Best traditional, old-fashioned Italian food in Rome

What do you mean by "classic Italian dishes"? Most Italians will tell you there's no such thing as Italian food--it's all regional. But if you give us an idea by what you mean, perhaps we can help.

As "Italy" is a younger country than America, there really isn't a unified tradition, though pizza and gelato are getting there.

If you want the American classics, it's a mix between Emilian-Romagnian cuisine and the cuisines of the south, altered to an American set of produce and customers. Like the Soprano's pronunciation of these foods (gabbagoul for capicola), not necessarily recognized in Italy today (because it's a regional dialect that got stomped with unification).

Traditional Roman and Lazio cuisine can be found all over Rome. Pasta from the carbonara family (gricia, carbonara, amatricana, the tuna one and arguably cacio e pepe), butcher cuts, and so on.

We worked through some places in your other thread. For American Italian classics, I guess I'd eat at hotel restaurants that cater to American tourists.

You'll be out of luck, almost all restaurants in Rome are closed in August.

Um, a tongue-in-cheek there, Gundersen?

Don't let Gunderson scare you. In the residential areas some close, but in the tourist areas, most restaurants are open.

I think Max may have found the solution. If you're still longing for the Americanized Italian dishes from your other thread, or are determined to find dishes out of season, then restaurants in some of the American chain hotels may be your best bet.

Monkeyface;

Sorry for all the crap you seem to be getting from others; but if I wanted a basic meal with lots of locals, I would go to Popi Popi in the Trastevere. You can see the menu here (they have no website) https://www.zomato.com/roma/popi-popi-trattoria-trastevere/menu They have a good array of traditional dishes, maybe not all of what you are looking for, but maybe something close. Also, be aware that while many lecture about regional dishes, Rome does seem to be a melting pot of Italy, so you likely can find restaurants that offer regional dishes from outside of Lazio, just might take some looking.

Thanks Paul! They have got my green peppercorn steak!!

But still it would help to know or understand what you mean or want by "old-fashioned" food in both Paris and Rome. I draw a blank when I hear the question. Much of what is exciting about the food sense in Rome or even Paris is the new dishes with fresher items. Some of the old fashion is not that great.

But you asked the same question yesterday with excellent responses so why ask the same today. Or didn't you like those responses since you were primarily interested in American versions of some Italian dishes. That is going to be hard to find in Italy.

Paul, please don't aplologise for my crap, I thought the OP was having a laugh.

There's a very good back street restaurant near the main train station that serves an excellent lasagna. I can't remember the name of it but the chef's name was Boyardee.

Hey Gundersen
LOL never know what you'll find on those backstreets!!

Not to take this too far off topic, but you should have seen the expression on a young Italian woman's face when I explained to her that Chef Boyardee was spaghetti in a can.

And I want to reinforce the idea that you can find all sorts of regional Italian cuisine in Rome. There's an excellent Sardinian restaurant near the Monteverde neighborhood, for example.

In defense of Hector Boyardee,
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector_Boyardee
He was a real, first geration immigrant for Piacenza, born Ettore Boiardi, a real chef of some prestige and probably someone who could make meals like nonna used to do.

What's happened since, a whole different story.

Thanks for the link, Max. Impressive life story.

Paul wrote:

Rome does seem to be a melting pot of Italy, so you likely can find restaurants that offer regional dishes from outside of Lazio, just might take some looking.

Exactly what I am looking for? Any places (even perhaps chains) that specialize in all of the "hits" from across Italy? I know some people think in black and white and to them either a restaurant in Rome serves Roman cuisine only or it must be a freezer to microwave tourist hell hole, but I am hopeful that perhaps there are nice restaurants with great quality food and experience who also serve a sampling of Italian cuisine for the American tourist.

Someone mentioned the nice tourist hotel restaurants. Anyone care to mention the best of those?

Elizabeth Minchilli's excellent book, "Eat Rome" has a chapter on traditional Roman restaurants. Piperno is one that comes to mind.
Cynthia

that specialize in all of the "hits" from across Italy?

That's not the way we eat, sorry. No one would trust a chef pretending to be able to cook everything.

You can find a few dishes from other regions in those restaurants where young chefs are re-creating a contemporary italian cuisine mixing different traditions from other regions and other countries. But it wouldn't be cheap and it's not happening in Rome. Better, in Rome it's happening only in some starred restaurants, whereas far from the tourists' path you can see it happening also in medium priced restaurants.

The legend of chef Bottura being frowned upon by locals because he dared to change the traditional tortellini recipe is just a legend. Locals complained because his tortellini were few and costed 10 € each, but everybody agreed that his puff pastry was perfect. Even if he used strange spices.

Any places (even perhaps chains) that specialize in all of the "hits"
from across Italy?
"
But Americanized? In essence, a Roman Olive Garden? Sorry, but specializing in all the "hits" is a contradiction in terms. No chef worth his salt would or could claim such a thing.

perhaps there are nice restaurants with great quality food and
experience who also serve a sampling of Italian cuisine for the
American tourist.

Why would any Italian restaurant employing a "master chef" want to do that? Many have to rely on locals during the off season.

La Traverna dei Fori Imperiali just near the forum is wonderful however you MUST make a reservation otherwise it is tough to get in. I enjoyed reading the good humor in the prior posts.

We enjoyed La Carbonara in the Monti neighborhood

Hey, isn't there an Eataly in Rome. I bet the food court there would fit the OP's needs.

There are a couple of Eataly places in Roma.

Having looked at the menu of the nice restaurant at Eataly Roma (by the Piramid metro stop), not such a great idea. But the pasta station might have the kind of thing he's looking for. Or not.

This reminds me of our wonderful cooking class in Rome, which I highly recommend by the way... The chef asked each of us what we ate for dinner the night before class. Then he told us which dishes were actually fresh vs. frozen and Rome food vs. tourist food. We learned so much about the food of Rome, and our meal experience was fantastic! We enjoyed ourselves so much that we skipped our reservations to the art museum to stay longer.

Eataly would not be my choice, either.

"Cucina Casalinga" might be something to look for - means "home cooking".