Good Eats Rome

Whatever your taste or budget, dining out in the Eternal City provides a culinary experience like no other.  And as the saying goes, when in Rome… eat like a Roman, not a tourist.  Next time you explore Italy’s breathtaking capital, take a tip from a local foodie and savour the true Italian flavors being served up just off the beaten path.  Buon appetito!

Dining Upscale

Antica Pesa
Via Garibaldi 18
Located in the Bohemian neighborhood of Trastevere and open since 1922, Antica Pesa is adorned in wonderful painted frescos and has beautiful gardens for al fresco dining.  With an incredible menu of antipasti, pastas, fish and meat dishes, and desserts, the restaurant’s ambience is prime for romantic dinners.  Take note, Antica Pesa is only open for dinner from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and is closed on Sundays.

Sapore di Mare
Via Piè di Marmods 36
With superb seafood dishes—particularly fresh fish main courses—Sapore di Mare is Rome’s go to place for the sea’s best catch.  Situated near the Pantheon, this is not only one of the city’s best restaurants, it’s also one of its most elegant.  While Sapore di Mare excels at seafood, its meat options are equally superb.  Dinner is served from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Al Moro
Vicolo delle Bollette 13
Not far from Rome’s glorious Trevi Fountain, Al Moro has been serving authentic local specialties such as stewed milk-fed lamb and pasta carbonara since 1929.  Closed on Sundays, Al Moro is open for lunch 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and for dinner from 8:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Savoring the Food & Wine of Italy: Southern Region

Southern Italy is all about olive oil. In fact, the best olive oil comes from this region, though very little of it is exported. While citrus fruits, fields of durum wheat for pasta, and vineyards also dot the landscape, the sea is harvested to its fullest for tuna, anchovies, clams and sea urchins.

Pasta with Seafood

Campania

The food of Campania is in many ways the food of Italy. So many of the dishes that are native to the region have been adopted by much of the world. The volcanic soils of Campania grow some of the best produce in Italy, including San Marzano tomatoes, peaches, grapes, apricots, and figs. Parmigiano Reggiano has found its way into the region’s recipes, with meat and vegetable dishes served alla Parmigiano. Seafood is a staple of Campania’s coastline with fish fried in olive oil. The standout wines of Campania include the reds Taurasi and Vesuvio, and whites Lacryma Christi and Greco di Tufo.

Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria

Few places are able to turn out perfectly roasted, baked and grilled meats like southern Italy. Lamb, beef and kid (young goat) are always on the menu in most kitchens here, and pork is popular for making local salami. The city of Caranzaro in Calabri is home to N’duja, a soft spicy salami that is somewhat similar to andouille sausage. Along the coast, mussels, oysters, octopus, red mullet appear in countless dishes. Look out for red wines like Castel del Monte, Primitvo and Salice Salentino as they’re an incredible value.

Sicily

The Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, and Spanish have all left their mark on Sicily’s cuisine which often includes lemons, blood oranges, tangerines, olives, almonds, and prickly pears grown right on the island. Simple and straightforward, Sicilian cooking allows each ingredient to shine through. Seafood is at the height of perfection with popular dishes including grilled swordfish or snapper, finocchio con le sarde (fennel with sardines) and sepia (cuttlefish) served in its own black sauce with pasta. The island’s best known meat dish, vitello al marsala (veal marsala) is often enjoyed alongside Marsala wine.

Boscov’s Travel: Your first stop to the world.

For more information on Italy, contact your local Boscov’s Travel Specialist, email travelrequest@boscovs.com or call 800-755-8020.

For more great travel tips, subscribe to our blog (enter your email above, on the left side of the page) or like us on Facebook for updates.

Also check out:

Savoring the Food and Wine of Italy: Northern Region
Savoring the Food and Wine of Italy: Central Region

Savoring the Food & Wine of Italy: Central Region

Much of what the world considers “Italian food” comes from the central regions of Italy. Velvety smooth olive oils, world-famous cheeses, savory cured meats and rich tomato sauces grace the tables. Beef dishes are more common, as is wild boar. Both of the central regions’ coasts share a love of locally caught seafood.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Tuscany

Home to excellent olive oils, sheep milk cheeses and delicious roasted meat dishes, Tuscany is a food lover’s dream. The city of Florence offers its famous alla florentina steak and specialties such as ribollita (a thick vegetable soup), fagioli all’uccelletto (beans sautéed in Garlic and Sage with tomatoes), and fagioli al fiasco with oil, onions and herbs cooked in a round bottle (fiasco) on a coal fire. Seafood dishes are magnificent, as are many of the decadent sweets that follow most meals. As for wine, Tuscan offerings sell worldwide, including Chianti, which comes in both red and white.

Umbria

Norcia in the Apennine foothills is the home of Italy’s best black truffles which are served over everything, including local Pecorino cheese. Many types of hand-made pasta like strozzapreti are offered in a decadent black truffle sauce not easily found outside Umbria. Norcia created excellent pork products such as their prosciutto and various salame. Besides delicious home made fresh pastas, Umbria is responsible for the production of much of the dried pasta consumed throughout Italy. Umbria produces many excellent white wines including the famous Orvieto, and highly praised reds such as Torgiano Rosso and Monteflaco Rosso.

Rome

When in Rome, eat like a Roman. Typical Roman food has its roots set firmly in the past, with dishes incorporating plenty of fresh vegetables, lamb and beef. It also consists of fried delicacies such as salted cod and stuffed zucchini blossoms, and Pecorino cheese. Bruschetta is clearly one of the region’s most celebrated specialties as is spaghetti alla carbonara with its creamy egg and cheese sauce dusted with black pepper. One can’t leave Rome without trying abbacchio al forno (roast lamb) and saltimbocca alla Romano, fillet of veal rolled in ham Marsala and butter. The white wines of Montefiascone and the Castelii (Frascati) will satisfy the discerning pallet.

Boscov’s Travel: Your first stop to the world.

For more information on Italy, contact your local Boscov’s Travel Specialist, email travelrequest@boscovs.com or call 800-755-8020.

Next up: Southern Italy. Subscribe to our blog (enter your email above, on the left side of the page) or like us on Facebook for updates.

Also check out:

Savoring the Food and Wine of Italy: Northern Region
Savoring the Food and Wine of Italy: Southern Region

Savoring the Food & Wine of Italy: Northern Region

In Italy, good food and wine often verge on the sublime. From Rome to Lombardy and the Valle d’Aosta to Sicily, Italians are among the world’s greatest cooks—just ask any one of them.

While food and wine has always been of national importance, regional traditions and seasonal ingredients continue to dominate most kitchens and often determine menu selections for the day. Along with having some of the world’s most spectacular vineyards, Italy is a treasure-trove of quaint osterias and trattorias that offer visitors plenty to munch on, sip, and savor.

Northern Italian cuisine often reflects the people’s pride in their unspoiled countryside—with the overall rule being if it grows well in the area, it will usually be on the plate. The use of butter, rice, corn (for polenta) and cheeses for cream sauces differentiates this part of the country. Of course there are exceptions to these rules such as the olive oils of the Liguria and Lakes regions. Pasta is by no means non-existent here, but it does have to share time with delicious risotto and polenta.

Yellow Risotto alla Milanese with Fried Mushrooms

Val d’Aoste

Bordered by France to the west and Switzerland to the north, the Val d’Aoste produces fine Fontina cheeses for use in local specialties like costoletta alla Valdostana—a delicate veal chop covered in Fontina. Another local favorite, Capriola alla Valdostana, is a hearty venison strew made with wine, vegetables and grappa (a fragrant, yet potent grape-based spirit). The rocky crags of the Alps provide the perfect climate for fantastic red wines like Chambave Rosso and Nus Rosso.

Lombardy

In Lombardy, rice dishes such as minestrone alla Milanese, made with vegetables, rice and bacon; and risotto alla Milanese, a creamy dish of braised short-grain rice blended with meat stock, saffron and cheese are overwhelmingly good. If you travel here, don’t miss out on the ravioli with a pumpkin filling from Montova, and osso bucco, a traditional main course of tender veal knuckle braised with rosemary and sage. The excellent cheeses of the region include the rich blue Gorgonzola and Mascarpone. Lombardy’s best wines include well-aged reds and sparkling whites created in the tradition of French Champagnes.

Liguria

Located on the coast, Liguria is most famous for its basil Pesto sauce. Seafood is prominent on most menus with fresh caught anchovies being a favorite as well as swordfish, tuna, sardines and sea bass. Popular meat dishes including tomaxelle (veal rolls) and coniglio in umbido (rabbit stew). Ligurian desserts include pandolce Genovese, a sweet bread made with candied fruit, raisins and nuts, and sweet pizzas made with walnuts, chestnuts and candied fruit. White wines like Sciacchetra and Colline di Levanto are ideal for pairing with seafood.

Boscov’s Travel: Your first stop to the world.

For more information on Italy, contact your local Boscov’s Travel Specialist, email travelrequest@boscovs.com or call 800-755-8020.

Also check out:

Savoring the Food and Wine of Italy: Central Region
Savoring the Food and Wine of Italy: Southern Region