Here's the
first part of my culinary and cultural adventures in Rome.
The second
part is available here. Enjoy! :)
This April I
went for the first time to Rome. I came, I saw... I fell in love.
Rome turned out to be even more beautiful and charming than I'd
expected. Here are a few things I discovered during my Roman holiday.
In Rome, I
could live solely on art. Before the trip, I had an ambitious plan to
go to as many restaurants and cafés as possible. But then I was so
engrossed in visiting Baroque churches and squares that I didn't feel
hungry at all. Well, almost at all...
When I
finally managed to tear myself away from the art battle between two
Baroque giants: Bernini and Borromini, I went for dinner to Gallo Matto
(which means 'Crazy Rooster' in Italian) near the Basilica di Santa
Maria Maggiore. The restaurant's interior looks as if it was really
designed by a crazy chicken but the food was quite nice.
Out of all
the dishes that turned up on our table, I especially liked my ravioli with
ricotta cheese. As the atmosphere in the restaurant was very
casual (not to say familiar), I could personally congratulate the
chef, who was sitting at a nearby table, laughing out loud and
gesticulating wildly. Is there anything more stereotypically Italian?
:)
In Gallo
Matto, I found out for myself that the Italians love women and
cheese. And especially the women who like cheese. When I told the
waiter that “I love ricotta,” he immediately replied, “And I
love you!” Not sure how he
would react, I decided to conceal from him the fact that I also like
mozzarella and pecorino romano. ;)
My biggest
concern about Rome was that the city would be crowded with wild tourists.
There were indeed a lot of people but only at the most popular sites.
Like lemmings, people thronged around Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon
but as soon as I turned into one of the side streets, I was almost
totally alone. In one of such quite streets in the vicinity of Piazza
Navona, we discovered a pizzeria Il Corallo.
My
friends were surprised that a Roman pizza is flat as a pancake and
doesn't resemble the dishes served in Polish restaurants. But I knew
what to expect so I ate with a great pleasure a part of the pizza
and even focaccia – pizza crust without any toppings, eaten with
loads of olive oil. The food in Il Corallo was fresh
and delicious (even the artichoke was quite edible) and the waiters
and the chef (in the photo) – extremely friendly. But fortunately,
this time no one professed his love for me. ;)
Gallo Matto, Via Cavour 107, Rome, Italy, www
Pizzeria Il Corallo, Via del Corallo 10/11, 00188 Rome, Italy, www
