Late night snacking

So we'd been out for a cheese-a-rama and stopped off for some vintage gelato but it had been a while and a few hours wandering the streets of our Roman Holiday had left us feeling a little Gregory (Peckish hahahaha, geddit?) So we took a vague path to re-knowned pizzeria, Baffetto. As we arrived we looked in to see a quaint pizzeria with a few tables and chairs that looked not so busy.



Unbeknown to us around the corner tables and chairs sprawled down the street, not so little after all.



We had to wait about five minutes for a table, but being that it was close to midnight and this many people thought this was the place to be it wasn't a bad thing.
With seats cleared and new paper thrown on the table we were off.



The menu had so much deliciousness it was had to make a decision but in the end we went for simplicity. A Nastro azzurro and a tall skinny can of coke to start, have you noticed that Italian beers are very light and super fizzy? Kinda just like the Italians themselves.





Then the pizza, oh the pizza. First we have the pepperoni, super thin, crispy crispy crispy and ingredients of such quality that just a scant scattering of pepperoni flavor the whole pizza and leave a beautiful warm glow in your mouth.



The second again with super crispy thin base, topped with fresh zucchini flowers. WOW. So simple, so delicious, ok maybe we added a touch of chilli flakes but we like it hot.



With another couple of fizzy beers, and a hour or so people watching on the Roman streets, it was the perfect late night snack.


Baffetto

Via del governo vecchio, 114
00186 - Roma (RM)
Tel. 06.6861617

A Roman Holiday.

After finishing our awesome cheese feast we needed just a pinch of something sweet to round it off. Being only a few streets away from an iconic Gelato institution we decided to swing by.



Founded in 1890 Giolitti has staying power. Given another shot of fame when Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn stopped by in the 1953 movie Roman Holiday.Some may argue that there are better Gelato shops in Rome but being a huge Hepburn fan it was kinda cool to go there. The gelato was also pretty awesome.



Tasty treats and sight seeing all wrapped into one. Neat.


Giolitti
Via degli Uffici del Vicario 40, Centro Storico

Cheese to the power of four

Where should we go for dinner tonight?? It's a tough question at the best of times let alone when we're in Rome for the first time. But choices were made a little easier with the discovery of Obika, a mozzarella bar. How could we not go? We find the place easily enough and are quickly given a seat, drinks and bread in that order. I get the classic negroni (still kicking ourselves for not going to it's spiritual home in Florence when we were there) and Kat a Garibaldi; campari and blood orange, both excellent.



The bread arrived in a too cute little wicker basket with oil vinegar and salt in a similar basket.



Now what we were here for....the cheese. They had four different types of DOP mozzarella on the menu Paestum (delicate),Pontina (stronger), Affumicata (smoked and very strong) and Stracciatella di Burrata (sweet and creamy , then there was a dozen different accompaniments you could have with each cheese. Knowing we couldn't leave one behind we ordered one of each debating fo a long time over which accompaniment to have with which cheese. There was just so much deliciousness. in the end this was our mix and match combo;
With the paestum we got a light basil pesto, fresh cherry tomatos and spinach.
The flavor of the cheese was light,sweet and creamy, tearing easily into fat pieces.



The Pontina we matched up with Anchovies from Cetara, near Amalfi and sundried Tomatoes the stronger flavored cheese going well with the salty anchovies and intense tomatoes.



The smoked mozzarella was a lot firmer in texture with it's the smoke was not as overpowering as we thought it might have been and it went well with the eggplant and tomato caponata we had chosen.



The last cheese to arrive was for me the best of four amazing cheese the burrata. Burrata is made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. The name "burrata" means "buttered" in Italian. So soft it arrived in aglass bowl already floating in it's own juices when we picked at it with our fork it seperated into unctious strands so rich and creamy.
With the peppery rocket and beef carpaccio it was an amazing experience.







Sitting outside on the Roman cobblestone in the mild autumn evening it was just spectacular.

Now off to find a vintage sweet to finish off with.

OBIKA' ROMA PREFETTI
Piazza di Firenze - corner Via dei Prefetti
00186 - Roma

Tel.: +39 06 6832630
Email: roma@obika.it

Open everyday from 10 am till midnight.
From 7.30 pm Aperitivo Obikà with little mozzarella "bocconcini" and tastings

Trattoria Giggetto, Rome

Many people travel the world to admire the architecture, natural wonders & differing cultures. While we definitely appreciate all of these things, when approached with a new destination, the first thing we're researching is where to eat, what are they famous for in that area, whether we should be drinking coffee or mojito's - or anything in between, and where & what the local's are eating.

Our first morning in Rome we do decide however to head over to the Colosseum. It's a gorgeous sunny day in Rome, and about 100,000 other people had the same idea as us. We buy our tickets and wander around the Colosseum and surrounds for a couple of hours. It's at exactly the same time Kim and both decide to bust away from the crowds and head down to the Jewish quarter for a long, lazy lunch. The place we are hunting out is Trattoria Giggetto.



We start with a litre carafe of Frascati Secco, a light and fruity dry Roman white wine.



A selection of fried appetizers were selected to start.



The first being the famous Carciofo alla Giudia - fried artichokes in the Jewish way. The artichokes are blossoming, each leave a golden colour. We tear the leaves out one-by-one, sucking the soft artichoke heart from the base before crunching the whole thing. We're off to a great start!



The next of our fried delights are fiore di zucchina rupiena - fried zucchini flowers filled with mozzarella and anchovies. The delicate flowers are contained in a light batter, and when punctured explode of a gooey mozzarella delicious mess. The anchovies are generously loaded throughout, giving a nice salty punch with each bite.



Suppli al telefono - rice balls with tomato and mozzarella, are the last little morsel on our fried plates. These little rice balls are called just that as when they are cracked open, the mozzarella strings like a telephone cord. Regardless, they are damn tasty!



Ligua di Vitella in salsa verde - ox tongue with salsa verde is triumphant !! The tongue is so soft, yet so full of flavor. It's like it's thinly sliced roast beef, and is doused in the most fresh and vibrant salsa verde I've ever tasted. A brilliant combination.



Our pasta choice for today is a Roman specialty, bucantini all'Amatriciana. Hollow spaghetti tubes are coated in a tomato, bacon & hot pepper sauce with Roman cheese. The pasta is cooked so well with the sauce coating every piece. The thing I love most though, is that it's just piled into the plate, leaving splotches all over the rim. But that's okay, beacause the way it tastes does all the talking necessary ...



Arbacchio arrosto - or hunk of roast lamb, is the last of our savory choices to hit the table. It is just that, a hunk of lamb. Cooked until the meat is falling from the bone, and with the fat crackling to a beautiful golden crust. There's a light ladle of sauce and a giant knife for hacking it up.



It's all been so good, it's hard for us not to take back the menu and order more .... but we know our afternoon ahead will be packed with food regardless.



We do manage to find room for some wild strawberries with milk gelato, and are oh-so-glad we did.



Via del Portico, 21/A
00186 Roma (RM)
Tel (+39) 06 6861105 Fax (+39) 06 6832106
info@giggetto.it www.giggetto.it

Solociccia - completing the Dario Trifecta

Our last night in Tuscany, we were daunted by the idea of having to choose our last meal. Until of course the words 'Solociccia' were sung. This was the last of the Dario Cecchini trifecta, so seemed only fitting to farewell Tuscany with a bang..

We again arrived a little early and were only to pleased to bask in the generous hospitality of the man himself just across the road in the base of the butcher shop. House wine was poured in tumblers, lardo & salami along with crusty tuscan bread lined the right side wall - and all of a sudden we are mingling with 30 people who are all about to become our friends.



We are sitting the 9pm seating at Solociccia tonight, so when a gush of people are seen dispersing from across the street, we know our time is near. A quick re-set and we are all ushered over. At the door our names are checked, and seating assigned in little rooms on street level and below. We notice our name in the book with a big VIP beside it (*Squeal*). We are lead down the stairs, and off to a little table on the side with full view of the kitchen. We are sitting amongst vat's of olive oil and mineral water on tap, and get to look into see all the magic happening in the kitchen. There is another couple who are sitting with us. She works for Microsoft and he has a large sausage casing factory somewhere on the West Coast. He supplies sausage casing's to Mario Battali (which is how he got the booking, and the VIP seat). They were extremely lovely, and was a pleasure to share company and tales with two passionate foodies.



The table is set again with bowls of crisp, fresh vegetables, that are dipped in local olive oil, red wine vinegar and Dario's salt along with bowl of crusty Tuscan bread. We start on carafe's of red wine, and are informed if we need anymore we can top up from the vat's behind us.



Then a plate of toasted bread topped with ragu arrives.



The day's fritto misto arrives, which is a bowl of treasures. We found squid, octopus, fish, cauliflower, onion, fish and little bite sized pieces of crumbed veal.



The plates just keep coming, next are little morsels of beef that have been minced and seasoned that are threaded onto sprigs of rosemary. They are generously doused in lemon juice and olive oil and are just divine.



We see some big chunks of meat being sliced in front of our eyes. The other great thing about being on this table is that we received first plate of everything that left the kitchen. I think it would have been torture otherwise .....



The perfectly rare beef comes dressed with sage, rosemary, salt & olive oil. Bowls of white beans are a great accompaniment.



Pork arrives nestled under a salad of crisp carrot, red onion & celery. The pork is so soft and tender, the perfect contrast for the fresh, crisp vegetables.



The slow braised beef is dark and rich with chunks of sweet red onion throughout. There's no doubting that any meal attached to the master, Dario Cecchini, is bound to be packed full of meat !!



The meal ends with Military liquers,



Coffee & olive oil cake.



This ritual seems all so familiar now, and neither of us would have any problem repeating again soon.



Via XX Luglio, 11 Panzano in Chianti Firenze
tel.+39 055 852727
fax +39 055 852700
È MEGLIO PRENOTARE

monday / tuesday / wednesday: closed
thursday / friday / saturday: 19.00 or 21.00
sunday: 13.00
reservations advised

Return of the Mac.

Whilst we had made an oh-so-firm agreement with ourselves to be fair to the other potentially good restaurants, that we would only eat at one Dario Cecchini restaurant, but.... one afternoon with no plans and lazily not wanting to travel to far we made the ten minute drive back to Panzano to try Dario's answer to fast food, Mac Dario's. We pass on sitting outside and again join the long communal inside.



On the lunch menu we have the choice of the Mac Dario or the Welcome, with two of us that's all two convenient, we'll have one of each please. We start with a glass of house red and a wheat beer brewed especially for Dario.



The first of the the Welcome is a large bowl of fresh from the markets vegetable crudites with olive oil, volpaia vinegar and seasoned salt.



Then the Mac arrives. Wow! A 250g toasted bread crumbed burger atop a pile of garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes, fat slices of tomato and sauteed onions alongside a bowl of Tuscan bread. First cut reveals a perfectly cooked medium rare interior, seriously awesome.





About half way through the burger the plates of the Welcome start to arrive, Meat loaf, a name which could inspire dread but not this time, meaty chunks of loaf covered with a spicy sweet red pepper sauce. Makes me want to start cracking out some of the home classics myself.



Next a bowl of Dairo's justifiably famous porchetta, with it's crunchy crackling exterior and herb infused salty interior it's a shining moment in the midst of a meal that's a huge shining moment in it's self.



A bowl of Chianti sushi, gorgeous lemon infused beef tartar, we'd had this once before on our first night, it's still just as brilliant as remembered.



Finally Chianti tuna, pork confit cooked to a lush succulent softness, the appearance is of canned tuna but the taste is oh so much better.



Once again the communal table had broken down a few social barriers and by the end of our meal all at the table were friends.



Feeling ridiculously full we swung by the kitchen where Dante gave us a huge smile and a lot of Italian we had no idea about, and out past the Bone-a Lisa, who we remembered to grab a photo of this time.



Standing out on the street we kinda get the feeling we may be finishing off the triffeca some time soon....

Via XX Luglio, 11
Panzano in Chianti Firenze
tel. +39 055 852020

monday / tuesday / thursday / friday / saturday: 12 - 3
wednesday / sunday: closed
no reservations