Our Best Finds in Rome

I've shared about us planning the trip, how it all went awry, and now I feel like it's my duty to share our best finds in Rome, even though I really want to keep them a secret.

1. The cheap sandwiches

We were walking toward Piazza Navona when we saw a little stall selling sandwiches. Sandwiches sound pretty boring but I promise you these were anything but. Cradled between two thick baguette slices, was this juicy piece of pulled pork meat called PORCHETTA. And oh, no. No. Paolo says it might be the best meal we had the whole trip. To be fair, it was pretty good! Also helps that the lady who sold it to us was Filipino! 

2. The homemade lasagna

You’ve probably already read about the story of what really happened in Rome. We were exhausted from the flight and grumpy from all the traffic and unreliability of public transportation. When our Airbnb hosts happily welcomed us into the apartment and saved a table for us at Lungara, this little neighborhood restaurant opened in 1940 that made THE BEST LASAGNA EVER. It was homemade lasagna from pasta to filling. How do we know? Well, the pasta was so thin and the filling so soft that they practically melted on our tongues. I am not exaggerating. Our hosts tell us it’s run by this little old lady that makes home cooked meals for the neighborhood. We saw her, we love her. We are lasagna food snobs now.

3. The wine tasting

Paolo found the best wine tasting we could afford in the city. At $50 per person, you get  six glasses of wine with an explanation on the fruit and the process of creating the wine. Fancy but I feel like I deserved it after what happened on the plane. It was A LOT. I kept asking Paolo if we were done, and he said we hadn’t gone through half the list yet. What I do remember is to not volunteer what you think you’re tasting in the wine, because the sommelier will say you’re wrong and then everyone will know you’re a peasant who’s just there to drown your anxieties. Every time they ask what fruit is in the wine, I say, “I smell grapes.” *hic*

4. Roman Forum but also…empires are evil

This isn't really a find but I thought it's too important to leave out. We took an entire day walking through the Flavian Amphitheatre and the Roman Forum. Majestic, yes, but people should remember that while these cities were built on ideals, how they set on accomplishing those ideals are a little bit more questionable. I mean if you’re an empire, you’re evil. That’s just a given, proven by history. Congratulations on the wonderful architecture, though.We were walking around the Vatican and I wanted to yell WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN. But I don’t want to ruin our vacation, and Paolo had such a good time. I feel like I already had enough to deal with.

5. Italian Olive Oil

Some people buy leather goods when they visit Italy.  We’d suggest getting the olive oil, instead. Our poor suitcases had to protect two bottles of Italian olive oil and five bottles of truffle paste. We fell severely in love with the olive oil. It smelled amazing, it tasted fresh, and our only regret is we only had two.

6. Piccolo Buco

This might be the main reason I became a flexitarian right after this trip. We went to this pizzeria and I was so hungry I saw a pizza described as having “yellow tomato-based sauce” and ordered it. I did not mean to order a meatless pizza, but I didn’t mind. The dough crust was thick and crunchy, while the middle of the pizza was soft and gooey. Oh my and what a magnificent pizza it was. It had sun dried tomatoes, avocado sauce, eggplant,. It has definitely ruined my relationship with Domino’s Pizza. Even though it started off rough, this trip to Rome ended on a high note. It’s nice to travel with family, and even though I’ve been here already it’s wonderful seeing it through Allegra and Paolo’s eyes. Mostly because we loved eating at out-of-the-way, local food joints.