Carol soon joined me and I gave her my seat as I was walking around taking photographs
Each sunset is different of course and so we would be returning tomorrow night when I'll show you the rooftop bar setting
Tonight there were rain clouds approaching, just as forecasted. If it rained we were going to dine close to the hotel, which doesn't have it's own restaurant. We would ask for a recommendation at the front desk, where they are always eager to help.
The church dome in the center of the photo is St Peter's Basilica.
Once the sun had set it began to rain and we went inside to dress for dinner. At the front desk, Mauro gave us his recommendation and it was a restaurant we remembered from the Rick Steves guide book. As it was drizzling rain outside he loaned us a hotel umbrella. To find the restaurant all we had to do was step out the front door of the hotel and look to our right-it was less than 100 yards away. Ideal!
It was cool and damp outside, where we normally like to sit, so we decided to eat indoors. Let's go in!
Today's fresh fish catch was the first thing that greeted us. A plate of anchovies caught my eye...
We waited in the hallway and were soon warmly welcomed. I used my best restaurant Italian to ask for a quiet table near a window.
The main dining room wasn't so quiet so instead we were led to a room with about 6 tables. People dining at the other tables were speaking English so I guess we were in the tourist dining area. Some were talking about the cruise they had just been on and others the cruise ship they would join on Saturday.
We were hungry as we hadn't eaten for 12 hours in a city that has a restaurant every 30 feet or so.
A waiter came to take our order for drinks and brought some bread and olive oil to get us started. Note that you will be charged 3 Euros or so for the bread.
We were dry, comfortable, about to eat well but most importantly we were in Rome. Yes we were tired from lack of sleep but that would come soon. Let's get to the food!
Carol enjoyed her glass of Prosecco while I savored my half bottle of Pinot Grigio. The first dishes arrived at the table...
For her, an artichoke
and for him, fried anchovies with a simple lemon to squeeze
This was a lot of food and we had much more coming but we were so hungry we soon had clean plates.
Pasta course for her- Caccio e Pepe-spaghetti with cheese and pepper and in this case some shaved black truffles.
While I had my favorite spaghetti dish- Spaghetti ala carbonara. Spaghetti with egg and prosciutto.
Our taste buds were singing a happy song...
The waiter poured more wine as we sat resting between courses. It was raining again outside but we still had more food to anticipate and were in no hurry to leave. Dinner is always a highlight of our day and especially so in Italy.
Salmon with the most flavorful tomatoes we had ever eaten (Carol let me try some)
and perhaps my favorite Italian dish-Veal saltimbocca with garlic mashed potato
When the waiter came to remove my plate he could see that I had enjoyed every delicious bite....
We had enjoyed and savored everything that came from that kitchen. I later wrote them a nice review on TripAdvisor. Well deserved.
Dolce? Yes, Carol wanted a dessert and ordered a tiramisu which came in a glass (unusual) while I had my favorite dessert-a glass of Sambuca Romana and an espresso.
A wonderful meal and I'd say the most enjoyable we have eaten in Italy to date. With a tip of 10 Euro or so for the waiter the bill was 130 E and worth every penny (or cent)
By the time we left the rain had stopped and the streets were almost empty of people. It was only 10 pm but we were ready for some sleep.
While we are sleeping here is a video of our evening....
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