written by
Sergio Caggìa with Paul Gwynne for © Nerone the Insider's Guide to Rome
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Although less well known than Tuscany (Chiantishire) or Umbria, the area around Rome is nevertheless renowned for a number of fine wines, the most famous of which is, perhaps, Frascati. There are, however, a number of other fine white wines from the area of the Castelli or Colli Albani (the Volcano of Lazio). Remember at a restaurant it is a good idea to ask for the Vino della Casa as this is often from a local cantina and very cheap. The fine wines of Lazio worth looking out for include the white wines from Capena, Colli Lanuvini, and Montefiascone. If perhaps you prefer to taste a local red wine then try the Cesanese from Piglio or the red wine from Marino. There is even a sweet dessert wine called the Aleatico from Gradoli near Lake Bolsena. Some or all of these, together with a selection of wines from every region of Italy, can be found at the winestores (called Vini e Olii in Italian-there is one on Via del Gesu) and at the Fornaio or Rosticceria shops (look out for the signs) which normally sell wines as well.
Here are a few ideas for a light and cheap lunch: Pizza can be bought in slices cut to the size you want. You can buy this at 'Pizza al Taglio' shops, but be warned! it's easy to find not very well prepared pizza wich is hard to digest. My advice is to look for pizza at the Fornaio shops as it is normally lighter. In these bakers you'll probably only find plain pizza (pizza bianca) or pizza with tomatoes (pizza rossa), but at least you'll spend the afternoon without indigestion!! It can be a good idea to ask the baker to split open a slice of pizza and fill it with something from the delicatessen counter.
If you like meats why not try Mortadella or Prosciutto crudo and mozzarella, or Prosciutto cotto or perhaps cheese, such as Gorgonzola, Caciotta, Provolone or Crescenza. You could also stop at an open-air market and buy some Rughetta salad and fruit on your way to the nearest park where you will enjoy a picnic in the sun of the Roman spring. You could also perhaps make a sandwich. Every Italian city has its own special type of bread, and Rome is no exception. Most famous are the Rosette, round rolls delicious when filled; another type of roll is the long Ciriola, more substantial than the empty Rosetta; or perhaps you will want to buy just a few slices from a loaf of pane casareccio, conspicious by its salty burnt crust. All are perfect for a sandwich lunch which won't cost you more than 3/4.000 lire.
Don't forget that for Easter there is a special bread that can be bought from FORNAIO. This is the TORTA AL FORMAGGIO, a loaf of bread flavoured with cheese, eaten Easter Sunday. There are a couple of places that I would suggest for a lunch of this kind. There is a bakery on Via del Governo Vecchio 28/29 where you can buy freshly-made plain pizza and ask for the filling you prefer. It's cheap and the mineral water is free. Another bakery is at Campo de' Fiori (No.22), on the front-left of the statue of the philosopher Giordano Bruno, which stands in the middle of the square.
Almost next door you'll find a Vineria (wine shop; No.15) and no-one will mind if you'll eat your pizza/sandwich there so long as you buy a glass of wine! A good place to buy 'Pizza al taglio' is along Via de' Prefetti, near piazza del Parlamento. If you can afford 20/30.000 lire there is a good place (Vini e Liquori) along Via della Rotonda, which specializes in fine wines and delicacies. Here they serve good wines in the correct glasses, giving the possibility of trying expensive wines without buying an entire bottle. A few more words on light lunches. Try a pub lunch. In Rome this consists of a salad and a sandwich washed down with a beer for only about 10.000 lire! Here are a few place that I know: 'Miscellanea', Via delle Paste 110 (Pantheon); 'Ned Kelly', Via delle Coppelle 13 (Pantheon) and 'Night and Day', Via dell'Oca 50 (P.zza del Popolo).
Some tipsy humor can be found in this nice old joke made famous by the actor Ettore Petrolini... A night-time encounter between a policeman and a drunken coachman (vetturino) sets the scene:
A drunken coachman forgetting to light the carriage lights was stopped by a policeman to fine him. When asked to give his name, the coachman replied: If I give you my name, what will I be called in the morning?
Ettore Petrolini (1886-1936) was born in Rome where he gained a reputation as a great actor. He was also famous for variety and satirical sketches, in which he parodied both contemporary and historical figures (such as Hamlet, Nero (Nerone) and Faust). His example inspired many other actors. Some critics even compared him with the ancient Roman comic genius Plautus and the writers of the Commedia dell'Arte. It may be worth searching for one of his films, Nerone (1930) which is a complilation of his most successful sketches. |