Arrivederci Roma

Tonight is our last night in Rome, and we decided to have a quiet, low-key dinner at the hotel. Julia, my fifteen-year old, has now been fully indoctrinated into the coffee culture of Rome and has started drinking caffe latte (with two and a half sugars). She has been a more enthusiastic gastronomic partner than I could have ever hoped for, and therefore I have decided to let her write the post on the food of Rome.

Before I turn it over to Julia, I just want to add the observation that the food, like the presence of a church, can be counted on wherever you go in this city. I can't say I have a favorite meal here, but I could probably eat the pizza at least once a day and gelato twice. And since that is basically what we have been doing, I have been able to avoid trying on any chic Italian clothing. My feet, on the other hand, I found, have not gained weight. The shoes are very, very nice here.

And now for a full food review, I turn it over to Julia:

Buona sera tutti, and I'm sad to say that it is our last night in Rome. My taste buds still tinglefrom a few of the special meals we've had here, and as my Mom's already said, I'm here to give a little overview and review.

It's Italy, and pizza can be found everywhere. Walk down any street, and you're guaranteed to find a "Ristorante Pizzeria" in every other building. Literally. These are your basic diner equivalents, and they've all got amazing thin crust, true Italian style pizza. And as a little side note, the basic "Margherita Pizza" was actually named for a queen of Italy, from right around the time of thecountry's unification in the 1800s. Pasta is everywhere, and as a person who cannot stop eating pasta once it's been made (seriously, at home I eat it out of the strainerl), I've enjoyed the surplus immensely.

Of course, if you want a real meal, with maybe a few more appealing options, any of the little bit nicer restaurants you find will offer the most amazing food. The Italians have a way of preserving the flavors in their food that for whatever reason Americans cannot seem to figure out. Any pasta dish or meat dish or caprese salad from a slightly more upscale restaurant will offer you an experience so good that even when you are stuffed to bursting, you cannot help but put just a little bit more into your mouth. A personal favorite of mine is in fact those caprese salads, and the mozzarella that you will find here (and all over Italy I'm sure) is like no other. It melts in your mouth. A little olive oil, maybe a bite of tomato, and I could live off of this stuff (with some gelato and pasta, of course, and I'll talk more about the former in a second). Oh and the bread. I am particularly partial to French bread, but those Italians know how to work their dough too. In conjunction with the flavors, the sauces they add to the juiciest cuts of meat and the most sumptuous of pastas make my mouth water just thinking of them.

This all sounds quite heavy, and trust me I think I've gained a few pounds eating all of this food, but lighter meals are not lacking in these incredible flavors. We went to one place in the old Jewish ghetto where they served us two platters of salads and raw meat and lighter vegetables with bread. One thing that stands out was the white fish; I don't know how they did it, but it was possibly one of the most delectable things I've ever tasted. Flavors! YUM.

So of course, after your meal, you need something sweet to end the evening (or afternoon, or morning even, if you're not too conservative). Gelaterias are nearly as common as the Pizzerias, and although they're all unique, any single one will give you a nice little treat.
Buon appetito!