Jewish American Heritage Month

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The vast number of restaurants in Rome can be overwhelming whether you visit for one day, one week or longer. Read on to discover our favorite Rome restaurants that you wont want to miss plus street food, pizzerias, cafes and markets.

If youre taking your first trip to Italy, youre probably starting in Rome. Its practically inevitable. Its also inevitable that youre overwhelmed by the variety of places to eat in the eternal city.

Intriguingly, much of the Italian food we all grew up eating in America has little do with the food served in Italys eternal city. While Roman cuisine certainly includes pasta and pizza, those Italian food favorites are cooked just a little differently from the pastas and pizzas served in Southern Italian cities like Naples.

However, in recent decades, thanks to food acolytes like Anthony Bourdain and Marcella Hazan (both now deceased) and the spread of modern Italian restaurants across the globe, the artful Roman style of cookery and Roman classics like Cacio e Pepe, Amatriciana, Carbonara and Porchetta have grown to become legend.

And with good reason. When restaurants get it right, Roman cuisine, in all its simplicity, is one of the best cuisines on earth.

Rome is one of the worlds greatest food cities. Discover our picks for other great food cities around the world.

There are food travelers who travel to Rome with the primary goal of eating all the food. We understand this goal since we fit into that culinary category ourselves. We also acknowledge that eating in Rome can be a challenge.

Rome is an enormous city with a lot to unpack. Since our initial visit in 2010 weve visited the eternal city a number of times and, the more we visit, the more we understand and love Rome.

It all came together during our visit in 2020. As more seasoned food travelers (pun intended), we knew where to best focus our calories and stomach space. Hello pasta and gelato! But, since that week wasnt enough, weve returned yet again a to continue our ongoing quest to eat the best Roman food at the best Roman restaurants.

Discover more than two dozen must-eat Rome foods.

Deciding where to eat in Rome sounds easy but actually takes a bit of skill and dedicated research if you want to eat well in Italys sprawling capital. While there are thousands of restaurants in Rome, theyre not all great. Plus, many hotel concierges have their own agendas which arent always altruistic.

This is where our Rome restaurant guide comes in handy

Weve curated a selection of traditional Roman restaurants as well as other spots that will hit the spot whether youre jonesing for a sandwich on the go or want to linger over a more gastronomic meal in your personal search for the best restaurant in Rome.

Of course, youll want to eat at least one pizza and lots of pasta. And you dont want to skip wine-filled aperitivo sessions when Roman days transition to Roman nights. Our guide covers all of these options and more.

The best restaurants in Rome range from cosy trattorias to chef-driven establishments which have earned one or more Michelin stars. Many are located in the heart of the tourist zone while others require a bit of logistical planning and a trip on the metro or bus. Consider them all when youre planning your Rome dining itinerary.

Our biggest piece of advice is to plan ahead and make advance restaurant reservations. Rome is probably Italys most popular tourist destination, especially during the summer season. Dont assume you just can walk into a restaurant and score a table.

As is the case with many cities in Italy, failing to plan your Rome restaurant meals is planning to fail in your Rome food quest. Plus, its simply good decorum in Europe to make restaurant reservations.

We conducted an inordinate amount of research, both in advance and on-the-ground, when deciding where to eat in Rome. During this labor of love, we discovered traditional Rome restaurants which have been serving pastas for decades, restaurants that continue Romes Jewish traditions and restaurants sporting one or more Michelin stars.

The following Rome restaurants are our current favorites:

Al Moro has a timeless dining room, the kind of place where legends like Fellini broke bread. Its a restaurant that has endured the changes and transformations of time which have transformed central Rome neighborhoods, like its own near the Trevi Fountain, into cheap tourist zones.

Though labeled a trattoria, Al Moro fulfills the definition of a ristorante in Italy. Wooden appointments line the room. Fresh seasonal porcini mushrooms, some the size of softballs, greet visitors who dine at Al Moro in September as we did. Esoteric and somewhat whimsical art and memorabilia adorn the walls.

Open since 1929, Al Moro is the kind of restaurant where youll want to linger over lunch, taking a break from Romes maddening crowds and potentially stifling heat. And, assuming youre not seated in a room with a bunch of tourists (as can happen in Rome this city probably invented the practice), you may even be dining with local politicians whom you probably wont recognize.

Its dishes can be a little pricey but theyre worth it. Many are Al Moro classics. We call them Al Moro classics instead of Roman classics since many are Al Moro inventions.

You wont want to miss Spaghetti Al Moro, a dish that harkens back to the true bacon and eggs legend of carbonara but its a unique dish made purely of egg yolks. During our meal, its taxi-yellow pasta shared a plate with chunks of chewy smoked bacon.

Spaghetti wasnt the only dish we ate during our meal. We also ate silky artichokes, shells filled with earthy sausage and porcini that channeled the citys rusticity plus a secondi of textbook Vitello Tonnato cold, pounded slices of veal with a creamy tuna sauce.

We finished our meal by sharing custard-like Zabaglione. It was silkier and more beautiful than we expected, not to mention incredibly tasty.

Pro TipTake time to read Al Moros heavy as a dictionary wine list which features bottles from all over Italy including the wonderful Sangiovese from Emilia-Romana that we ordered.

Trattoria al Moro is located at Vicolo delle Bollette, 13, 00187 Roma RM, Italy.

Testaccio has a lot of restaurants and Felice a Testaccio is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, of the lot. Opened by Felice Trivelloni in 1936, the restaurant has been a Testaccio fixture for almost a century.

What Is Testaccio?Testaccio is the neighborhood to visit if youre looking to eat the best versions of Romes classic pasta dishes (ie. The Roman Four). Just south enough of the center to make it local and unique, Testaccio was once a working class neighborhood with a slaughter house located within its boundaries. Its now notable for its restaurants and the bustling Mercato di Testacccio.

We had heard of the prowess of Felices Cacio e Pepe before we dined on the restaurants expansive terrace. But Daryl, who generally doesnt like to follow the crowd, ordered Pasta Amatriciana (pictured above) instead. After writing a recipe for the dish and cooking it numerous times at home, he needed to try a Testaccio Trattoria Version to see how his recipe compares.

Sure enough, there was good news on two fronts: not only had Daryl mastered Pasta Amatriciana but Felices Bucatini allAmatriciana was wonderful a synthesis of sauce, fatty pork, starchy pasta and cheese. Amatriciana has many iterations and Felices version is the apotheosis of the dish.

Mindis fettuccine was also great a variation of Pasta alla Gricia with fettuccine, guanciale and artichoke. While both pastas were outstanding, it should be noted that our simple secondi of roast lamb was a little boney with a meager amount of meat for our taste. That being said, Felice has a big menu and we WILL try the restaurants tableside Cacio e Pepe and a different secondi when we next pass through Testaccio.

Pro TipMake a reservation at least a couple weeks in advance since Felice a Testaccio is super popular with both locals and tourists.

Felice a Testaccio is located at Via Mastro Giorgio, 29, 00153 Roma RM, Italy.

Chef Antonio Ziantoni and Ida Proiett took a unique approach when they opened Zia in 2018. Instead of serving homey Italian dishes in an equally homey space as is the norm in Rome, they went a different direction with their Trastevere restaurant.

Zias elegant space feels almost Scandinavian and its dishes take Italian ingredients to new levels. Druing our meal, spherified goats milk mozzarella balls exploded in our mouths and strips of brined pork cheek looked like bacon but tasted so much better.

It would be difficult for us to choose one favorite dish from our Zia dinner but, it if we had to, it would be the tortelli (pictured above) made with potato, nduja and sage. Then again, maybe it was the sea bass meunire (not very Italian but, then again, France is next door) served in a buttery sauce flavored with with capers and licorice.

Fun FactWe were thrilled to find our favorite beer, Phjalas brewed in Tallinn, on Zias menu.

Choosing to dine at Zia was a no-brainer for us after we got the recommendation from a knowledgeable Rome local whom we met in Venice. A little research revealed the restaurants pedigree which includes a Michelin star earned after just one year and a head chef who worked with Gordon Ramsay and at Romes only two-starred restaurant, Il Pagliaccio.

It was also a no-brainer for us to skip the a la carte menu and order Zias five-course tasting menu. This approach enabled us to sample a parade of plates for a relatively affordable price. During our meal, that tasting menu cost 60 while the seven-course meal cost 80. However, weve noted that the restaurant is currently offering six and eight course options for 90 and 120 respectively.

As always, prices are subject to change.

Very few restaurants earn a Michelin star without a solid team and Zia is no exception. While Chef Ziantoni helms the savory dishes, Christian Marasca does the same with Zias dessert program.

Marascas signature pastry is his swirled Tourbillon, but we didnt try that particular dessert. Instead, our tasting menu included raspberry Millefoglie pastries constructed with layers that were both shatteringly crispy and delightfully creamy. We were completely satisfied, not to mention too full to even think about ordering a Tourbillon. Maybe next time.

Pro TipAvoid dessert disappointment by buying one or more sweet treats at Zias pasticceria Door to Door.

Zia Restaurant is located at Via Goffredo Mameli, 45, 00153 Roma RM, Italy.

We wonder where people ate Carbonara in Rome before Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina opened in 2014.

Of course were joking but no matter whom we asked for Rome restaurant advice, especially when we asked where to eat the best carbonara, the answer always included Roscioli.

Rosciolis makes its Carbonara with artisan guanciale, pepper, locally sourced eggs and DOP pecorino romano. After tasting the pasta, we understood why this dish is so lauded. Its a supercharged, ultra-rich carbonara with chunks of fat with just the right bite, firm, rich tonarelli and a sauce that beautifully dresses the pasta.

To be clear, Carbonara isnt the only dish worth ordering at Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina. The popular Rome restaurant has a full menu featuring cured meats, local cheese and a full range of classic Roman dishes. Then theres its extensive wine list which spans Italy and beyond from a vast cellar with more than 60,000 bottles.

Click here to join the Roscioli Italian Wine Club.

Despite Roscioli Salumeria con Cucinas relative youthful status, the Roscioli family are far from new kids on the block, or in their case, in the ghetto. The familys patriarch opened Antico Forno bakery in 1972, more than 30 years before progeny Alessandro and Pierluigi Roscioli opened the multi-purpose salumeria which operates as a deli counter, natural wine shop and restaurant.

The little touches at Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina make the restaurant special. These touches include baskets filled with bread baked at the familys nearby bakery and the complimentary ciambellinecookies served with chocolate sauce that capped our meal.

Pro TipPair a meal at Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina with a stroll through Campo de Fiori (see below) and gelato at Fatamorgana.

Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina is located at Via dei Giubbonari, 21, 00186 Roma RM, Italy.

We mentioned that we didnt order Cacio e Pepe at Felice a Testaccio but we didnt tell the full story. As it turns out, we didnt feel the need after ordering and loving the experience of eating Tonarelli Cacio e Pepe at another Testaccio restaurant Piatto Romano.

Piatto Romanos service of the simplest Roman pasta dish is a show. While the pasta leaves the kitchen fully dressed in cheese, owner Augusto proceeds to grind a generous amount of pepper from his motorized pepper grinder. And, by generous, we mean that Augusto ground fresh pepper on our pasta for a full two minutes.

These steps added up to a masterpiece. We doubt that well ever have a better version of this deceptively simple dish in Rome or elsewhere.

We loved a number of other dishes at Piatto Romano including simple, less saucy Spaghetti allAmatriciana made from a special recipe from Augustos mother who hails from Amatrice and Trippa alla Romana served with a slightly piquant sauce that had enough bite to counter the rich, slightly funky flavor of the tripe.

If you go to this family-run gem, your meal will be filled with many classics and theyll all be good. That includes classic Roman desserts like Torta Ricotta e Visciole, a rustic ricotta cheesecake with sour cherries, which ended our meal on a sweet note.

Pro TipHead to Tram Depot for an excellent post-lunch coffee. Its just a six-minute walk and a wonderful pick-me-up.

Piatta Romano is located at Via Giovanni Battista Bodoni, 62, 00153 Roma RM, Italy.

Some of Romes most famous dishes have roots in the citys Jewish community and date back to the days of ancient Rome. In more recent centuries, Jews were relegated to a defined neighborhood referred to as the ghetto which is where Nonna Betta is located but that didnt stop them from contributing to Roman cuisine.

The most famous Jewish Roman dish is Carciofi alla Giudia (i.e. Jewish-style artichoke). Other typical dishes include Fiori di Zucca (i.e. fried squash blossoms) and Stracotto (Italian pot roast). Nonna Betta serves all of these Roman dishes and more at its ghetto location.

Dont expect to eat pork or seafood at Nonna Betta and also dont expect to mix milk with meat. Owned by a Roman Jew, this is a kosher style restaurant that celebrates Romes Jewish cuisine. Umberto Pavoncello named the restaurant after his grandmother (i.e. Nonna Betta) and stakes a claim to fame since the late Anthony Bourdain ate and liked Nonna Bettas signature Carciofi alla Giudia.

Channeling Bourdain, we ate the crispy artichoke dish as well as two pastas (Carbonara with zucchini and Gricia with mushrooms obviously no guanciale was used) plus a serving of saucy Polpettes (i.e. meatballs) cooked with celery. We especially liked the artichoke which is no surprise since the traditional Carciofi alla Giudia preparation involves both deep frying and spicy peppers.

Pro TipOrder classic Roman Jewish desserts like cassola (i.e. baked ricotta chesse cake) and torta ricotta e visciole (i.e. ricotta and sour cherry cake) for a sweet ending to your Nonna Betta meal.

Nonna Betta is located at Via del Portico dOttavia, 16, 00186 Roma RM, Italy.

Taverna Volpetti is worth a visit whether youre looking for an aperitivo break or a traditional Roman meal. While its only been open since 2016, the Testaccio tavern sources its ingredients from Volpetti Salumeria, a local institution since 1973, thats located just around the corner.

Not surprisingly due to the salumeria connection, most people order charcuterie at Taverna Volpetti. We were no exception, ordering a tagliere topped with a sampling of Prosciutto di Norcia, Finocchiana, Pecorino di Tartufo, Pecorino Sardo, alpine cheese and wild boar Salumi during our visit.

We also ordered a classic rendition of Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe and a bottle of red wine.

Though not earth shattering, the meal was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon in Rome. We recommend Taverna Volpetti as a back-up if you cant score a reservation at nearby Felice a Testaccio or Piatta Romano.

Pro TipAlthough Volpetti Salumeria is open every day, Taverna Volpetti is closed on Mondays.

Taverna Volpetti is located at Via Alessandro Volta, 8, 00153 Roma RM, Italy.

Our quest to find and dine at the best Rome restaurants continues and yours should too. Like us, you need to eat at as many top Rome restaurants as possible to find your favorites. One again, dont forget to make advance reservations. We cant recommend this enough!

Beyond our suggestions, consider traditional gems like Armando al Pantheon, Da Enzo al 29 and Trattoria Monti unless youre tempted to splurge on dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurants like Aroma or Moma.

If youre feeling flush, you can even book a meal at two-starred Il Pagliaccio or three starred La Pergola. Then again, your pick for the best Rome restaurant may be a pizzeria.

Rome has several excellent pizzerias serving a variety of pizza styles that include thin crusted Pizza Romana and Pizza al Taglio slices as well as Pizza Rossa and Pizza Bianca flat breads. We ate them all and more at ten excellent Rome pizzerias.

However, if we had to pick just one pizzeria in Rome to recommend, that pizzeria would be Stefano Callegaris Sbanco.

Stefano Callegari opened Sbanco in 2016 but its not his only Rome pizzeria. Caellegari also owns and operates Sforno and Tonda. Hes also the man behind Trapizzino (see below) which serves a popular pizza-sandwich hybrid.

You cant go wrong with any of Callegaris pizzerias. However, Sbanco is the one were recommending for its friendly atmosphere, great beer selection and, of course, outstanding pizza.

During our Sbanco meal, we enjoyed two pies a Diavolo pizza with fior di latte (mozzarella) and ventricina (a spicy salami typically eaten in Italys Abruzzo region) and a Cacio e Pepe pizza that channeled the popular pasta dish into a monster of a pie loaded with pepper and Pecorino Romano.

Pro TipOrder the Cacio e Pepe pizza since its both unique and mind blowingly delicious.

Sbanco is located at Via Siria, 1, 00179 Roma RM, Italy.

You could easily eat pizza every day during your visit during your visit and never get bored. We dont recommend this approach since youd be missing out on a lot of other great Rome food; however, we would understand it.

Check out our Rome pizza guide to discover nine more excellent places to eat pizza in central Rome and beyond.

Sometimes travelers dont have the time, interest or budget for a leisurely restaurant meal. Thats when its time to hit the streets!

Street food is no novelty in Rome. Beyond pizza, Romes street food menu includes Suppli, Porchetta and Trapizzino just to name a few local favorites. Read on to discover our favorite spots to eat street food in Rome:

Some people have proclaimed that Er Buchetto is the last authentic Porchetta shop in Rome. Were not sure if thats true. However, were sure that Er Buchetto should be your first stop if you happen to be near Roma Termini station and youre hungry.

The concept of Porchetta is simple enough. A whole pig is deboned, layered with herbs and/or cheese and breadcrumbs, tied and then roasted. At Er Buchetto, they cook their Porchetta in a big hot oven, 10 at a time for four hours. The resulting skin is blisteringly crisp and the flesh is succulent. You could say Porchetta is to Rome as cheesesteaks are to Philadelphia.

Run by 5th and 6th generation Romans, Er Buchetto has been open since 1890.

Though the shop lists its opening at 8am, Allesandro Fiorvanti began slicing the slow-cooked pork at around 10am when we visited. You can eat your Porchetta two ways either on a short baguette or on focaccia. We preferred the focaccia sandwich, but youll have to taste both versions to see which you prefer.

Pro TipGo early to Er Buchetto to beat the inevitable lunch rush.

Er Buchetto is located at Via del Viminale, 2F, 00184 Roma RM, Italy.

Open since 2014, Supplizio feels older since its located in a 17th century structure that previously operated as a horse stall. Its comfortable dining room is designed to feel like a living room albeit a living room with ancient brick walls. In other words, Supplizio is a funky yet comfortable spot to eat Suppli in Rome.

Chef Arcangelo Dandini surprises nobody by frying Suppli at Supplizio. After all, the crispy balls filled with rice, cheese and tomato sauce are a Rome street food staple. But Dandini goes further by serving five types of Suppli as well as additional street treats like potato croquettes and cod fritters.

Pro TipOrder wine unless youre in the mood for craft beer. We chose the latter.

Supplizio is located at Via dei Banchi Vecchi, 143, 00186 Roma RM, Italy.

One of our favorite Rome street food spots isnt a restaurant or food stall. Instead, La Tradizione is a specialty food shop. But not just any specialty shop.

La Tradizione sells salumis and hams from all over Italy sourced from a variety of artisan producers. It also sells interesting cheeses including stinky, oozy raw milk varieties like Tomino from Piemonte and Robiola wrapped in leaves from Lombardy.

See the article here:

23 of the Best Restaurants in Rome Including Pizza, Street Food, Cafes and Markets (2022) - 2foodtrippers

Category: Jewish Cuisine
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