Nonna Betta
Where? Nonna Betta (Rione VII Regola, Rome, Italy) Map
When? Tuesday April 11, 2017
Who? Me
Food Style? Italian Jewish/Kosher
In the ghetto of Rome, this Jewish roman restaurant serves very classic homely food, and with a name like Nonna Betta (Grandmother Betta), it's no wonder it's a local favourite. Their speciality is the Jerusalem artichoke, lightly fried and salted, so I've ordered one with a gnocchi for lunch mains. I'm not at 100% appetite just yet, still suffering from the effects of food poisoning.
Antipasto
Carciofo alla Giudia - artichoke, Jewish style
The artichoke is delicious. Crispy on the outside, flakes with the texture of potato chips, while the inside is smooth like avocado. It's seasoned perfectly to bring out the natural taste.
Primo Piatto
Tagliolini col Ragu di Nonna Betta - fresh pasta with Nonna Betta's Ragu
The gnocchi comes out. It is not gnocchi. It's spaghetti. It smells good and I have no idea how to tell the waiter that it isn't what I ordered so I just eat it anyway. There's lots of tomato, a bit of meat which I assume is beef, and a bit of cheese, which hopefully doesn't upset my stomach. It's probably too much for me too eat in this state but I power on because it's quite tasty.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:15pm on Friday April 28, 2017 :: 0 comments :: 
Burro e Sugo
Where? Burro e Sugo (Quartiere X Ostiense, Rome, Italy) Map
I'm at a local joint near my hostel in Rome, which I know is authentic because most of the wait staff don't speak English and the menu is mostly in Italian, save for the combo specials. I'm not that hungry so I've opted for the light meal, which gives me two bruschetta, a main - fettuccine al salmone, and a cake of the house. After some complications with my accommodation, I'm hoping to take it easy and relax today.
Antipasto
House Bruschetta
The bruschetta arrives. One is tomato and the other is beans. The bread is warm to touch and crispy, with lots of herbs and olive oil to bring out those classic Mediterranean flavours. I like the tomato one better, the bean one needed a bit more salt, and I'm not too much of a fan of celery either. A quick glance sideways and I'm glad that hands is an acceptable way to eat bruschetta, otherwise I've been doing it horribly wrong since day one here.
Primo Piatto
Fettuccine al salmone
The fettuccine arrives and a wonderful smoked salmon smells fills the air. I like it. The creamy sauce and smoked fish go very well together, and this would be too rich without the fresh green herbs sprinkled on the top. The serving size is pretty generous and there's a lot of salmon within the pasta. I'm getting full.
The lights of the restaurant are turned off, leaving only the romantic glow of the candles and fairy lights illuminating the restaurant. Too bad I'm here by myself. This does pose a serious problem though, how am I going to take pictures of my dessert without attracting too much attention? Worse, I'm asked what dessert I want and have no idea what the waiter is saying. He spouts off some stuff and I recognise only panna cotta, so I just order that. It comes with Nutella. Yusssss.
Holy moly. This is a panna cotta in a bowl covered with about an inch of Nutella. I'm not going to take a picture of this because it's probably culturally insensitive and, when in Rome, literally...
I have to scoop the Nutella to one side. It's too rich and sweet otherwise. That was almost unpleasant. What a pity because the rest of the meal was very good. As I leave, a crowd of at least 20 are waiting outside to get in.
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Addendum: I've got food poisoning. I think it was either the salmon fettuccine or the panna cotta. I'm leaning towards the panna cotta because I did feel quite unpleasant after eating it, but I thought it was just the excess Nutella. Let's not go into details. Hopefully I'll be back on track tomorrow.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:07pm on Friday April 28, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Trattoria Il Contadino
Where? Trattoria Il Contadino (Florence, Italy) Map
When? Friday April 7, 2017
Who? Me
Food Style? Italian
After day tripping around the Tuscan country side, I'm back in Florence for my last night. I'm at a restaurant near the train station at a recommendation of a friend, and despite it being in a touristy area, it's filled with locals. The front menu is Italian but the back is in English. I've gone for the fixed price menu, which has two plates and a side dish, and a drink for €14.50
First Plate
Roast Pork
The roast pork arrives. It's...um. Not what I expected. The meat is okay and the gravy is a bit watered down..and I'm not sure what else to say because there is nothing else on the plate. I'm very confused.
Second Plate
Roast Rabbit and Side Salad
My roast rabbit and side salad arrive next. They are also very literally what I got. However the rabbit is much more tasty, and the meat is falling off the bone beautifully on the drumstick. It's not as gamey as I thought it would be. Other parts of the rabbit are a bit tough and dry though.
I'm leaning towards a no for this one. The other tables seem to have amazing looking platters with side vegetables and garnish and I don't know what I've done wrong.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:00pm on Friday April 28, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Ristorante Vivo
Where? Ristorante Vivo (Florence, Italy) Map Menu
When? Thursday April 6, 2017
Who? Me
Food Style? Italian Seafood
I saw this recommended by a local so I thought I'd give it a go. It's not too far out of the city centre, very close to the library in fact, but what's encouraging is the menu is all in Italian. It doesn't have the cosy family vibe that I Riffaioli had but that's okay. It's more modern and upbeat, and they're currently playing a lounge cover of "All About That Bass". The very helpful waitress has translated everything for me and I've gone for the mix raw seafood platter with the bavette gamberi e zucchine, which is similar to tagliatelle and with shrimp and zucchini. I also have a single glass of white wine, as opposed to a carafe. Things are looking good. I arrived right on opening time and the restaurant was empty, but 30 mins later, it's starting to fill up.
Antipasto
Mix Crudo - Platter of raw seafood with oysters, clams, mussels,
sea urchin and sea snails
The seafood platter arrives and it looks SO GOOD that I don't have time to write about everything. The oysters and shellfish are sweet and fresh, the mussels...are okay but will never beat the green lipped species from New Zealand. The sea snails are my favourite on the plate. A little smudge of the spicy mayo and a sprinkle of lemon juice and they're so tasty. The prawns I am happily sucking the roe out of the heads and eating the flesh and licking my fingers (and then typing on my phone). Wow. I'm impressed.
While waiting for mains, I peer into the kitchen just behind me. I love watching chefs in action, running a restaurant is no easy task and they make it look so coordinated and disciplined. The dishes being brought out look amazing and I'm looking forward to mine. The waitress catches my eye and apologises for the wait but I tell her I'm happy watching everything. She says that the fisherman and restaurant operate under the same umbrella and I say it definitely shows in how fresh the produce is.
Primo Piatto
Bavette Gamberi e Zucchine
The mains arrive. I can smell the shrimp and onion, but there isn't a lot of zucchini. It tastes great though, and I'm willing to forgive the strands of shrimp antennae strewn through the pasta. I'm glad I'm in the corner of the restaurant where no can watch me barbarically tear these shrimp apart with my fingers and then suck the roe out of heads.
I want dessert. There a lot of choice. Do I go for the Tuscan almond biscuit with wine or the Italian icons tiramisu and panna cotta?
Dessert
Dolci del Giorno - berry cheesecake
I've decided to go with the berry cheesecake, just to see how the Italians do it. They do it damn well. The cheesecake is soft and smooth, with lots of berries adorning the top, adding that lovely tartness to balancing the sweet vanilla filling.
That was an amazing meal. I'm smiling from ear to ear and I instruct the waitress to pass my compliments to the chef; for some reason she is impressed with my terrible command of the Italian language when I magic up two words to sum my experience: molto bene!
Posted by Jeremy at 9:56pm on Friday April 28, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
I'Tuscani 2
Where? I'Tuscani 2 (Florence, Italy) Map Menu
When? Wednesday April 5, 2017
Who? Me
Food Style? Italian Steakhouse
I'm trying my luck with steak again. This place is also highly rated but it's well hidden down a narrow alley and the door is so unassuming it doesn't even look like a restaurant, so hopefully it's good. The waiter tells me the T-bone platter is available for one person, so I order it. Unfortunately it also comes with 500mL of red wine. I swear I will not be finishing this so I can avoid another disaster. The waiter also informs me that all the cutlery is not plastic, but composted and made from cellulose produced from the organic waste in leftovers. Nice!
Appetizer
Capocollo with croutons
I get a free appetiser. Similar to prosciutto but from a different part of the animal, it's quite salty yet balances well with the salad. I can feel the wine already. This is not a good sign. Thankfully the lighting is dim so people can't see my skin tone.
Secondo Piatto
Scelta tra Filetto o Bistecca - Beef steak with potatoes and grilled vegetables
A massive plate of meat and vegetables arrives. It looks and smells damn good and and I dive in with my composted fork and a metallic steak knife. I hit the fat and it won't cut further. I try and try again and in the end I can feel my fingers getting numb from working the knife and fork. I ask a waitress if they can cut it up for me because this is just too difficult, and not just because of the wine. The plate arrives back for my second attempt. I think they've just cooked it a bit more than the medium rare I asked for, but we're good. This steak has flavour. It's got a wonderful smokiness to it and the meat is tasty. The grilled vegetables are perfect with a bit of olive oil drizzled on them.
I'm struggling to finish but I make it to the end, with only the bone, potatoes, bread and lettuce remaining. I'm totally stuffed and the waitress congratulates me on a job well done. The tables around me (all Asian) have smartly opted to share their platter. I'm exhausted. I politely decline dessert. That was a mega meal and finally the steak that I've been looking for without being ridiculously expensive. I'm struggling to breathe, that's how full I am. I'm going to finish my glass of wine (there's still half left in the bottle) and then stumble back home.
Posted by Jeremy at 9:41pm on Friday April 28, 2017 :: 1 comment ::