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when in Rome eat like a Roman

One of my goals in Rome is to avoid tourist menus and eat like an Italian.. I was shocked to see all the McDonalds on the map there.. Geez the curse of American capitalist fast food.. I have to save them from that before we poison our Italian friends. So any help on where and how to find where the real locals eat when here I am staying in tourist areas let me know. My first ide is to ask a bell hop or a kid on the street that has no connection to any business where do you take your mama for dinner on her birthday. I love new food.. the stranger the better.. Delicioso I sure hope I am spelling that right Michelle

Posted by
1880 posts

Every time we travel to Italy we get away from the main piazza and walk down side streets looking for places to eat. We tend to not eat any place that has an English menu printed outside. (We love to eat Chinese food in Italy - it's so good!) We've asked at the front desk of our hotel for recommendations. And we use your idea of asking where they personally go out to eat. For sure if you are in Rome, eat Gnocchi on Thursday, and any time make sure you eat Cacio e Pepe at least once. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Posted by
163 posts

Sounds good Ellen .. I will definatly take a bite or 2 But was is Gnocchi on Thursday, and Cacio e Pepe? My mouth is watering just thinking about it! michelle

Posted by
59 posts

Italy is an amazing place and you will have a great time. It might seem confusing when you are reading and planning, but when you get there all will be fine. You might get lost or confused now and then, but that is part of the adventure. For food, read Rick's book on Rome. He has great suggestions at all price points and you will be happy.

Posted by
174 posts

We found a whole street of restaurants just off Corso Vittorio Emmanuele: via Governo Vecchio. It's behind Chiesa Nuova. Our apartment was nearby, so we ate there about five nights out of the seven. One crazy, crowded pizza place had the best pizza any of us ever had, and it was solid with Italians. A good gelato place to finish off the day, too.

Posted by
175 posts

Michelle, Check http://www.parlafood.com/
She also has an app for your smartphone. I followed several of her recommendations and was not disappointed. Fried Zucchini blossoms, cacio e pepe, gelato, yum!

Posted by
791 posts

You've gotten some good answers as far as finding a place to eat so here's some other ristorante tips. These are typical for Italy and not just Rome. Be prepared to wait for your order. Food is mainly prepared fresh and to order. It can take awhile for your food to arrive at the table even if business is slow. Food will not come all together. Meaning: say you order some pasta, vegetables and grilled meat. Those are all different courses and will come separate. If you want them together you can ask but results may vary. Also, be prepared for food to come at separate times from your companions. We had times where one of us would be almost finished before the others got the first dish. Be prepared to wait for your check. It's typical for Italians to sit and talk,coffee etc. after dinner and not be in a rush. Most times you'll have to ask for a check or just walk to the register to pay. Tipping is not a usual or expected thing in Italy. You can if you feel the need for it but a lot of times you'll already have extra charges on your check. Coperta/Servizio charges which usually run a euro or two per person. Be prepared for the cost of soft drinks, that they come warm or slightly chilled and that you have to ask for ice. Sometimes, if your lucky, they may throw in something free to try. I never had the experience of them trying to charge me for it but have heard that happen to others so be sure to double check you bill. Smoking in outside areas is common. Once in awhile you might see it inside as well.
For Greece: Alot of times they'll take you to the kitchen and show you what's on the stove and tell you to pick what you want as opposed to giving you a menu. I loved doing that but my wife wanted a menu so you can get that too. Food will pretty much all come at same time.

Posted by
7737 posts

And, Michelle, FYI, it's "grazie", not "gratzi". And you do pronounce the last "e" so it's "GRAHT-syeh"

Posted by
7737 posts

Quirite, is it true that most Italians don't use "delizioso" to describe really good food? I've heard they'll say "squisito" instead. (At least that's what my Italian teacher from Pisa says.)

Posted by
8566 posts

Check out some food blogs before you leave. Some one is always blogging about a new find with fabulous food. Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome is helpful. Best spot I found by sheer accident is by Parliament. Cash only. Was the only tourist in there at lunch time. Trattoria Da Gino, Vicolo Rossini 4 Was what I expected to find all over Italy!

Posted by
8566 posts

You missed the point Tilly. For many yanks it is disheartening to see Mickey D's, Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken, et al while traveling the globe. Some yanks LOVE it. I'm not one of them. There's no judgement being made except that some of us prefer seeing and experiencing other countries food without being slapped in the face by corporate America. That's all. It's similar to Budweiser invading Ireland in 1997. Gave Guinness a run for their money. IMHO Bud is dishwater and doesn't hold a candle to Guinness but hey it was from America so it was new, exciting and a completely different taste. Personally I think when corporate America expands it's not a positive. Wait to the embargo in Cuba is lifted and that wonderful island becomes a mini Disneyland. Oh rapture!???

Posted by
9098 posts

Personally I think when corporate America expands it's not a positive It works both ways. Hardly ever hear people complaining about the European retail invasion. Two of the dominate supermarket chains in my neck of the woods are part of European conglomerates:Ahold, and Delhaize. Aldi's has 1200 outlets in the US, H&M and Ikea each have 200+ outlets, just to name a few. Austrian Red Bull is an unstoppable force.
All the major brands of bread sold in the US are part of a Mexican conglomerate: Bimbo A lot of the suff on supermarket shelves are from Euro conglomerates like Nestle, Dannon, Barilla, Unilever,and Parmalat. ...and have we forgotten who now owns Budweiser;)

Posted by
2829 posts

Claudia, I have no problems with people preferring different brands, tastes, food menus, restaurants etc. I DO have problems when these preferences are framed in terms of foreigners being not "real ( European nationality)" just because they share too many cultural (food/music/housing/career/hobbies) similarities with the own (American) traveler as (s)he perceives it. It is not only a PC terminology thing, but the spirit behind it: "true Europe" would be a Shangri-La, an escape for the ordinary life on other continents, a place that can't be tainted with things people travel to escape from (cars in cities, fast food, modern pop-rock music etc).

Posted by
7737 posts

Sounds as if somebody in Tilburg needs to lay off the caffeine a bit. No more Starbucks for you, guy. :-) Best wishes from Seattle, the home of Starbucks.

Posted by
922 posts

I wouldn't mind corporate America expanding into other places if what they were exporting was quality goods. But McDonalds and other fast food is notoriously full of fat and salt that have an addictive effect on many people, resulting in the increasing spread of obesity across the globe. Coca-Cola and its many related products are full of high-fructose corn syrup, which along with obesity contributes to Type-2 diabetes. Corporate America is exporting disease-producing pseudo-food into societies that, if left alone, would probably have a much healthier diet, using locally sourced seasonal foods.

Posted by
316 posts

So sorry that Andre took such offense to Michelle's use of the word "real". In re-reading her post it looks as if she meant it the way I do when I speak of "real" Italian food. It's not the difference between fast food and restaurants but rather between a restaurant that Italians would dine at and one where the waiter stands at the door trying to lure you in for a poor quality yet expensive meal. I doubt that most Americans are as ignorant as some Europeans may judge us to be. And for those who are, they certainly have their European counterparts. At Edinburgh Castle I overheard a British woman tell the group she was with that it was unsafe to walk on the streets anywhere in the U.S. I've walked the streets of the U.S. (legally, of course!) for 63 years and am alive and unscathed. Now for Michele, look at your Rick Steve's for suggestions and if they don't appeal look for others that are off the beaten path. I'm not crazy about asking at some hotels since you may not get the greatest recommendations but you can check the menus out (many are posted outside but avoid those with English menus)before deciding to enter. Have a great trip! I'll be following in November and my mouth is watering already for balsalmic pork medallions at a little restaurant in Orvieto.

Posted by
7737 posts

A few other tips for finding good food at a good restaurant in Italy: 1. The shorter the menu, the better the food. (Not 100% foolproof, but pretty reliable.) 2. Try to order one of the specials. It will be made with super fresh ingredients that are in season. 3. The front desk person at the hotel might be getting a kickback from any restaurant they recommend, so take any recommendations with a huge lump of salt. 4. Read Tripadvisor reviews to learn more about any particular restaurant. Discount any reviews by one-time only posters. Don't go by the TripAdvisor rating, but actually read a lot of the most recent reviews for substance. Something that someone likes about a restaurant might be something you would want to avoid.
5. An English-language menu doesn't necessarily mean the food is bad.

Posted by
1501 posts

Since you're staying near the Vatican, my favorite restaurant in Rome (and serves fabulous gnocci) is Piacere Molise. Ask your hotel to look it up. Its address is 60 Via Candida Rome. I've eaten there I'm sure at least 20 times.

Posted by
1541 posts

at the risk of digressing from topic I wouldn't mind corporate America expanding into other places if what they were exporting was quality goods. But McDonalds and other fast food is notoriously full of fat and salt that have an addictive effect on many people, resulting in the increasing spread of obesity across the globe. Coca-Cola and its many related products are full of high-fructose corn syrup, which along with obesity contributes to Type-2 diabetes. Corporate America is exporting disease-producing pseudo-food into societies that, if left alone, would probably have a much healthier diet, using locally sourced seasonal foods. I went to China last September and saw exactly one fat child. And I mean fat, not "husky", not plump, not big-boned, he was FAT. And that was at a McDonald's. We laughed for days.

Posted by
9098 posts

I wouldn't mind corporate America expanding into other places if what they were exporting was quality goods Again it works both ways...Nutella isn't exactly a healthy food option.

Posted by
230 posts

An earlier post recommended www.parlafood.com. Another local food blogger is Amanda Ruggeri at Revealed Rome website. Both sites give up to date recommendations on restaurants and are frequently updated when restaurant conditions change for the worse. Often, a restaurant will get several mentions in various publications and websites. Tourists start flocking there and pretty soon, the prices go up, the service and quality of the food go down. Both bloggers, particularly Katie Parla, are not shy about letting you know which places are over-rated, have terrible food and service and are resting on their past fame. I think that the problem with most travel books is how often reviewers go back to restaurants they previously recommended to ensure that they are still good. My guess is not often. Both these people live in Rome and go to various establishments daily and weekly. Finally, they have other useful information about Rome and Italy in general. Finally, you have to check out the Ron in Rome site if you have not already. It will walk you through most of what a first time tourist needs. I used all three sites prior to our first trip to Rome in 2011 and did fine. It took several hours of homework, but was more than worth the time and effort. Good luck.