Eating and Sightseeing Rome

Michele and I are back from Rome where we spent about a month.  Here are some photos of my favorite experiences.

At Caffe Ruschena where we went often for breakfast. 

Cornetto filled with pastry cream and a cappuccino. 

At Gran Caffe La Caffettiera, good for coffee break, drinks, light lunch

Toasted focaccia with zucchini flowers, mozzarella and anchovies.

Piazza del Popolo from the Borghese Gardens

Water Buffalo chops, sauteed chicory and roast potatoes in a restaurant in  Anagni a town a short distance from Rome

Castello Sanit’Angelo

Ciampini is a caffe where you can enjoy a meal or a drink or a gelato with great people-watching.

Stracciatella and chocolate gelato at Ciampini

Hotel Raphael

The view from the roof of the Raphael Hotel where we met a friend for drinks before lunch

Casa Bleve

Anchovies with bread and butter

A view of the Vatican

Restaurant Cavaliere  Gino al Parlamento

Chicken and peppers Roman style

Castel Sant’Angelo at night

Enoteca L’Angolo di Vino

Cheese and salumi

Crostini with broccoli rabe and sun dried tomatoes

Restaurant Roscioli 

Serrano Ham at Roscioli

Roman Forum

Ditirambo Restaurant

Roast suckling pig with potatoes

Trattoria Checchino del 1887

Assaggio di Fagioli e Cotiche- pig skin with borlotti beans cooked with tomato.

Susan and Michele in the Piazza Novona

Trattoria Il Matriciano

Fried zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies

Fried artichokes alla giudia

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Due Ladroni

Roasted turbot with artichokes and potatoes

View from the Spanish Steps

 A side trip to Naples

Trattoria San Ferdinando 

Fried Seafood

Taverna Santa Chiara

Grilled Pork Sausages with Friarielli

Mimi alla Ferrovia

Fried calamari

It was a wonderful trip and we are looking forward to going back soon!!

Eating around Rome

 

After spending an exciting week in Naples, we left for Rome. A friend who was traveling with us suggested we leave early so that we could arrive in Rome in time for lunch.

Michele suggested La Campana, a restaurant close to the apartment we had rented but also because she remembered the

roasted maialino. She ordered it again.  The meat was moist and fork tender while the skin was crunchy.  It came with potatoes roasted with rosemary.  It is a dish to remember.

Due Ladroni.  This  restaurant specializes  in  fish,  which  is  always  very  fresh.  For  a first course I had

Polpo con Patate.  The potatoes were mashed with olive oil and the grilled octopus tendrils were cooked perfectly.

Next, I had Spaghetti ai Moscardini.

Moscardini are similar to baby octopus, but they are very tiny.  They add a wonderful briny flavor to the sauce, which seemed to contain

little besides some olive oil and the sauteed seafood.

We liked the moscardini so much that we decided to share a plate of Moscardini Fritti.  The waiter explained that these were actually pennette, slightly larger moscardini.

L’Angolo Divino is my favorite wine bar in Rome. Every time I go, I enjoy discussing wine with the owner, Massimo. This time we talked about wines made from the Cesanese grape.     Massimo suggested a mix of 5 Affettati to go with the wine.  They included speck, prosciutto, coppa and a spicy salame.

We also had the Bruschetta Lardo

Assortment of Cheese

Then we had the classic Ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach in a butter and sage sauce

I have often written about Checchino dal 1887, one  of   my  favorite Roman  restaurants.

At lunch, I started with an Artichoke alla Romana, cooked with olive oil and herbs.

I also had a plate of Fagioli e Cotiche,  borlotti  beans  cooked  with  pork  skin  for  smooth  texture  and  porky  flavor.

Checchino’s Pasta Alla Matriciana is my favorite version of this dish.  I always have it with bucatini.

Our friend Daniele Cernili, known as Doctor Wine, happened to be in the restaurant that day and recommended we try the  padellotto, a plate of innards typical of the restaurants in this section of Rome that special in the quinto quarto, the so-called fifth quarter of the animal.  There were kidneys, sweetbreads, liver and intestines, cooked with vinegar and rosemary.

Il Matriciano is another old favorite that disappointed us recently by updating its classic decor.  But we are happy to report that the food is still delicious.  We started with a plate of fried zucchini flowers and carciofi alla giudea, deep fried artichokes.

Abbacchio al Forno con patate

T

The Friday special was Baccalà, salt cod cooked in a tomato sauce with raisins and pine nuts.

Lo’steria  is  new  restaurant  for  us.  We  loved  the  starter,  a paper  sack  filled  with  fried  vegetables,  fried  bacala,  a rice  ball,  etc.  

This was Michele’s Bombolotti alla Matriciana.

I opted for the homemade tagliarini with broccoli.

Trattoria Dal Cavalier Gino  This  our  first  time  here  after  a number  of  years.  I had a classic  spaghetti  alla  carbonara.

Michele had the homemade tagliarini with crispy artichokes.  Loved the crunchy vegetable on top of the creamy pasta.

Finally, we had the Pollo alla Romana, chicken cooked in a rich sauce with green olives, tomatoes and peppers

We still have 9 more days in Rome and Michele  and I looking forward to more wonderful meals.

Enjoying Rome

Michele and I have been to Rome four times this year and every time we go we discover something new and interesting as we walk, eat and drink.

Crossing the bridge

I Claudius

The Ghetto 

Pasta all’Amatriciana At Checchino dal 1887- my favorite

Lunch with Daniele Cernilli (Doctor Wine) at Checchino 1887

Spaghetti ai Moscardini, a favorite of Michele at I Due Ladroni

Carciofi alla Giudia at Da Romolo alla Mole Adriano

The Furore 2016-perfect wine with seafood at  I Due Ladroni

Falanghina always ready to drink and enjoy

Daniele called this a “Great Wine”

A light lunch At L’ Angolo Di Vino

Speaking with the owner Massimo Crippa about Wineand aged Grappa

Great way to end our stay in Rome and leave for the Hello Grappa  tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aglianico a Roma

After spending a wonderful week in Naples visiting wine producers and eating at some of the most famous pizzerias in the city and Campania, Michele and I went to Rome. There I received an e-mail from Ilaria Petito, the owner of Donnachiara winery in Campania, inviting me to an event called Aglianico a Roma (Aglianico in Rome).

Unfortunately I arrived too late to attend a seminar on Aglianico conducted by wine blogger and journalist Luciano Pignataro. However, I was able to taste some of the wines. ilaria introduced me to some of the producers that I did not know.

The Wines

Aglianico Sannio Santa’Agata dei Goti “Cesco di Nece” 2015 Mustilli made from 100% Aglianico from the 3 hectare organically planted “Cesco di Nece,” vineyard planted in 1994. Harvest is at the end of October. Grapes are destemmed and crushed. Fermentation lasts for about 15 days in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. Maturation is second passage French oak for 9 months. Lightly fined, unfiltered and a small SO2 is added before bottling. It is aged for 9 months in bottle before release. I have always liked the wines of Mustilli and visited the winery two years ago with Campania Stories.

Aglianico Sannio DOC  2016 Mustilli 100% Aglianico from vineyards at 800 feet with volcanic and clay soil and a southwest exposure. The vines are 30 years old. Fermented on indigenous yeast in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine is aged in French second passage barriques for 9 months and in bottle for 3 months before release.

Taurasi “Opera Mia” 2012 Tenuta Cavalier Pepe made from 100% Aglianico. The grapes come from the Carazita vineyard. Harvest takes place the first week of November and a selection is made in the cellar. Parts of the grapes go through a cold pre–fermentation/maceration to extract color and aroma. The alcohol fermentation is followed by a long maceration on the skins. After the wine is racked it is put into French oak (Allier and Troncais barriques) for 12 months and another 12 months in bottle before release. The wine has ripe red fruit with hints of black cherry, prune and spice.

Taurasi Riserva 2012 “La Loggia del Cavaliere” Tenuta Cavalier Pepe. 100% Aglianco The vineyard is at 450/490 meters and the exposure is south/southeast. The soil is clay-like with calcareous and sandy layers. Harvest is by hand in mid-November. In the cellar, cold maceration is followed by alcoholic fermentation with prolonged maceration. The wine is aged in barrels for a minimum of 18 months with batonnage (stirring the lees). The wine has hints of blackberries, and black cherries with a touch of spice and vanilla.

Taurasi” Nero Né “il Cancelliere” 2012 100% Aglianico. The soil is clay and limestone. The vines are about 35 years old. The vineyard is at 550/600 meters and exposure is north and the formation is vertical trellised with spurred cordon pruning.

The grapes are destemmed and alcoholic fermentation and maceration take place for about 30 days at room temperature and a pneumatic press is used. Only wild yeast is used. Aging in steel for 6 months on the lees, depending on the vintage, then 24 months in Slavonian wood 35/50 hl and then 24 months in bottle. NO: filtration, clarification, stabilization or sulphites.

Gioviano-Irpinia Aglianico DOC “ il Cancelliere” 2015 100% Aglianico. The soil is limestone clay and the vineyard has a northern exposure and is at 450/550 meters. There is destemming of the grapes, alcoholic fermentation and maceration of about 20 days at room temperature. Aging is in steel for 6 months on the lees then aging in Slavonian wood of 35hl for 12 months and then in bottle for 10/12 months. This was the first time I tasted the wines from this producer and I was very impressed by them.

Vigna Cataratte Riserva “Aglianico Del Taburno” 2012 Fontanecchia made from 100% Aglianico. Selected grapes are harvested by hand. Vinification is in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for about 20 days. The wine is aged for 2 years, of which 6/9 months are in French barriques.

Taurasi 2012 Cantine Macchie Santa Maria  100% Aglianico Macchie Santa Maria. This is a new winery with a production of only 3,000 bottles. It is located in the province of Avellino at Montemiletto. This is a wine with hints of sour cherry, plum and a touch of spice.

ilaria Petitto and her Taurasi 2012

Taurasi 2012 Donnachiara 100% Aglianico made from grapes from the 20-hectare Torre le Nocella vineyard. The soil is volcanic and clay, the vines are over 30 years old, the training system is guyot and there are 4,000 plants per hectare. The grapes are not destemmed or crushed prior to pressing and there is no filtration. The wine is aged for 12 months in used 225-liter French barriques, and 24 months in bottle before release. This is a big complex wine with berry aromas and flavors, hints of cherry and plum and a touch of cacao, coffee and vanilla. The wine will age. I know their wines very well and the 2012 Taurasi is one of my favorites.

Join Us in Rome for Lunch-Antipasto

Join Michele and I for lunch in Rome.  Here are some of our favorite antipasto choices.

Deep fried Zucchini flowers stuffed with anchovies and mozzarella. I could eat these every day and order them when ever I see them on the menu. These are from Il Matriciano

These I order when ever I go to Armando al Pantheon.  It consists of bruschetta, toasted bread, topped with a quail egg and black truffle shavings and another with lardo and a walnut.  The lardo melts onto to the toast.

Fried Anchovies- -I love fresh anchovies and they fry them to perfection at Cesare al Casaletto.   They are totally different from the canned variety.

Fresh anchovies again, these are marinated with olive oil, parsley and a little garlic at La Torricella.

La Tavernaccia also makes creative bruschette for an antipasto.  We share this trio which included lardo with a dribble of honey on warm toast with olive oil.  The middle one is topped with grilled artichokes, aged pecorino and balsamic vinegar.  The one at the top of the photo is topped with ciausculo, a pate-like spread.  

Michele enjoys the tuna meatballs on a bed of sauteed eggplant and tomato at Due Ladroni

Artichokes Roman Style at Armando are always a great way to begin a meal.  They are steamed with olive oil, garlic and parsley.  They serve them with good fresh mozzarella di bufala.

A salumi platter such as this one at L’Angolo Divino is a good choice too.  Some of the choices include mortadella made with goose meat, prosciutto from Sauris, and speck.

Pork skin with a slightly spicy tomato sauce and beans at Checchino dal 1887.  This is a little on the heavy side for a starter, but I can’t resist it.

Stracchino, a type of fresh cheese with a fig mostarda at Collina Emiliana.  A taste of Emilia-Romagna in Rome.

Moscardini (little octopus) fritti is one of Michele’s favorites at Cesare al Casaletto

Lardo on whole grain crackers from the famous Bonci at L’Angolo Divino

Warm Octopus with potato salad on arugula at Due Ladroni.

More moscardini for Michele, fried baby octopus here fried and marinated with a little garlic, parsley and lemon at La Torricella.

Join us next time for Primi Piatti and the means Pasta!

 

 

Dining in Rome with Daniele Cernilli- Doctor Wine

Daniele Cernilli, aka Doctor Wine, and his wife, Marina Thompson, have been friends for many years. We have tasted a lot of wine together both here and in Rome. Daniele is a true Roman, a Romano de Roma as the expression goes. He is one of the most important men in Italian wine and has been a wine critic for many years. He was one of the founders of Gambero Rosso and for 24 years was the editor of Gambero Rosso-Slow Food Wine Guide. Daniele was the inventor of the now famous “Three Glasses” classification. Currently, he has is own web-magazine called “Doctor Wine” www.doctorwine.it. There are two versions, one English and the other Italian, and it covers both Italian and European wines. I read it regularly.

Daniele Cernilli(Doctor Wine)

When we were in Rome recently, Daniele suggested that Michele and I meet him and Marina for lunch at the restaurant Baccano. He said it was a true copy of Balthazar in NYC. Copies of Daniele’s book The Ultimate Guide to Italian Wine 2017 were displayed on a table near the entrance so that customers waiting for a table could look at the Guide before they chose a wine to drink.

They were right. The place looked just like Balthazar.

I am always impressed with Daniele’s knowledge and enthusiasm. I was happy to let him pick the 3 wines to go with lunch. 

Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Classico Villa Bucci Riserva 2013. Made from 100% Verdicchio. The wine is aged for 2 years in large casks. It is the white wine of the year in Daniele’s guide. He also gives the winery 3 stars, the highest rating. This is one of my favorite white wines and I order it every time I see it on a wine list in Italy. Ampellio Bucci has been producing wine with the assistance of the legendary enologist Giorgio Grai for over 30 years. It has been my honor to meet both of them on more then one occasion. Daniele described the wine as very complex, mouth filling, well balanced with hints of flint, anise, fine herbs and a very long finish.

With it, we had smoked salmon.

Fiano di Avellino 2013 “Cupa” 100% Fiano di Avellino Pietracupa of Sabino Loffredo. Daniele said that Sabino does all the work himself, cultivates his vineyards which are at 350 and 550 meters and makes and ages his wines with the skill of a craftsman. He called his wines “exceptional,” gave the winery 3 stars and the wine 97/100 points. The Cupa is outside the DOCG and great in the 2013 vintage. The wine matures on the lees in stainless steel tanks. Daniele described the wine as elegant and intense, with notes of oregano, sage, cedar and lemongrass, great acidity and a slightly smoky finish. This wine will age for many years.

With the Fiano, we had a personal favorite, fried fresh anchovies.

After that we took Daniele’s advice and had Spaghetti “Mancini” with a sauce made from tomatoes from Mount Vesuvius, basil, extra virgin olive oil and garlic.

CA’ D’Gal “Lumine” Moscato D’Asti 2015 100% Moscato Bianco di Canelli. Daniele said this might be one of the best Moscato d’Asti I ever tasted. He gave it an 88/100 rating. Alessandro Boido makes the wine and in his hands Moscato d’Asti becomes a great wine, Italian to the bone.

Daniel described the wine as having fragrant aromas of sage, exotic fruit and cedar with refreshing acidity.

Daniele said they also make a Moscato d’Asti Vigna Vecchia which can age like a great red. That one gets a 93/100.

We shared a portion of tiramisu with the wine.

Looking at The ULTIMATE GUIDE to ITLALIAN WINE 2017(third addition) I believe the title says it all. It is the Ultimate Guide to Italian Wines.

 

Checchino dal1887 a Classic Roman Restaurant

Checchino dal 1887  Via di Monte Testaccio 30

http://www.checcino1887.com     email: checchinoroma.it

Open from 12:30 to 15:00 and from 20:00 to 24     Closed Sunday night and all day Monday

The Mariani Family has owned the restaurant Checchino dal 1887 since it opened in 1887. Francesco Mariani takes care of the front of the house while his brother Elio is in the kitchen.

Francesco and Michele

Considering the wine and the food, it is the best restaurant in Rome with over six hundred wines from Italy and all over the world. The wine is kept in a cellar that was dug into Monte Testaccio, a hill made from broken amphorae, which dates back to Ancient Rome.

The slaughterhouses of Rome used to be located here and the restaurant still specializes in the innards and other spare parts, called the quinto quarto, which the poor people used to eat.

Michele and I first came here 33 years ago and come back every time we are in Rome, which is very often. There is an outdoor space but we prefer to sit inside.

I enjoy speaking with Francesco about wine and like his recommendations. He knows I like older red wines from the area around Rome, especially Fiorano Rosso, Torre Ercolano and Colle Picchione, which are now almost impossible to find, so whenever I come to Rome, he searches his cellar to see what he can find. In February it was a 1971 Fiorano, and the year before a 1983 Colle Picchione. This year he said that he found another bottle of the 1983 Colle Picchione and of course I wanted it.

Colle Picchione 1983, Paola di Mauro, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The wine consultant at the time was the legendary Giorgio Grai. The wine consultant today is Riccardo Cotarella. The wines were aged in large oak barrels. I have visited the winery twice and both times drank the 1985 vintage. The 1983 had hints of leather and cherry with a very long finish and great aftertaste. It was as good as it was last time I had it.

To accompany the wine, I started with the Assaggio di Fagioli e Cotiche, pig skin and borlotti beans cooked with tomato. This dish is so good, so intense and so Roman!

 

Michele had Puntarelle con salsa di alici, a seasonal salad of Catalonian chicory with anchovy sauce, one of her favorites.

Bucantini all’Amatriciana — for me this is the best pasta dish and I almost always order it here. We both had it again.

Coda alla vaccinara ox-tail in a tomato sauce.

Fegato di vitello ai ferri — thin slices of grilled veal liver. It may be the best I have ever had, very flavorful and tender.

For dessert we had Torta stracciatella – one of my favorites. A cake with chocolate chips.

Tortino di pere e noci, a spiced pear cake with nuts and chocolate sauce.

Notes

If you go, ask for Francesco and take his advice on both the food and the wine. Be sure to ask if he would show you the wine cellar.

Checchino 1887 was one of the restaurants that took part in the Bio*Sagra for children, held at Fattoria Fiorano to benefit the Hospital Bambino Gesú https://charlesscicolone.wordpress.com/2016/10/04/fiorano-for-kids/

Here is a picture of Francesco serving the pasta e ceci at the event. Michele really likes this.

Mercato Testaccio (Testaccio Market) is just across the street from the restaurant and worth a visit. It is closed on Sunday.

 

 

Rome: Restaurant by Restaurant

Since we were staying in Rome for 3 weeks, Michele and I decided to try a few restaurants that we had not tried before. Some we always wanted try, but never made it and others we were told about by friends. One was a place we had not been to in a long time.

Flavio Al Velavevodetto – Via di Monte Testaccio 9     Tel   06 57 44 194

This restaurant is around the corner from one of our favorites, Checchino al 1887. It serves traditional Roman food.

We had Bruschetta with burrata and anchovies, bollito meatballs (made from the boiled meats of a bollito misto), rabbit alla cacciatore, fettuccine with pork ragu.

The wines are on the wall in a room to the dining room and diners can go up and choose what they want.

De Cesare Via Del Casaletto, 45-47-49      Tel    06536015

The restaurant is a 20-minute ride from the center on the #8 tram. Take it to the last stop and the restaurant is right across the street. This was our first time here and we really enjoyed it.

Michele and I ate the same things, fried fiori di zucca stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies, fried totani (small squid), skate and broccoli soup, shrimp with tomatoes and sour cherry tart, crostata di visciole.

We drank a Tebbiano di Abruzzo 2014 from Pepe

Osteria Le Mani in Pasta, Via dei Genovesi,37 Trastevere   Tel  06.5816017.

We went here on a Saturday and the restaurant was very crowded and noisy. But it was a good noise — that of people eating good food, drinking wine and having a good time.

Many of the customers were regulars who stopped in at the kitchen to say hello to the chef on the way in and on the way out.

Many people were sharing the pasta dishes, as they were very large. However they were not doing it to eat less as they then ordered another pasta course to share.

To start, we had artichokes alla Romana, and octopus and potato salad, one of our favorites.

Michele had Fettuccine with ricotta salata and pancetta, which she really liked and I had spaghetti Vernaccia with white wine, caramelized onions and bacon. It was very good.

We drank a bottle of Falanghina.

Cul de Sac   Piazza di Piazza di Pasquino 73    Tel  06 68 80 10 94

On our way to The Piazza Navona, we passed an old favorite, Cul de Sac.

We used to go there often but for some reason we had stopped, so we decided to give it a try. It is perfect for lunch, less crowded than at dinnertime.

The salumi, cheese, and pate is much better than the hot food here and you can make a great meal of them. We had the boar pate, prosciutto, finocchiona salami and an assortment of unusual cheeses. They also have a great wine list and the staff is very nice and interested.

Trattoria Perilli,  Via Marmorata 39   Tel  06 575 5100

One review of this restaurant said that they value food over service; therefore the writer did not recommend it for North American tourists who, in his opinion, value service over food.  Michele and I do not agree. It is a true Roman restaurant, full of locals that know good food.

We had rigatoni carbonara, and roast suckling pig.

La Tavernaccia da Bruno – Via Giovanni da Castelbolognese 63    Tel 06.5812792

We had Bruschetta with grilled vegetablies, tagliolini with wild boar ragu, roast pork (yes, again),

mand a delicious ricotta torta with pistachios. The owner is from  Umbria so there is a mixing of Rome and Umbria in the food.

 

 

When in Rome-Our Favorite Restautants

Michele and I rented an apartment in Rome again in February.

We have decided that for us it is better than a winter vacation to Florida, Mexico or the Caribbean. While it may not be as warm, the food is much better and Rome is Rome and we love it. These are the restaurants that Michele and I go back to every time we are in Rome.

Trattoria da Giggetto– Michele and I always go to the same place for lunch when we arrive in Rome.  We drop off our bags and walk to Da Giggetto (39-066861 05) at Portico D’Ottavia 21/A-22 in the Jewish ghetto.

I do not need to look at the menu because I always order the same things: fiori di zucca ripieni con mozzarella e alici.  The flowers were small and crunchy and very good.

I also get carciofi alla giudia  (fried artichoke) and spaghetti con vongole veraci.

The tiny clams were tender and seasoned with just the right amount of parsley, garlic, olive oil and a hint of hot pepper.  Michele had carciofi alla romana, braised artichoke and fettuccine with ragu. We drank the Passerina del Fruisnate IGT 2014 from Feudi Del Sole. It went very well with the food even with the fried artichoke.

Trattoria Armando al Pantheon-Salita de’ Crescenzi 21 This is one of Michele’s favorite restaurants in Rome and one of the restaurants that you have to make a reservation for lunch or dinner. We only started going here a few years ago and have been going there ever since.

I started with grilled bread Roman style with butter and anchovies,  while Michele had Buffalo mozzarella with braised Roan artichoke.

Then we had spaghetti alla Matriciana, chicken in white wine with peppers, and grilled sausages with lentils.

We drank Ghemme 2005 “Collis Brechema” Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo

IL Martriciano Via dei Gracchi, 55    06 32 13 040-06 32 12 327

Michele and I have been coming here for the last 35 years and nothing changes, the owners, the waiters and the menu are the same. I started as usual with a carciofo romano, fried zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies and of course bucatini matriciana

I had the roasted baccala with potatoes in a tomato and onion sauce, which was delicious.

Michele had Vignarola, peas, artichokes and fava beans.

And for dessert

Ristorante Ar Galletto Piazza Farnese 104   06 686 1714

Michele likes to come here when the weather is warm so we can sit outside because the restaurant is in the Piazza Farnese and she loves the view.

We had fiori di zucca, fried artichoke, spaghetti with fresh anchovies and pecorino.

and crostata for dessert.

We drank Offida Pecorino 2014 “Merlettale” from Ciú Ciú.

Checchino Dal 1887 (www.checchino1887.com), Via  Monte 30 Testaccio.

The Mariani family has owned the restaurant since 1887. Francesco Mariani takes care of the front of the house while his brother Elio is in the kitchen.

Michele and I have been coming here since 1981. It is the restaurant where I drank Fiorano Rosso for the first time. The vintage was 1961

We went with friends that live in Rome and they were surprised when the Francesco came over and the first thing he said was, “I have one bottle of Fiorano Rosso left, the 1983, do you want it?” That was a trick question. Of course I wanted it!

Considering the wine and the food, it is the best restaurant in Rome with over six hundred wines from Italy and all over the world. The wine cellar is dug into Monte Testaccio, a hill made from broken amphorae, which date back to Ancient Rome. Francesco gave us a tour of the cellar that holds over 600 wines.

The slaughterhouses of Rome used to be located here and the restaurant still specializes in the so-called quinto quarto, the fifth quarter, or innards and other spare parts.

We ate Artichoke alla Romana

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Fegato di Vitello ai ferri, and grilled baby lamb chops.

For dessert

We also drank a Cesanese 2013 “Amarasco” Principe Pallavicini.

 

 

 

One Wine Bar, One Restaurant and Tartufo in Rome

There are so many wonderful restaurants in Rome and Michele and I try to eat in as many as possible. We rented and apartment for two weeks in the Monti which is close to the colosseum and the forum and were able to walk to many of them.  

Enoteca Cavour 313, located at 313 Via Cavour, is a wine bar in Rome that I always wanted to try but never got to. Last month we rented an apartment in the Monti section of Rome and I realized that it was right around the corner so we went. It is a cross between a pub and a bistro with dark wooden beams running across the ceiling.

There are two wine lists. One is for the restaurant and it contains close to 1,000 labels in all price ranges. The other is a list of wines for sale that you can take home with you.

The menu is limited but appealing. I had an insalata mista and roast pork with house made pear mostarda. The pork was perfectly cooked and delicious.

We drank a Bramaterra 2005 from Tenuta Sella made from 70% Nebbiolo, 20% Croatina and 10% Vespolina. The production area is in Northern Piedmont. The vines are 48 years old, the exposure is Southwest, the vineyard is at 300 to 350 meters the training system is guyot and the soil is volcanic in origin and reddish brown in color. Harvest takes place between September 22 and October 12. After the grapes are crushed, fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with pumping over and delestage. There is 30 days maceration for the Nebbiolo and 16 for the Croatina. The wine is aged in 10 hl Slavonian oak casks for 28 months. The wine was showing no signs of age. There were hints of faded roses, leather, blackberries and a hint of spice. The wine could age for another 10 years. It is an excellent buy.

Roscioli Salumeria Vineria con Cucina – Via dei Giubbonari 21-22. Roscioli is very difficult to describe because it is not only a restaurant but also a salumeria, a shop specializing in salumi and cheese, and a wine bar all at the same time,

It was opened in 2002 when Alessandro and Pierluigi Roscioli decided to make the change from the family grocery. They also have a bakery named Roscioli around the corner, with the best fig bread I have ever eaten. They also sell Roman style pizza by the slice. Michele likes the restaurant because it has one of the best spaghetti carbonaras in Rome.

We started with hand made Mortadella from Bologna garnished with crisp bread and 36 month aged Parmigiano Reggiano from red cows.

Then I had the water buffalo DOP mozzarella from Paestum served with Cantabrian anchovies and Taggiasche olives.

We both ordered La Carbonara: Spaghettone Pasta tossed with bits of crispy guanciale (pork cheeks), black pepper, Paolo Parisi eggs and Roman Pecorino DOP.

The wine was the 2012 Cerasuolo d’ Abruzzo (Rosè) made from100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from Eduardo Valentini. Aged in large botti of Slavonian oak for 12 months. There was just a touch of strawberry in the wine but that may be the only thing it has in common with other rose wines. I believe it is Italy’s best Rosè and it was less than 40 Euro in the restaurant. Eduardo passed away a few years ago but his son Francesco continues the tradition. 

Taurasi Radici 1998 Riserva 100% Aglianico Mastroberadino The soil is poor in organic substances but with a high content of clay, limestone, minerals and microelements. The vineyards are on two hills, Mirabella vineyard at 500 meters and the Montemarano vineyard at 550 meters. Because of its position on the hill and its altitude, the temperature at the Montemarano vineyard is much colder and the grapes are picked a little later. Harvest is from the end of October into the beginning of November. The vinification is the classic one for red wine, long maceration with skin contact at controlled temperatures. The wine spends one year in Slovenian oak barrels and two years in bottle, the wine can be laid down for 10 to 15 years. The riserva stays in medium sized 40 to 50HL oak casks for 2 years and 2 years in bottle. It can live in the bottle for 25-40 years. This is the way I believe the 1998 was produced. The wine was showing no signs of age. This is a full, complex wine with hints of black cherry, plum, spice, smoke and a touch of leather.

Roscioli has a very good wine list and the wines are displayed on the walls of the restaurant.

We were walking in the Piazza Navona and passed Tre Scalini, a café and restaurant famous for its Tartufo, chocolate covered chocolate gelato. The tartufo was created in 1946 by the head of the Ciampini family.

It has 13 varieties of Swiss chocolate and the exact recipe is still a secret. It has been a number of years since we had one so we decided to try it once again. The shape is different than I remember it, but it was just as good.