More Reasons To Fall In Love With Rome

Roman doorway

No other city in the world tugs at me the way Rome does. Yes, New York is electric, Paris is romantic, and London is hopping. But Rome....well, Rome for me is in another whole category. It may not have the wide boulevards of Buenos Aires, the orderliness of Singapore or the canals of Amsterdam, but none of that matters.

Porta Settimiana

Yes, it's got graffiti-splattered walls, high rents and a Byzantine bureaucracy if you're trying to get any official work done.

graffiti in Rome

But walk anywhere in the central part of Rome and you're assaulted by sights, sounds and flavors that I wouldn't trade for anywhere else in the world.

arco degli'acetari

Walk by an open air market on a Spring morning and find three different kinds of artichokes, flavorful strawberries the size of a baby's nail, or a cappuccino to swoon over.

Roman artichokes

While you're on your jaunt, you might easily step outside your 18th apartment building and walk by some ancient Roman columns from the first century B.C., into a piazza decorated with a 16th century baroque fountain, before stopping to say a prayer in a 15th century Renaissance church. You're practically tripping over layers of history throughout the city. They all have a unique beauty that could easily jade local residents, but that never fails to make me wish I were once again living in Rome. 

Although I'm not a resident now, I consider myself extremely lucky to travel to Rome occasionally, including last week. In the past, I've posted some of my favorite things to do and eat in the Eternal City that you can click on here. 

You won't find places like the Vatican, the Colosseum or the Forum on the post -- they're too obviously at the top of most visitors' list, as well they should be, for me to write about. Don't miss them. But aside from my "Twenty Reasons to Fall in Love with Rome," I'm giving you now a few other suggestions of places to eat that are a little lower on the radar to first time visitors.

Aside from the tangible, physical, evidence of Rome's beauty, it's also the Roman people who draw me in as well. Like the vegetable seller who always remembers your name, and throws in a couple of stalks of celery and a few sprigs of parsley for free. Or the goldsmith who demonstrates how he hammers the 21-carat gold chain he's making, then shows you pictures of his adorable grandchildren. Or the chef who allows you into his kitchen, then showers you with sample after sample of extra dishes you didn't even order. 

So here are just a few more of my favorite places to stop for a bite to eat or drink in Rome. Buon Appetito.

La Prosciutteria - 

Oozing with atmosphere, it's great place to grab a panino or a board of salumi and cheese. Located in Trastevere on via della Scala, it's been in Florence for a while, but is fairly new to Rome. The porchetta sandwich I ate at La Prosciutteria beat any I'd ever eaten in the past, hands down, including in Ariccia, a town outside Rome known for its porchetta. I considered it my duty to return to La Prosciutteria the night before departing Rome to buy one for the plane ride home. It was late at night and they had run out of my favorite round foccaccia bread. "Oh Dio," I said. "Isn't there even one more foccaccia hidden somewhere?" I asked. The salesgirl pointed to an already prepared prosciutto crudo sandwich and said "That's the last one." After I mustered up the nerve to ask her if she could take out the prosciutto and replace it with porchetta, she winked at me and complied. Let it be noted that the tray of "food" offered by United Airlines was left untouched as I inhaled my porchetta sandwich instead. Via della Panetteria, 34A.

porchetta panino

Panella - I have Beatrice Ughi of Gustiamo.com to thank for learning about this place. Her friend Antonio suggested it to her years ago and she finally met him there last week, and invited me to come along too, since she was in Rome at the same time I was. Panella has been in business for nearly 100 years and it's not only a fabulous resource for breads, pastries and specialty foods, but a great place for "happy hour" with its prolific buffet dishes, ranging from chickpea farinata to fried zucchini flowers. It's in the Esquiline neighborhood, not too far from the church of San Giovanni in Laterano. Via Merulana, 54

Da Enzo - Another casual and tiny Trastevere restaurant that seats only about 25 people. It's tucked away on a small vicolo on the east side of Viale Trastevere - away from the noisier, more trafficked part of the neighborhood. If it's artichoke season (and it is still is for a very short while), make sure to order them, either fried alla Giudia, or seasoned and in oil, alla Romana. Both were exceptional, as was their pasta alla gricia, made with guanciale. Via dei Vascellari, 29

artichokes alla Giudia and alla Romana at Da Enzo

Le Mani In Pasta

I almost hesitate to mention this place because it's my favorite restaurant in Rome and they're always lined up to get in - with good reason. The food is exquisite and the waiters are terrific, even while working at breakneck speed. They're known for their pastas, and rightly so, but the other dishes are fabulous too. I always order the mussels and clams sauté as a starter, the best anywhere. This time I also ordered the steak served with a green peppercorn sauce, a perfectly cooked piece of tender beef, resting in an unctious puddle of winey goodness. If broccoli romano is on the menu, it's the perfect accompaniment, and is perfectly prepared, with a hint of peperoncino. If you can, reserve the table near the window facing the kitchen. It's practically theater! Chef Ivano will keep you mesmerized with his deft skills, when you're not sighing over the unbeatable food delivered to your table. Watch the short video below and you'll see what I mean. Via Dei Genovese, 37

Nonna Vincenza

I can't resist a good cannolo when I find one and once I stumbled onto Nonna Vincenza a few years ago, I thought I had found the mother lode. There are a couple of locations in town, including one near the campo dei fiori. It's elegantly appointed, with beautiful armoires displaying pastries, cookies, and almond and pistachio pastes in jars for sale. As much as I love cannoli, I can't resist digging into Nonna Vincenza's mini cassata, covered in a layer of marzapan. You can have your purchases boxed to take home if you like, but they've also got a few tables and serve coffee if you want to sit and linger. Two locations in Rome - at Arco del Monte 98 (near campo dei fiori) and Piazza di Montecitorio, 116.

Le Levain /Caffé Giselda

Yes, the name Le Levain is French. Yes, they serve French croissants and that's why I love the place. The owner, Giuseppe Solfrizzi, is originally from Puglia and studied with celebrated chef Alain Ducasse. Italians eat cornetti with their breakfast, and while I like them, to me they don't hold a candle to the crunchy, buttery croissants that the French are famous for. Everything here is excellent, from the croissants with walnuts to the small domed pastry dipped in white icing, to the multi-grain bread. 

Stop in for a few croissants, then take them down the street and around the corner to Café Giselda, where you can order an espresso and sit down, assuaging any guilt you may have had about betraying your Italianness with a French croissant. 

My friend Kathryn, who's living in Rome and is the writing teacher for our writing retreat in September, "Italy, In Other Words," (still some spaces left, so join us in dreamy Varenna on Lake Como!) introduced me to both places on this trip, and I was grateful every morning when I dug into that croissant that's unparalleled in Rome, accompanied by my wake-up cappuccino from Caffé Giselda. 

pastries at Le Levain

Cafe Giselda itself, at the corner of Viale Trastevere and San Francesco a Ripa, will also impress you with its own pastries, cakes, and salumi. Unlike most caffés, you don't get charged extra for sitting at a table rather than standing at the bar. And the cappuccino goes down easy. 

 Le Levain - Via Luigi Santini, Giselda, 22 Viale Trastevere, 52

Caffé Giselda

Have enough ideas for your next trip to Rome? I hope I've enticed you to visit this beautiful corner of the world. I could go on and on about my love for the Eternal City, but as the saying goes, when it comes to discovering Rome's treasures, "Non basta una vita" - meaning "One life is not enough."

Temple of Hercules Victor