Da Roma alle Langhe

Grappolo d'Oro Zampano

2008-11-29T10:14:00.006-05:00

That delicious plate of affettati opened our appetites for lunch, so as we left Cul de Sac, we took a taxi to Piazza della Cancelleria for lunch at the Grappolo D’Oro Zampano. Famous for its traditional roman cuisine, this charming restaurant offers an excellent quality-price ratio in the centro storico. Fresh products only are used in their pastas, breads, and deserts; everything, from the eggs to the Pistacchi di Bronte, known to be the best pistachio in the world, is selected with utmost care. Artesian dairies from the north and south of Italy supply the restaurant’s cheeses (Caciocavallo Podolico, Ragusano Siciliano, Mozzarella di Bufala, Formaggi d’Alpeggio Piemontesi e Valdostani). The honey that is served with them comes from the Ape d’Oro farm in Aprilia (LT) http://www.apedoro.com/home.php. The exceptional meat comes from the Jolanda de Colò butcher shop, in Udine http://www.jolandadecolo.it/. Their deserts are prepared exclusively with the French chocolate Valrhona http://www.valrhona.com/. "It’s the restaurant everyone would like to have near home" writes "Il Gambero Rosso". The wine list is affordable and offers an ample selection of great reds and whites from all over Italy!

Grappolo d'oro Zampano
Address piazza della Cancelleria 80
Rome 00186
Phone +39 06 6897080
E-mail grappolozampano@virgilio.it
http://www.grappolodorozampano.it/

The Restaurant

The Restaurant

Kameni & katucha, Marcus & Cy

Cy's dish: Spaghetti alla chitarra con calamari, gamberi e pachino.

Kameni's dish: Spaghetti alla carbonara

Marcus' dish: Gnocchi di patate al pesto di rucola, noci e scaglie di vecchio piave

Katucha's dish: Lasagnetta con melanzane, con mozzarella di bufala, pomodoro fresco e basilico.

Elisa - Luce @ Winter Olympic Games - Turin 2006

2008-09-06T11:58:00.001-04:00

Parlami come il vento fra gli alberi
Parlami come il cielo con la sua terra
Non ho difese ma
Ho scelto di essere libera
Adesso è la verità
L'unica cosa che conta
Dimmi se farai qualcosa
Se mi stai sentendo
Avrai cura di tutto quello che ti ho dato
Dimmi
Siamo nella stessa lacrima, come un sole e una stella
Luce che cade dagli occhi, sui tramonti della mia terra
Su nuovi giorni
Ascoltami
Ora so piangere
So che ho bisogno di te
Non ho mai saputo fingere
Ti sento vicino
Il respiro non mente
In tanto dolore
Niente di sbagliato
Niente, niente...
Siamo nella stessa lacrima, come un sole e una stella
Luce che cade dagli occhi, sui tramonti della mia terra
Su nuovi giorni in una lacrima
Come un sole e una stella
Luce che cade dagli occhi sui tramonti della mia terra su nuovi giorni
Il sole mi parla di te... mi stai ascoltando?
La luna mi parla di te... avrà cura di tutto quello che mi hai dato...
Anche se dentro una lacrima, come un sole e una stella
Siamo luce che cade dagli occhi, sui tramonti della nostra terra
Su nuovi giorni in una lacrima come un sole e una stella
Luce che cade dagli occhi sui tramonti della mia terra
Su nuovi giorni
Ascoltami
Ascoltami
Ascoltami
Ascoltami
Ascoltami
Ascoltami
Ascoltaci
Ascoltati

Cul de Sac

2008-08-02T21:05:00.025-04:00

Cul de Sac Wine bar, on Via del Governo Vecchio/Piazza Pasquino, a few steps from Piazza Navona - 1500 labels!

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we stepped outside to meet our friends Kameni and Katucha, who had traveled that morning from Perugia (Umbria). It was great seeing them again! We decided to have some drinks before lunch, so we headed towards my favorite wine bar in town: Cul de Sac. That very hot Sunday asked for a deliciously fresh Tocai Friulano by Livio Felluga… What a superb choice!

On a separate note, I cemented my love affair with Barolo back in October 2006, when I drunk at Cul de Sac one of the best wines of my life: a Barolo Falletto by Bruno Giacosa. Until that point, I had heard of Giacosa several times but never had the chance, or I should say the courage ($$$), to taste one of his masterpieces. That night was special however... My brother Marcio and his wife Luciana were in Rome visiting us, so we wanted to toast the occasion with a very special, memorable bottle of wine. At the first sniff, I fell in love with the wine. I remember thinking: "The man is really a legend as they say..." Layers and layers of aromas hit my nose... Many unknown to me. For an hour straight, the four of us said things you only say when you drink a spectacular wine. Giacosa’s Barolo made us all understand how complex and profound Nebbiolo can be and I am thankful for that day. What an amazing experience…

Oct-06: 2001 Barolo Falletto by Bruno Giacosa - an eye-opening experience... Still a baby, yet spetacular.

Oct-06: Me, Cy, Lu and Marcio in that memorable evening...

Oct-06: Barolo Monfortino. We thought about ordering it and my bank account was relieved it was just a thought... :-)

Kameni, Catuxa, Cy, and I (25/05/2008) - a plate of affettati misti and a Tocai in the bucket! Carissimo Kameni, grazie di cuore per tutto che hai fatto per noi. La famiglia Morelli ti vuole moltissimo bene. Un abbracio forte!

Sunday's itinerary

2008-08-01T07:23:00.015-04:00

- Breakfast at Albergo del Senato and hotel check-out
- Met Kameni and Katucha at Piazza della Rotonda
- Piazza Navona
- Drinks before lunch at Cul de Sac wine bar
- Lunch: Took a taxi to Piazza della Cancelleria, 80 – Ristorante Grappolo D’Oro
- Campo di Fiori
- Piazza Farnese
- Bar Farnese for a espresso
- Returned to Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and took a taxi to the Santa Maria Maggiore church
- Paid our respects
- Via Panisperna
- Turned left on Via dei Serpenti
- Il Gelatone, Via dei Serpenti 28 (our favorite gelareria in Rome!)
- Via del Monte Oppio (our first apartment in Rome)
- Oppio Caffè for a espresso
- Colosseo
- Bar attached to the Colosseo subway station (good bye drinks with Kameni and Katucha)
- Via dei Fori Imperiali
- Piazza Venezia
- Albergo del Senato (drinks on terrace, overlooking Rome’s spectacular skyline)
- Dinner: Took a taxi to Via di San Francesco a Ripa, 158 – Pizzeria Ivo (Dinner with Claudio)
- Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere
- Took Via Arenula towards Piazza della Rotonda (crossed Ponte Garibaldi, took Via di Torre Argentina, then Via della Rotonda)
- Sant'Eustachio Il Caffè for “Il Gran Caffè”
- Got the luggage at the hotel, and finally:
- Took a taxi to Stazione Tiburtina for the night train (treno letto) to Torino at 12:05 - the beginning of our tour in the Langhe!

Back to the hotel

2008-08-01T06:20:00.006-04:00

We had a long and busy Sunday ahead of us, so we decided to get back to the hotel as we left San Crispino. Our friends Kameni and Katucha were coming from Perugia to enjoy the Sunday with us. At night, we were going to meet up with our friend Claudio for dinner at the acclaimed Pizzeria Ivo, in Trastevere. Finally, at midnight, we were going to catch the treno letto to Torino for the beginning of our Piedmont tour!

Leaving Piazza di Trevi: Cy at Via Crociferi & Via dei Sabini, towards Piazza Colona

Before crossing Via del Corso into Piazza Colonna, a quick visit to Piazza Venezia and its Altare della Patria

Back to Piazza Colonna

Cy at Piazza di Monte Citorio, place of the Italian Parliament

Back to the Albergo del Senato -> Superb view of Piazza della Rotonda from our bedroom's window. At dawn, I leaned on the window and stared at the empty piazza for a few minutes… There is something with this square and its grandiose monument that fulfills me with an extraordinary sense of peacefulness and happiness.

“Peacefulness is the ability to enjoy your destiny as well as your present moment, at the same time.” - Danish Ahmed

San Crispino Gelateria

2008-07-20T10:04:00.008-04:00

Whenever near Piazza di Trevi, I always pay a visit to "San Crispino", considered by many the best gelateria in Rome and even the world. San Crispino doesn't use any emulsifying chemistry, artificial dyes, or chemical preservatives in their gelati. As they like to say, COLD is the only element that preserves their products. The ice cream is served in a cup with a plastic spoon for you to carry out; there are no cones, whipped cream or sauces, since they belive these interfere with the gelato's pureness. It can't get more Italian than that!

San Crispino
Via Panetteria, 42, near the Trevi Fountain
Tel: 39-06-6793924
Mon-Thu 12:00PM - 12:30AM
Fri-Sat 12:00PM - 1:30AM

Note: my heaven of gelato in Rome is "Il Gelatone", near the Colosseo. I will talk about it in my future posts!

A lovely walk to Piazza di Trevi

2008-07-04T20:30:00.035-04:00

Piazza di Trevi and its magnificent Fountain

We thanked Vincenzo and family for another delicious meal and headed towards Piazza di Trevi for a gelato. At the busy intersection of Via XX Settembre with Via delle Quattro Fontane, we comtemplated the four beautiful fountains that adorn each of the crossroad's corners... A couple of blocks ahead, we arrived at the gorgeous and spacious Piazza del Quirinale. From there, we took the stairs down to the peaceful Via della Dataria and quickly reached the city's most famous fontain: Fontana di Trevi. What a lovely surprise; the fountain suddenly confronts you as you emerge from the tight web of streets around the square.

Via XX Settembre

Le Quattro Fontane: Nile

Le Quattro Fontane: River God representing the Tevere (Tiber)

Le Quattro Fontane: Juno

Le Quattro Fontane: Diana

Piazza del Quirinale

Accross the street from Piazza del Quirinale, the Constitutional Court of Italy

Cy at Piazza del Quirinale

From Piazza del Quirinale, take the stairs down to Via della Dataria towards Piazza di Trevi

Fontana di Trevi

Cy and the Fontana... What a pair!

A nice memory... Cy back in July 2004

Hostaria da Vincenzo

2008-06-21T14:59:00.005-04:00

Piazza della Republica

After that deserving nap, we took a cab to Castelfidardo with XX Settembre for dinner at one of our favorite hostaria's in the Centro Storico: "Da Vincenzo", a family-managed restaurant, just ten minutes by walking from Piazza della Republica. We used to go to "Da Vincenzo" once or twice a month, always before one of our favorite night walks in town. I will let you know the details of this after-dinner stroll on my next post; for now, let me tell you a little bit about the cucina of this classic Hostaria.

If you order the antipasti ai frutti di mare, Vincenzo will bring you 6 to 8 different dishes: calamari (squids), polipetti (baby octopus), alici marinate (marinated anchovy), insalata di polipo con carote e olive (octopus salad with carrots and olives), frittino misto (selection of fried vegetables, fishes, and leaves), riso con melone e gamberetti (rice with melon and baby shrimps), sautè di cozze (mussels), and ostriche (oysters). Everything is delicious and fresh! This is almost a meal by itself, so make sure you reserve some space for a primo or secondo!

To start, I recommend one of the most celebrated dishes in Rome, the Bucatini all'Amatriciana, with its classic sauce of tomato and guanciale (cured pig jowls). I’ve had this pasta in many restaurants in Rome and without a doubt, Da Vincenzo cooks it with perfection! If you still have room for a secondo, ask Vincenzo to suggest you one of their delicious lobster dishes. Finally, a sorbetto al limone will close your meal beautifully! To accompany this delicious dinner, try a Greco di Tufo DOCG (minimum 85% Greco), a white wine produced in the province of Avelino, Campania.

Ristorante Hostaria Da Vincenzo
Via Castelfidardo, 6 ROMA
Tel. 06.484596

Vincenzo and I - thank you Vincenzo for always taking good care of us!

The Hostaria

Albergo del Senato

2008-06-12T02:00:00.004-04:00

Albergo del Senato and its extraordinary terrace...

After a long day walking around the Centro Storico, all Cy and I wanted was to go back to the hotel, have a relaxing shower, and take a short nap before dinner.

One of my favorite areas in Rome is Piazza della Rotonda and its surroundings... So this time, I didn't miss the chance of staying at the Albergo del Senato, literally a few steps from the Pantheon. The room, although small, was beautifully furnished with a view straight out on the square!

Piazza della Rotonda from our bedroom's window

Pantheon from our bedroom's window

Antica Barbieria Peppino

2008-06-11T07:07:00.002-04:00

A few steps from Antico Caffè Greco is a classic example of Italian style and tradition: the Antica Barbieria Peppino, one of the most prestigious barber shops in Rome. Founded in 1956 by the late Peppino Ricciardi, this luogo-simbolo of the Italian capital is managed by the simpatico Calabrese Piero Migliacci and his two assistants, Fernando & Antonio. The discretion and sincere kindness offered by these gentlemen combined with their amazing skills will make your 60 minutes there an unforgettable experience!

Antica Barbieria Peppino
Via della Vite, 62
Tel. 06 6798404
http://anticabarbieria.com/home.htm

Me and my brother Marcio at the Barbieria in 2006

Marcio being taken care by Fernando: nothing like receiving a traditional straight razor shave, having a haircut, and then getting back to Caffè Greco for another espresso!

Cy, me, Fernando, Antonio, Marcio and Lu

Antico Caffè Greco, the oldest coffee bar in Rome

2008-06-08T12:40:00.000-04:00

After that delicious tagliatelle ai frutti di mare, we said good-bye to our friends and headed to one of my favorite coffee bars in Rome: Antico Caffè Greco, the oldest in town, founded in 1760. As expected, the barista made us two perfect macchiati and got us ready for our walk back to the hotel...

Address: Via Condotti 84 (Metro: Spagna, A Line), Rome's poshest shopping strip, a few steps from Piazza di Spagna. Phone 06-6791700.

To reach Antico Caffè Greco from Trattoria Ragno D’Oro: take Via Cola di Rienzo towards Piazza del Popolo, take Via del Babuino towards Piazza di Spagna, and turn right on Via dei Condotti. A must go for all coffee lovers!

Arriving at Piazza del Popolo

Piazza del Popolo

Via del Babuino

Arriving at Piazza di Spagna

Fontana La Barcaccia

Spanish Steps

Via dei Condotti

Finally, the legendary Antico Caffè Greco

Trattoria Ragno d'Oro... Bold flavors, phenomenal quality, at honest prices.

2008-06-07T09:43:00.002-04:00

We have been to many trattoria’s in Rome but Ragno d’Oro remains the number ONE on our list. Located in the historical and residential neighborhood of Prati, a few blocks from the Vatican, the "Spider of Gold" is a must go for those who appreciate an authentic Roman cuisine.

We had lunch with our friend Francesco and his friend Marta; they had never been to Ragno d’Oro before, so I was excited to introduce my favorite trattoria to them!

We ordered the antipasto della casa followed by a deliciously fresh tagliatelle ai frutti di mare. We drunk a Castelli Romani DOC (Malvasia and/or Trebbiano grapes), an easy to drink white; on the nose fruity; on the palate fresh and dry, great for dishes a base di frutti di mare.

I want to thank Francesco for the wonderful lunch, we really had a great time. How could we forget to take pictures?! :(

When visiting Ragno d’Oro, don’t miss:

- Antipasto della casa: Fiori di zucchina, filetto di baccalà, supplì, olive ascolane, calzoncini, prosciutto, and lonza;
- Primo: Handmade gnocchi or tagliatelle ai frutti di mare;
- Secondo: Spigola alla griglia;
- Contorno: Carciofo alla giudia;
- Dolce: Granita di caffè con panna OR torta di ricotta

Ragno d’Oro
Trattoria Pizzeria
via Silla 26
Roma - (RM)
tel: 06 3212362
info@ragnodoro.org
http://www.ragnodoro.org/

I am grateful to both the Formichella family and their cheerful assistant Piddu for their kindness and warm hospitality over the years. Grazie ragazzi!

Cy, me, Fabio, and Signor Formichella in 2005

Long, cozy, and bright dining room

My brother Marcio and his wife Luciana, at Ragno d'Oro in 2006

Inside a residential building in Prati

A wonderful walk to Ragno d'Oro, one of our favorite trattoria's in Rome

2008-06-05T21:21:00.003-04:00

That simple yet memorable breakfast at Tazza d’Oro helped us recover from our long flight and gave us plenty of energy for the first piece of our Saturday itinerary. We took a long walk to Prati to have lunch with our Roman friend Francesco at one of our favorite trattoria's in town, the "Ragno D'Oro". On my next post I will talk about this secret gem; until then, here’s what we had to do to get there:

Departuring from Piazza della Rotonda: Piazza Navona, Via del Governo Vecchio, Via dei Bianchi Nuovi, right on Via del Banco di Santo Spirito, Ponte Sant’Angelo, Via della Conciliazione, Piazza San Pietro, Via di Porta Angelica, right on Via dei Gracchi (parallel to Via Cola di Rienzo), and finally, left on Via Silla, 26.

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona

A nice memory: Me, Lu, and Cy at Piazza Navona in 2006

Cul de Sac Wine bar, on Via del Governo Vecchio/Piazza Pasquino - 1500 labels!

Pizzeria da Baffetto, a Roman Institution, on Via del Governo Vecchio

Me on Via del Banco di Santo Spirito, with Castel Sant'Angelo on the background

Ponte & Castel Sant'Angelo

Picture taken from Ponte Sant'Angelo (Basilica di San Pietro's cupola on the background)

Via della Conciliazione with Basilica di San Pietro on the background

Piazza di San Pietro

Finally... Trattoria Ragno D'Oro, managed by Marco & Fabio Formichella

Tazza d'Oro coffee roasting house

2008-06-04T21:50:00.002-04:00

Regalate un sacco di caffè... acquisterete un sacco di amici...

We arrived at the Albergo del Senato at 8:30am and as expected, our room wasn't available yet. We left our luggage at the reception, freshened up quickly, and left for the morning itinerary. Before heading to Piazza Navona, we paid a visit to one of the best coffee shops in the world: the mythical, legendary Tazza d'Oro. I had the breakfast of my dreams: a perfect caffè latte and a deliciously fresh Cornetto. I had been missing so much the professionalism and precision of the bariste italiani so it felt great to be finally back to the "Cup of Gold"!

Tazza d`Oro
La Casa del Caffè
Via degli Orfani, 84 (a few steps from the Pantheon)
+39 (06) 6792768
Open 7AM-8PM, Monday to Saturday

A little history on Tazza d’Oro (extracted from “Café life Rome”, by Joe Wolff):

Owner Natalia Fiocchetto says her grandfather was bitten by the coffee bug while traveling as a tourist in Brazil and Jamaica. After visiting a number of coffee plantations, he returned to Italy and started a coffee business. Tazza d’Oro opened its doors in 1946 and they are the only ones that have a license for roasting coffee in the Centro Storico (Historic Center).

Signora Fiocchetto’s grandfather, Mario Fiocchetto, created the recipe for the original house blend. And, like every blend that Tazza d’Oro sells, it has less than one percent caffeine (between 0.7-0.9%). “Our coffee doesn’t bother your stomach or your liver and it doesn’t interfere with sleep. It has a strong flavor, but it doesn’t make you feel bad,” says Signora Fiocchetto. Tazza d’Oro uses gas roasters to cook the coffee slowly in small batches, which allows for more control and a better product. Big companies roast coffee in large batches with electronic machines that are extremely fast but tend to overcook the beans.

Customers order Tazza d’Oro coffee from all over the world via the Internet http://www.tazzadorocoffeeshop.com/, fax, phone, and mail. In fact, some people have proposed opening the business in other countries, but Signora Fiocchetto does not want it to turn into a huge commercial venture. She prefers to remain a small family operation in order to maintain the highest quality product.

The Tazza d’Oro logo-La Seminatrice or sewer of seeds, a tall and sensual black woman scattering coffee beans around the world-reflects Signora Fiocchetto’s grandfather’s love of the Caribbean, South America, and the coffee it produces. You see this figure on the outside of the Caffè.

The Spanish tag line “El meglior do mundo” (on the sign outside the bar) was purposely misspelled by the signora’s grandfather, Mario Fiocchetto, because it sounded better to his ear than the correct “El major del mundo” (The best in the world).

We finally arrived in Rome!

2008-05-24T22:27:00.002-04:00

Nice memory: 2005 new year's eve

We arrived on Fiumicino airport today at 7:00am. We took a train to the Stazione Termini and from there we rode a cab to Piazza della Rotonda, where our hotel is located. Seeing and touching the Pantheon once again, with the wonderful smell of coffee coming from Tazza d'Oro, brought up many wonderful memories of when we lived here... It feels incredibly good to be finally back to the Eternal City!

Before heading to the Langhe, a couple of days in the Eternal City...

2008-05-20T20:07:00.003-04:00

S(enatus) P(opulus)Q(ue) R(omanus)
The Senate and people of Rome

Back in ‘06, I took my first trip to the Langhe with my brother Márcio. That adventure turned out to be a fascinating experience and cemented my love affair with Piedmont. Ever since I’ve been researching the region's wines and producers and planning a comeback, at this time with my wife Cyntia. Starting May 24, we will spend nine days in Italy, five of them in the Langhe! We will be based in Castiglione Falletto, a village of 630 people, located in the heart of the Barolo production area. Before arriving in Castiglione, we will stay a couple of days in Ivrea and Torino with our dear friends Michele & Sabina. We initially thought about staying north the whole trip to save some travel time; however, both of us miss Rome tremendously, so we decided to start our journey in the Eternal City. We'll fly in through Fiumicino, enjoy a weekend in Rome, and then head north for our Piedmont tour, getting back to the States through Malpensa.

Here's the itinerary I came up with for our first day in Italy:

Roma – 24/05/08 – Before Lunch
Hotel: Albergo del Senato http://www.albergodelsenato.it/
Caffè Tazza d'Oro www.tazzadorocoffeeshop.com
Piazza Navona
Via del Governo Vecchio
Continue on “Via dei Bianchi Nuovi”
Right on “Via del Banco di Santo Spirito”
Cross “Ponte Sant’Angelo”
Via della Conciliazione
Piazza San Pietro
Via di Porta Angelica
Right on “Via dei Gracchi” (parallel to “Via Cola di Rienzo”)
Left on “Via Silla, 26 - Ristorante Ragno D’Oro “

Roma – 24/05/08 – After Lunch
From the “Ristorante Ragno D’Oro”
Via Cola di Rienzo
Piazza del Popolo
Via del Babuino
Piazza di Spagna
Via dei Condotti
Antico Caffè Greco
Cross “Via del Corso”
Continue on “Via della Fontanella di Borghese”
Cross “Via della Lupa”
Continue on “Via del Clementino”
Left on “Via della Scrofa”
Left on “Via Giustiniani”
Pantheon - Albergo del Senato

Roma – 24/05/08 – Before & After Dinner
Cab to the corner of “Via 20 Settembre” with “Via Castelfidardo” - Ostaria da Vincenzo
Take “Via 20 Settembre” towards the “Piazza del Quirinale”
Piazza del Quirinale
Down the stairs – “Via della Dataria”
Right on Via di San Vincenzo
Piazza di Trevi
Left on “Via Crociferi” and continue on “Via dei Sabini”
Cross “Via del Corso” and arrive at “Piazza Colonna”
Piazza di Monte Citorio
In front of the Parlament: “Via della Guglia”
Right on "Via dei Pastini”
Pantheon - Albergo del Senato