Taberna Recina

On our last night in Rome before heading off to Venice we again went to the Taberna Recina for dinner. Even though a few of us were really tired we still had a good time and the food was outstanding.

Spaghetti alla puttanesca

Rigatoni alla gricia

Linguine dell Vesuvio alle cozze e carciofi

Tortilgloni del Vesuvio tonno fresco e zucca

Brasato di chianina al vino rosso

Zuppette di seppie, vongole e fagioli cannelini

Bistecca di chianina ai ferri

Rughetta e pomodori

Cicoria di campo

Roma

After the usual long flight we arrived safely and have settled in to our apartment.  Rome is as fantastic as always and it is great to have our family all here together. 

We've been walking around old haunts and eating great food, drinking great coffee and of course the obligatory gelati - been to Giolitti twice as well as another place :)
Giolitti 

 The weather is perfect -mid 20s.The cameras have been working overtime and I'll post some photos asap -there are already 100s to choose from.

Last night we had dinner at Taberna Recina in San Giovanni, our favourite restaurant in all of Rome. The food and wine are always amazing and all of the people working there are incredibly friendly and welcoming. A great place -I only managed a few photos, we were all too quick to try everything.

 Five Greedy Australians are much worse than the Two Greedy Italians, no time for photos :)

This pasta looks simple but it was one of the tastiest that I have had in a long time -pumpkin and gorgonzola, perfectly made.  I ate all of it :)

Rob has already done a few runs, the rest of us have just been strolling around taking it easy. 

Near our apartment in San Giovanni, autumn is late and all of the trees still have bright green leaves

Inside the Pantheon -bag contains pjs, we packed a bit too light :)

The Colosseum always looks amazing

We're all doing our best at speaking Italian and all managing to make ourselves understood. In general Italian people are really patient when you try to speak Italian and we're sure to be having lots of conversations in 'broken Italian' and 'broken English' :)

Yesterday we spent a rather disastrous time on one of those 'hop on hop off' open tour buses.  There were demonstrations -who knows over what- and the bus was stuck in traffic forever.  We got off as soon as we could having seen very little. 

We're having a great time and I'll post some photos asap.
Ciao a tutti

Food in Rome

Many of the kilos that I'd lost before we left Australia have managed to find me :(  I'm not too worried though, we're enjoying the great food here and I'll diet when we get home.  We have been very lucky and have had some great meals and tried heaps of different things -more so than other times. Restaurants can be a bit hit and miss -places that you've been to before can have gone off or those that others recommend are not quite to your taste.  We have been to old favourites and have tried new places.  Our favourite place in Rome is still Taberna Recina in Via Elvia Recina 22-24-26 Roma
tel 067000413 

http://www.tabernarecina.it/

The only problem with this restaurant is that we eat too much - the food is fantastic and everything is always freshly made. We decided to not have dessert last time we went but just had to try a chocolate and ricotta crostata which had just come out of the oven :) -it was beautiful.  We hope to be able to go one more time before we leave.

Pasta and broccoli in brodo di arzilla (a type of fish), very tasty

Fettucini guanciale e carciofi -not sure who had the best pasta, both were delicious

Carciofio alla romana - so good

Brasato di chianina al vino rosso (braised chianina beef filet) -Very tender beef in a tasty wine sauce

Abbacchio al forno -the best roast lamb on the planet

Insalata mista -baby salad vegetables including fennel, rocket, lettuce and radichio -just perfect

Chocolate and ricotta crostata -so delicious

Yesterday we had lunch at 'Gusto Osteria which is just near Ara Pacis and the Mausoleum of Augustus.  It was  a busy time to be there -a lot of people out for Sunday lunch. We tried fairly typical Roman dishes and enjoyed our meal.

Frittata di cicoria e pecorino -very nice too!

Tonnarelli 'cacio e pepe' -one of Rob's favourites

Scarola con uvetta e pinoli - endive with sultanas and pine nuts. A combination which works well.

Maccheroncini alla carbonara - really tasty and well made but with hindsight it was probably a bit too rich for me for a lunchtime meal

Rob also had a tiramisu -quite a robust version.  Over all a very nice meal in a bustling environment -the Roma v Firenze game live on  TV was a bonus ;)

Today we bought some bread, cheese and prosciutto from "La Differenza di Paolo Stramaccioni" Largo Magna Grecia,4 Roma.  The prosciutto was beautiful, the nicest that we've ever had.  It was so sweet and nothing like the excessively salty prosciutto that we get at home -Italy keeps its best food for Italians whereas we export ours, we have got it all wrong!!

http://aziende.virgilio.it/19746547/stramaccioni-paolo

While I'm mentioning favourites, I may as well add our regular coffee places:

Alex Cafe Via Magna Grecia, 101/A Roma.  The guys that run this place are really friendly and make good coffee, a regular stop off on our way to the metro.

The Gallery Cafe, Via Del Tritone, 36 Roma

http://it-it.facebook.com/pages/THE-GALLERY-CAFE/267823803234736?v=info&sk=info

Another place for good coffee and spremuta. They also make great panini and are next door to the Gallery Art & Fashion

Tourists always head for Tazza D'oro 

http://www.tazzadorocoffeeshop.com/

and San Eustachio Caffe 

http://www.santeustachioilcaffe.it/it/

because they are mentioned in all of the travel guides.  They are there for a reason, they both make great coffee.  When tours turn up at these bars it can be really crowded but otherwise they are fine.  They each sell other coffee related stuff -snapped up by groups of tourists.

Our favourite pizza place is at Piazza Re Di Roma 19/20. Pizzeria  (Alvasis S.R.L.) make the best suppli, arancione, calzone, pizza etc.... I love their pizza bianca stuffed with spinach - can't remember what it's called but it's great.

http://www.ccnitalia.com/portale/13313/Roma%20IX%20Via%20Appia/pizza%20Alvasis%20Re%20di%20Roma/?q=dove%20mangiare&comune=Roma%20IX%20Via%20Appia 

Un po' di mangiare

Apart from all of the amazing things to see, Rome also has amazing food and we're trying lots :)

Last night we went to Taberna Recina -we went there a few times  with Jules three years ago.  It is an enoteca with a restaurant and both the chef and sommelier are brilliant at what they do -as well as being friendly. No photos of desserts -after a beautiful prosecco how was I supposed to remember to take a photo :)
http://www.tabernarecina.it/index.html

Gnocchi with sardines and pecorino

Tortiglione con carciofi e taleggio (artichoke & taleggio cheese)

Tonno

Abbacchio del forno (roast lamb)

Endive

Pepperoni