Rome, The Eternal City
Cappuccino
We got this drinking-espresso-standing-up on lock.
Meccanismo, Piazza Trilussa 34, Trastevere
Our plan was to visit the Vatican Museum today. We knew it would be a lot of queueing and waiting, so we gave ourselves a lot of time and space. But first: sustenance and fuel. We got #firstmeal at Bonci Pizzarium, another recommendation from Katie Parla and apparently, Lucky Peach. It’s the only restaurant of note near Vatican City, so we planned accordingly.
We have never had this kind of pizza before. It’s square, not round. And, it’s sold by the kg - HOLLA. You get a number and then choose your pizza from behind a glass divider. Our rule is: if we can’t tell what it is, eat it. We ended up having a few different pizzas with seasonal greens, anchovies, and weird meat. The pizza is cut with scissors and served reheated. Cot dammit, good pizza. 🍕🍕🍕
Then, we walked to the Vatican Museum. We were savvy enough to get a reservation and ticket for the museum, but nothing prepared us for the inhuman number of people in the museum. We might’ve as well been on a moving sidewalk through the museum. But, we got more than our fill of old-ass famous Italian art. The Vatican Museum gets a 3/4 on what we call, “the Ninja Turtle Test”: Raphael - “The School of Athens”, Leonardo - “St. Jerome in the Wilderness”, and Michaelangelo - The Sistine Chapel Ceiling. Our favorite part of the museum was the Collection of Modern Religious Art, which included works by Matisse, Chagall, and Jacob Lawrence!
Though we were awestruck by the Vatican Museum, we were also a bit shellshocked. There were so many people and so many lines and so many smells (seriously, people) that we wandered outside like zombies. We stumbled upon Fatamorgana Gelato and reset. We were also a bit peckish, so we got a quick snack at Franchi, an old school deli that would put Dean & Deluca to shame. We had a bite of artichokes, grilled endives, farro salad, and seared tuna. Holy moly. And, then we went next door to ogle the food emporium and bar, Castroni where we looked at beautiful Italian foodstuffs we couldn’t take back with us home. 😩
Then, we heard a crowd roar across the street. Of course, it was the Italy v. Spain EuroCup match. Corner bars and restaurants were crowded with people, so we went in search of someplace we could watch the game without elbowing people. We ended up on a street bar - yes, a bar that’s located on a public sidewalk, bordered by heavy traffic. We drank a few beers and eavesdropped on very passionate Italian men, who were narrating every second of the game, in Italian. 😅 Once the game ended, we headed in the direction of the Old Jewish Neighborhood and stumbled across the Trevi Fountain (#selfiecentral) and the Spanish Steps (under construction!).
For dinner, our plan was to go back to Nonna Betta. But, we would be joined by some friends from San Francisco! Elizabeth and her sister, Colleen, were in Rome for just a few days and our itineraries overlapped! We had dinner al fresco, feasting on grilled lamb, pasta, baked eggplant, and - of course, artichokes. Perfetto.
Artic-Choke
A cocktail with Cynar - 👌.
Baccano, Via delle Muratte 23, Near the Trevi Fountain
