Rome, Italy: Da Lucia

After our good, but not necessarily mind-blowing, pizza dinner at Dar Poeta, we headed for Da Lucia where our trusty Lonely Planet guide book had an enticing recommendation for tiramisu. A pity though that there wasn't a single tiramisu left by the time we got there, but the other desserts on the menu seemed decent enough and we took our seat along the quiet alley.

Mousse al Cioccolato


This, I have to say, is one of the best Chocolate Mousse that I've ever had. The chocolate was seductively smooth and amazingly delicious, and it's just spoonful after spoonful of delectable chocolate. I could go on and on with superlatives here but you know, this was just utterly good.

Panna Cotta


My friend enjoyed his Panna Cotta a lot as well. It was soft and smooth all around, and the berries went a little bit further to add a natural sweetness to it.

And if that's not enough, we had free wine. Yes, free wine, all because an old man (whom we presumed had to be the owner; in fact we even hazarded a guess that he could have been a M***a kingpin some time ago) kept pointing us out to his anxious waiter - we thought they were hatching a plan to kidnap us or something. In the end, it was all in the spirit of goodwill, which was really nice.

That's a wrap for my mini-series on Rome. Next up, Florence, with lots of gelato! :)

Service
Good. And hey, free wine, I'm not complaining.

Price
€5 for each dessert.

Place
Vicolo del Mattonato 2, Trastevere,
Rome, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Rome, Italy: Dar Poeta

Tucked snugly along a small and quiet street in Trastevere is a pizzeria that has won praise from virtually every travel guide, be it online at Tripadvisor.com or in print, like Lonely Planet and Fodor's. A couple of my friends have raved about the pizzas from Dar Poeta too, and so it did seem like the one place in Rome to go for pizzas. Besides, a warm and charming little restaurant in the corner of a street would always score some brownie points too.

Porcini Mushroom Bruschetta


The travel buddy had his Porcini Mushroom Bruschetta and he liked it a lot. His one-liner comment, uttered with a satisfied smile: "Baked to perfection".

Funghi Pizza


I have to admit I wasn't exactly impressed with my pizza, and to be honest I felt it had a bit too much dough as compared to the pizzas from Da Donato in Naples, Caffe Argentina in Rome and Osteria De' Peccatori in Florence. Do note however that this is a comparison of pizzas within Italy itself, so naturally I would subject them to higher standards. This pizza was good, but just not good enough.

Boscaiola Pizza


Travel buddy's pizza topped with mozzarella cheese, sausages and mushrooms, a bit of an "upgraded" version to my mushroom pizza if you like. He did like the sausage toppings, but agreed that the wood-fired pizza at Da Donato is still the most authentic pizza we've ever had.

We saved room for dessert for some place else (all that in the next post!), but if you're feeling extra hungry I'd strongly suggest that you try the Nutella hazelnut-chocolate calzone with ricotta cheese, a Dar Poeta proud signature :)

Service
Good, but cramped interior.

Price
€3 for the porcini mushroom bruschetta
€7 for the funghi pizza
€7 for the boscaiola pizza

Place
Vicolo del Bologna, 45/46, Trastevere
Rome, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Rome, Italy: McDonald's & Il Mac

Europe has always protested against the McDonalisation of its space, not just because it taints the rich heritage and quaint architecture of its buildings, but also because of how it has completely simplified food and nullified the art of cooking. Cooking and culinary arts, as many of us know, is something that the Europeans are extremely proud of, and to have this fast-food giant opening branch after branch all around Europe has been a phenomenon that has been resented for years.


Still, it makes perfect business sense, heritage and art or not, and boy do the young ones love it. So the least McDonald's in Europe could do is to add an European flavour to it, or create multiple European renditions of the all-American burger. The Il Mac is just one of the many unique creations in Italy, which features fresh beef patties and panini-style buns.


It's odd to be excited about McDonald's, or to love it so much when you're overseas, but trust me when I say it's perfect comfort food wherever you go. Moreover, it's always nice to see how the burger has evolved in different countries, and if that is still not enough for you, then perhaps cost is something else that's worth thinking about. McDonald's in Italy is no doubt more expensive when compared to a similar set meal in Singapore, but it is still relatively cheaper when matched with the main courses found in many trattorias in Italy. Lastly, it's a splendid choice of food to just indulge in while lazing around in the hotel room!


Essentially, I liked the Il Mac. The beefy patty was actually quite moist and tender, more so than any burger that I've ever had from McDonald's. The pane cotto bread was slightly rough but at least it wasn't tough to chew on at all, as many breads in Italy (at least the ones we've been served so far) would prove otherwise. In short, delightful burger.

Price
About €8 for a set meal.

Place
Termini Stazione Centrale,
Rome, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Rome, Italy: Hard Rock Cafe

After all those pastas and pizzas, and delicious as they may be, a brief interlude away from the cuisine would nevertheless be something that would really be quite welcomed. Sans "Asian" food, which most likely won't taste as satisfying as what you can get back home, there is always the good ol' American-style burger which I know I can count on to delight my gastronomic senses. And when in Rome, look no further, because you know where to go.


Hard Rock Cafe, the iconic American restaurant that is probably as familiar and as comforting as MacDonald's can get around the world. For English speakers in a non English speaking country, this is the place for you to just sit back and relax in your comfort zone as you indulge in the all-too-recognisable steaks and burgers.


Come to think of it, Hard Rock Cafe could even pass of as a famous American embassy of food and music. It's all good beef and good rock and roll inside baby.



And if I may add, the Hard Rock Cafe in Rome is about art in good taste too. Having stared at ceilings after ceilings of religious paintings in churches, the pictures of cherubs playing guitars, drums and piano here were definitely something that brought a chuckle and smile to my face.



There's so much life and charm to this place that somehow or another it felt very homely and comfortable after some time. I thought service here was awesome, never mind that it can be quite slow when it's packed to the brim with people, but once you got the attention of one wait staff you can be assured that she would take good care of you throughout your meal. She would do such a good job of it that marriage would suddenly seem like an attractive option as well.

Hickory Barbecue Cheeseburger


But enough of the schoolboy fantasies for now, let's get down and dirty and talk about... food. The Hickory Barbecue Cheeseburger, I am pleased to report, was fantastic. The ginormous beef patty (ironically overshadowed by my heap of double-serving fries) was wonderfully well-grilled, with the meat deliciously fork-tender and juicy. The barbecue sauce and melted cheese only added more flavour to this commendable burger. Well done.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie & Chocolate Mousse


The dessert shooters were just too sinful. It was thick and smooth chocolate mousse for both, but my peanut butter pie went one up and had it all mixed with thick swirls of peanut butter. It got me on a high, that's for sure.


And of course, there's dear Erica, who made my night complete ;)

Service
Perfect marks for Erica. I'm biased, I know.

Price
€14.25 for the hickory barbecue cheeseburger
€4.25 for each dessert shooter
€3.75 for refillable sodas

Place
Hard Rock Cafe Rome, 62A Via Vittorio Veneto,
Rome, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Rome, Italy: Risorgimento Caffe

There's nothing much to eat within Vatican City save for a small cafe at the Vatican Museum, and so if you're hungry after all that walking and sight-seeing there's Risorgimento Caffe nearby just outside the walls of the Vatican. It is situated across Piazza Risorgimento and along Via di Porta Angelica, and if it's around noon or so you would be admiring the awesomely long line of tourists and locals as they wait for their turn to view the Vatican Museum.


Risorgimento Caffe no doubt looks like another one of those tourist haunts, and judging by the number of non-locals, it probably is. Not that it matters much for hungry people like us, since all we wanted was to rest our feet, slurp on our ice-cold coke and rest our feet. And oh, just in case you're wondering, it's not really a "self-service restaurant" as the picture seems to suggest, I have entirely no idea why they even put that up since they have waiters and waitresses going around.

Tagliatelle ai Frutti di Mare


If you like your pasta thick and chewy, the (house-made) tagliatelle here is just that. It's a nice, refreshing change from the al dente type of pasta that I've been eating, and the seafood ingredients (shellfish, squids, cuttelfish and a couple of large prawns) were very fresh too. Not too bad, though some would rightly point out that this is not the actual shape for tagliatelle pasta. I did have awesome tagliatelle in Florence, but that's for another post for another day :)


And if you're wondering, yes, I like my pasta with seafood :)

Tris di Primi Piatti


For those who can't quite make up their mind on what to eat, or simply want a bit of everything, this could be an interesting choice for you. It's a mix of lasagne, ravioli, bacon and amatriciana (tomato) spaghetti. The friend said it was alright.

Tiramisu


Smooth tiramisu with alcohol-soaked saviordi. Yums.

Service
Fair. Pretty emotionless to be honest.

Price
€12.50 for the tagliatelle frutti di mare
€9.90 for the tris di primi piatti
€6.90 for the tiramisu
€3.50 for a can of coke

Place
Across Piazza Risorgimento, the first restaurant along Via di Porta Angelica.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Rome, Italy: Piazza Navona

The thing about being on holiday is that oftentimes I don't really bother about getting the best pictures of my food, because what I really want is to savour it all hot and fresh. At times, as was the case here, I didn't even take notice on what the name of the restaurant was! Hopefully the picture of this place could be useful enough, and it's just one of the few restaurants at the ristorante-end of the peaceful Piazza Navona.


The food here, and regrettably so, wasn't that much big of a deal. So if you're planning a trip to Rome and thinking of food places, Piazza Navona is probably just good for its Tartufo. Food-wise, the restaurant featured in this post is in the same row as The Scalini. Food-wise, the bread was tough as usual, while the Zuppa di Cipolle (onion soup) was a bit too salty for our liking. James thought his simple Lasagne al Forno was just about alright without being overly impressive.


Perhaps not too surprisingly, I once again got the better end of the meal, with my Spaghetti Frutti di Mare being quite satisfying. Fresh mussels, squids, cuttelefish and a couple of prawns adorn this dish, but what was more worthy of mention was the firm texture of the pasta. Loving it done al dente in Italy :)


I like the way the Piazza descends into its own comfy atmosphere with nightfall, and this is perhaps one of the best times that you can indulge in the sinfully good Tartufo and then sip on a good cuppa of cappuccino.

Service
Very good and helpful.

Price
€5 for a (good) cup of cappuccino
€8 for the zuppa di cipolle
€11 for the lasagne al forno
€14 for the spaghetti frutti di mare

Place
Piazza Navona,
Rome, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Rome, Italy: The Scalini

Everyone knows I had an unimaginable amount of gelato in Italy, but the best gelatos (or gelati) are beyond a shadow of a doubt to be found in the city of Florence. That said, some of you gelato fanatics may have heard of Rome's famed Tartufo, which is really delicious chocolate truffle gelato coated in bittersweet chocolate. Sounds awesomely heavenly, doesn't it? :)


The Scalini is a restaurant along Piazza Navona that claims to sell the "original Italian Tartufo ice-cream" and this unassuming-looking sweet treat is especially popular with locals and tourists alike. And if you doubt the Tartufo can create a lasting impression on you, think again - the travel buddy, not a big fan of chocolates mind you, actually remembered he had this (and thoroughly enjoyed it) fifteen years ago. It was him who directed us straight to The Scalini once we stepped foot into the Piazza.

Tartufo


I thought the whipped cream was unnecessary, but that's how the Italians are with their gelatos as they would always ask you if you would like yours with some cream. Still, underneath that... messy foam... is pure chocolate goodness. Chocolate truffle gelato, dark chocolate coating and milk chocolate under-layer: fantastic.


Of course, the chocolate lover loved it :)

Price
€5.

Place
The Scalini, Piazza Navona,
Rome, Italy.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D and Sony Alpha-300.

Rome, Italy: Caffe Argentina

Ah Rome, one of the most beautiful and charming places in the world surely. It's a pity we only had four days here because I am very sure we tasted just the tip of the iceberg of the good food in Rome. There were so many restaurants, cafes and pizzerias that we were just so spoilt for choice, and not to mention probably missing the many other hidden gems like those in the vicinity of Santa Maria Travestere. Still, I think we got a number of pretty good places as well, so stay tuned and keep reading this series from Italy :)


Caffe Argentina is situated close to the public bus-stop along the Via dei Cestari main road and was the location of our first meal in Rome. We didn't really bother to look around to be honest, we rushed into the first restaurant we saw because boy were we hungry after that long train ride from Naples. Its simple interior is inviting and cosy enough, but service can be terribly slow at times and waiters refuse to go out of their designated areas (or tables) to serve you. I finished a whole can of Coke (it costs €8 a can here, mind you!) while just waiting for my food to arrive.

Funghi Pizza


The wait was well, quite worthwhile, only quite. The wood-fired pizza was good but I wished it wasn't too crisp thin. Two things got my thumbs up, one, the mushrooms that taste juicier than they look, and two, the deliciously smooth cheese. Satisfying enough.

Paillard di Pollo ai Funghi


This is really chicken breast sautéd with mushroom sauce, but the travel buddy was disappointed that the slightly tough chicken meat could not complement the delectable mushroom sauce better. It seems that I've been getting the better dishes so far!

Tiramisu


The tiramisu here is of a more mousse-type variant with negligible signs of saviordi. Still, it was wiped clean because of its sweetness and alluring smoothness.

Service
As mentioned, slow. Waiters will only tend to their assigned tables, so if your waiter is busy while another one is whistling at a corner, too bad.

Price
€10 for the funghi pizza
€11 for the paillard di pollo ai funghi
€6 for the tiramisu
€8 for a can of coke (!!)
€2 for a bottle of mineral water

Place
Along Via dei Cestari, near the public bus-stop.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.