of course that is the best. But you might be up for the adventure, especially since you like to cook. The Home Food cooks are outstanding home cooks, and the experience is incomparable.

http://www.homefood.it/en/

(Reminds me I was wondering if you ever eat at the Piccolo Cucina restaurants in Manhattan to see how it stacks up against your family's Sicilian cooking.)

zenfoodist

Sandralist~

You have really piqued my interest with this Home Food suggestion. I'm going to explore it.
Armando al Panthenon is most definitely on our list. As is Caesare al Casteletto and Pizzarium.
I was thinking Piperino for the Jewish Roman food, but I will look into your suggestion for sure.

Because we eat so much regional Italian food at home (heavy emphasis on the Sicilian) I don't eat much Italian out. Maialino and SD-26 for special occasions and truffle tastings etc, but we tend to favor small, family owned places in the boroughs if we have a penchant for Italian out of the house. I'm a bit of a Sinophile and spend many many hours in the Underbelly of downtown Flushing. And in the many Thai spots in Jackson Heights.

I can't wait to be in Italy! Your suggestions and advice have been very helpful and much appreciated.

Mille Grazie.

misha2

Bookmarking!

Francewithfive

We visited Rome with our three kids and we used Elizabeth's book to guide us to some amazing, off the beaten path spots for lunches and dinners. Her personal tours were insanely expensive. You can easily use her book and just guide yourselves around. We even bumped into her in one of the spots she mentioned in Monti!

HappyTrvlr

We used Elizabeth's dining app while in Rome.

Macross

zenfoodist never shared a thing about her trip.

janisj

we've had an epidemic of bookmarking old threads the last few days. It would be better if folks would e-mail to themselves threads that interest them instead of topping old topics (I saw one from 2005 a couple of hours ago)