Rome is one of the most romantic cities in the world and without a doubt it puts the rome in romance
From its ancient ruins and fountains to its winding and narrow cobblestone streets
It is hard not to be seduced by the city
On my last day in Rome I decided to venture out from the historic center see what life was like outside the city walls
As I normally do for my final day I head to a residential market Oh a porchetta
Look at that prosciutto
Afterwards a nice stroll that usually ends with drinking of you
It's almost like a cross between wine and beer very interesting. Mmm, and then on to a very special dinner
melt-in-your-mouth
The perfect way to say arrivederci Roma
One of the best ways to feel a city is to get outside of it
To go into the local neighborhoods and be amongst the locals with no tourists in sight
starting out from the Coliseum
I headed out for a nice walk to Testaccio
Going to a grocery store in a local residential area is one of the best ways to capture the essence of the culture. I
Cannot wait to check out the stock geo markets truly get the vibe of this area
Stepping into Mercato testaccio, I immediately felt as if I lived there it was mesmerizing
people shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables
Clothing for their kids and of course some food to take home for dinner
Turning the corner in enormous prosciutto practically slap me in the face one journal in my very broken Italian
Yeah
Thank you. Google translate
I
Ordered some prosciutto. What effect? Oh
like a kid on Christmas
My eyes lit up as I noticed the head cheese in porchetta. Oh and this skin
Unbelievable to have access to these fresh foods every day. God say
ciao to
balance out all the meat that I bought I thought a little fruit would be good and
Feeling a little bit like James and the Giant Peach
I came across what had to be the biggest peach I've ever seen look at the size of this page
The peach was even washed for me to eat while I shopped. God say immediately
stall after stall
This is what local life was like it was real
All right, I even found a small food court to enjoy my delicious purchases the coup de Gras for me
Look at that prosciutto
The prosciutto was like candy thinly cut slightly salty and oh so good
The absolute best I've ever had the fat is light and buttery
the meat is
so
juicy and tender
Really good the head cheese made from the head of a pig including the feet and bite was delicious
If you've had corned beef that is exactly what this tastes like, so don't let the texture turn you away
It's phenomenal
This reminds me of what we would call in my family Jilla Dean
Which is basically a head cheese with a lot of jelly around it
But the jewel at this table
was the homemade porchetta in Italian specialty and I want to look for a super juicy piece a
Pork roll made from the belly of the pig seasoned with salt pepper. Garlic
A little fennel powder some olive oil and hot pepper seeds
Rolled together and then fired up on a rotisserie or in the oven with a bit of white wine
Thumbs up at medicago Testaccio
For drinks with a view I decided to check out the rooftop bar at Hotel Rafael and it did not disappoint
The view was spectacular
You can see st. Pete's novum behind me which is a beautiful cathedral
You see the monument of the Victor Emmanuel in the distance?
this is
absolutely a
Mesmerizing terrace and it has absolutely
every element of
Rome subduction
Captured right here for my drink
I decided to try something a little bit more on the unusual side a glass of orange wine from Tuscany
Beautiful color orange wine is really orange. It's like a amber and honey in color
It's basically a white wine where the grape skins are macerated with the grapes and this is not typical for white wine
But it is the process used to make red wine
And so keeping the grape skins and seeds together with the white grapes in this case a malvasia grape
Macerating them together is what produces the orange color during the fermentation process
Which can take anywhere from four days to one year the resulting color
Can then range anywhere from the light amber to a dark pink?
It's almost like a cross between wine and beer as if it was combined together
And I know that sounds a little wonky, but it actually works
After a quick wardrobe change it was time for dinner and as the morning began I'm heading back to to Sashi
Oh into the local scene for one of the fast trot areas in all of Rome da Felicia
And yes, that is my last name. So it has to be good, right?
Since 1936 Felicia has been serving up authentic local Roman cuisine
And from what I understand the pastas don't get any better
Their most notable dish the one they're known for all over the city is the iconic Roman pasta
Cacio e pepe and that is exactly what I'm coming for
Upon entering Philly che I felt immediately like family and I guess I am somewhere down the line
the trattoria was lined with whitewashed brick walls a classic black and white checkered floor and
The staff the smile from ear to ear
Our server Antonella was over the top just like the food
Ordering in Italy is always an adventure and when language gets in the way order everything or at least what sounds good
For the first course or an Italian eel cream, oh the pasta course, I got the cacio e pepe
carbonara and
bucatini the
Lamb this burger Maddy Maddy go all meatballs for the second course or an Italian eel cycloned
Oh, I got the tripe or Tripa lamb veal and the house meatballs to get the evening started
Angie Felicia is incredible sommelier
Recommended a Montepulciano called digi rhombus by producer Marco car Panetti in organic winery in the Lazio region
Just south of Rome
it was a delicious red with hints of tobacco and plum and it had a powdery finish and
Now for the dish I've been waiting for the cacio e pepe
literally meaning cheese and pepper
the pasta is a toner le like a thick cut spaghetti simply prepared with pasta water salt and
Cracked black pepper, and then completely covered in pecorino romano
From you guessed it Rome the pecorino romano
the cracked black pepper corns
It is
Fabulous, and I loved every bite fantastico
Molto bene my next pasta was the house ravioli fill each a a homemade ravioli noodle stuffed with ricotta
fresh basil mint oregano
Marjoram in time. You can smell all those spices. It is pungent. It is very fragrant
Mmm the sage I can smell the sage and the marjoram
It was so good, this is so fresh
It's like walking through my garden at home with all of the fresh herbs
Right here in this pasta
Outstanding and now the carbonara the beautiful crispy bacon again pecorino romano
we're in la zo we are in roma and
of course the spaghetti and you can see how
beautifully rich and
Gooey, this sauce is it looks so good
My last pasta was one of my personal favorites the bucatini alla amatriciana
Thick cut hollow spaghetti leg noodles. Tossed with a robust red sauce
simply prepared with olive oil sauteed onions pecorino romano
Black pepper and chilies and the most important ingredient of all is the junk Gallo
Which is the pork jowl the jowls of the pig which give it intense flavor, believe it or not
You can get this back home. If you go to our true good
deli or butcher
they will have the junk all along and you need to use it don't cheat and
Skip with the bacon you want to get the good stuff for the second course, and she switched me to a full-bodied 2010
Cabernet multiple Giano blend from the marquee region
esperanto fe de rosa
Producer choo choo in the town of oaf EDA along the Adriatic Sea just north of Rome
very good
The main course has arrived a veal saltimbocca a Roman specialty
Simply prepared by sauteing veal cutlets and then layering them with prosciutto and fresh sage
Topping with a buttery lemony pan sauce
So tender and bright the prosciutto gives the saltimbocca
The perfect saltiness the veal is pounded very very thin super tender
The sauce has some nice bright lemon juice in it fabulous
next house-made veal meatballs in a tomato sauce
perfectly pink on the inside and
fork-tender
melts in your mouth
It is
so moist so
Tender and then there was lamb roast lamb
Simply roasted with sea salt and rosemary and then topped with golden potatoes
Roasted with the pan drippings. It was beyond fabulous and you always want to go right in by the bone
Why because that is where all the flavor is a little rosemary?
Lightly salted lightly peppered. The meat is speaking for itself tonight
And that's all that needs to be said
The final course was Tripa or tripe a traditional Roman specialty enjoyed on Saturdays in ancient times in Rome
Tripe is the stomach lining of a cow
Served as a soup like white coral in appearance and squishy to the bite
It was beautifully braised and served with a light tomato puree and then topped with of course
Pecorino romano. It is fantastic. Dinner was incredible and for dessert a house-made tiramisu
But not before my crew pulled yet another birthday fast one on me
Chocolate on top
Whipped cream and chunks of chocolate fudge. Would it twist on the classic a sweet ending to a perfect evening?
this has been the best evening and
If you want to really experience Rome if you want to taste of Rome get out of the city go into the burbs
Get with the people get out of the tourist lines
Stay strong
As
a parting token
How could I not ask for one of the aprons with the name Feliciana and like family Alex came over and signed the apron?
Commemorating our time together at Philly che and yes, I have it at home in my kitchen closet
This was one of the best and most memorable meals of my life
Beyond the absolute perfection of each course
Alex Antonella and Angie treated me like and made me feel like family
They did not want to leave I don't want to leave Rome you've stolen my heart
When you
Down tonight