Matt Skinner's inside guide to Rome
Celebrity sommelier and author Matt Skinner learns from past mistakes and does his homework before launching his ravenous appetite upon all that Rome has to offer, from salt cod and Sassicaia to saltimbocca and Sophia Loren.
It had nearly been a decade since my last trip to Rome. Years earlier having arrived in the Italian capital hoping to do some serious eating and drinking, and having been sent to every two-bit tourist trap by my hotel concierge, I was desperate to get off the beaten track and unearth a different Rome. I ditched the map and decided to follow my instinct. I ventured as far from the city sights as I possibly could. I looked for back streets, I looked for laneways, and that’s how I found it. A single shopfront – the dining room obscured by lace curtains – the door slightly ajar. Coming from inside was the familiar sound of clanking plates and that unmistakable smell of frying garlic and roasting meat. This was the kind of place I’d imagined – a place free from heavy-handed spruikers and artificially flavoured lighter fuel passed off as complimentary Limoncello. This was my kind of place.
I approached the door, pushed it open and looked inside. Tables, no more than 10 of them, were draped in red and white checks. Towards the back of the room was an open kitchen, half of which was consumed by a glowing wood-fire oven. The dining room – which mostly contained noisy old men passing plates of pasta and carafes of red wine from table to table while all the time wildly gesticulating as only noisy old Italian men can – was overseen from above by a large, framed image of the Virgin Mary and hung alongside her, an image of Sophia Loren. Genius. Think impure thoughts about one – get instant redemption from the other. I’d seen enough and I wanted in.
The lone waitress caught my eye. “Si?”
“I was hoping to have some lunch here.” I said in a broad Australian accent. Mistake number one. The noise and wild gesticulation ground to a halt and the ensuing silence that filled the room was the same kind you get in old westerns whenever a bad guy walks into a bar looking for trouble.
“Do you speak English?” I asked. Mistake number two. The waitress said nothing and looked toward the kitchen. A bear of a man dressed in chef’s whites, obviously the owner, appeared from the kitchen. This was my last hurdle – the only thing that stood in the way of me and my Roman food-and-wine utopia. He looked me up and down, and offered a half smirk. “We’re closed.”
“But it’s just after midday.”
And just like that he returned to the kitchen and the waitress gently pushed the door shut.
As I sat there in the gutter with my heart breaking, I vowed that next time things would be different.
Ten years later I’m back, and this time things will be different. For starters I’m prepared. This time I’ve come armed with a list. I’ve had Italian friends make bookings for me where necessary, and needless to say, this time round the only conversations I’ll be having with my hotel concierge will be those of hellos and goodbyes.
Rome is a great food city. Different to Florence and Venice, Roman food is hearty and textural, which probably explains the huge number of family-run restaurants that have dotted the city for centuries. It’s also a terrific destination for wine lovers, with most of the city’s top eateries showcasing the best of Italy and beyond. And so, armed with little more than a healthy appetite and a wad of euros, I head out in search of the Rome that I’d all but discovered a decade earlier. And what better way to get things started than with an ice-cream?
The best ice-cream in the world, let alone Rome, comes from Il Gelato di San Crispino (Via della Panetteria 42, 39 06 679 3924). Flavours here are made fresh and only from what’s in season. There are no frozen fruit purees used as in many other gelaterias and you’re allowed three flavours per tub. Try the Marsala, ginger or licorice – or the ultimate – meringue ice-cream complete with chunks of crunchy Italian meringue and bitter dark chocolate churned through. If you’re having trouble choosing, staff will advise – but be warned – if you decide to go it alone and choose badly, they’ll let you know! The nano-sized shop is right near the Trevi Fountain.
Having taken in the fountain, you might need a caffeine hit, in which case Caffé Sant’Eustachio (Piazza Sant’Eustachio 82, 39 06 6880 2048) is where you should head. Sant’Eustachio is one of Rome’s most famous coffee spots, with their espresso – still made to a secret recipe behind a screen – praised by many, including The New York Times, as one of the best cups of coffee in the world. Opt to sit at one of the outside tables if you’re not concerned about paying a premium, otherwise take it like a local and have yours standing at the bar.
Its almost time for lunch and while I’m half tempted to return to the little back street restaurant I’d stumbled across years earlier, the idea of having my heart broken again is too much to contemplate. Instead, I head for Quinzi e Gabrieli (Via delle Copelle 5, 39 06 687 9389) in the middle of town. This is an institution renowned for the quality of their aquatic offerings. From lobster linguini to whole-baked salmon in salt, it’s almost impossible to go too far wrong here. Prices can be frightening, which is what makes the lunchtime set-price menu so attractive. There’s a strong focus on the white wines of Italy’s North East, such as Jermann, Livio Felluga, Franz Haas and Pieropan. Checchino (Via di Monte Testaccio 30, 39 06 574 6318) is another great lunch option and famous for its nose-to-tail-and-everything-in-between approach. Located in Testaccio, a district once famous for its slaughterhouses, this is where you come for intestines, trotters, kidneys, brains, tripe and all those other wobbly bits that might sound terrible, but taste great. Or, for lunch on the run, stop at Filetti di Baccalà (Largo dei Librari 88, Campo de’Fiori, 39 06 686 4018) for a crispy freshly fried fillet of salt cod. It may not be the healthiest lunch, but you will struggle to find a tastier one.
Its no surprise that Rome is a great place for shopping, wine included. Among the many quality wine shops that grace both the new and old city, there is one that is an absolute must. Rome’s oldest and best wine shop, Trimani (Via Goito 20, 39 06 446 9661), was founded in 1821 by Francesco Trimani. Like many of its competitors, Trimani boasts a formidable selection of Italian offerings – Sassicaia, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, Gaja, Allegrini, Cantina di Santadi and Voerzio – and particularly from regions north of Rome. The store is open five days a week and purchases can be shipped worldwide.
As the sun sets on the city, Antico Caffé Greco (Via Condotti 86, 39 06 679 1700) near the Spanish Steps, is the ideal place to watch day become dusk over a glass of prosecco or three. Having been a famous haunt for local artists since 1760, today Greco provides some of the best aperitifs in the city and the ultimate vantage point for watching the precession of beautiful people and tooting Vespas that descend on the capital after dark.
Post aperitif, if it’s an amazing night out you’re after then Piperno (Monte de Cenci 9, 39 06 6880 6629, info@ristorantepiperno.it) is the place to go. It’s a Roman institution and it serves up mouthwatering examples of traditional Roman Jewish food. Expect feather-light potato gnocchi, crunchy fritto misto, fried artichokes, delicious salt cod, textbook veal saltimbocca and melt-in-your-mouth oxtail. And if that sounds appetising, wait until you see the wine list. It’s worth noting that you’ll need to book in advance, and they have a smart dress code. But for a more casual night out, the legendary Pizzeria da Baffetto (Via del Governo Vacchio 114, 39 06 686 1617) ranks as one of the best-loved pizzerias in Rome. Sixteen-inch discs of puffed and blistered dough come courtesy of a frighteningly hot oven, while toppings range from the weird (the Aussie-like Pizza da Baffetto complete with cracked egg!) to the wonderful (Pizza Margherita). Only open at night, da Baffetto may be busy – you might even have to queue for an hour – but it’s worth it.
If a post-dinner drink is in order, then you are spoilt for choice when it comes to great venues. There has been a sharp spike in the number of wine bars over recent years, and despite the French name, Cul de Sac (Piazza di Pasquino 73, 39 06 6880 1094) was one of the first and remains one of the city’s best. This is a great little spot where friendly staff will help you tune into some of the finest new wines that Italy has to offer. Along with plenty of interesting drops from Sardinia, Sicily, Puglia and Campagnia, highlights include great pricing and an excellent range of wine by the glass. But if a cleansing ale is more your style then Antica Birreria Peroni (Via di San Marcello 19, 39 06 679 5310) is the place. Both Grand Riserva and Nastro Azzuro come clean, crisp and fresh and are accompanied by the likes of melted scamorza with anchovies, plates of sliced-to-order prosciutto and stuffed, deep-fried olives.
With my heart still intact and having now let my belt out two extra notches, I bid the old city goodnight and turn my weary legs in the direction of the Orange Hotel (Via Crescenzio 86, 39 06 686 8969). Located a stone’s throw from the Vatican, the Orange is a well-priced, lively, modern hotel in a neighbourhood that boasts plenty of great eateries and even better shopping. Inside, rooms (starting at A$120) are warm, simple and small – but then in a city like Rome, that’s all most of us are after. Nothing is too much trouble for the English-speaking staff, while breakfast on the roof terrace, provided you are there at the right time of the year, is the best kind of way to start your day – a day guaranteed to leave you feeling loved up, if not a little larger around the middle.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WWW.ITALIANTOURISM.COM.AU
This article is from the October/November 2009 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE.