When in Rome, eat like a local
Copyright: Dominic O'Grady (2018).
PUNTARELLE. I haven't heard of it either until I sit down at Osteria Il Bocconcino, a restaurant I walk into in Rome on the strength of a Gambero Rosso sticker that I see on the window.
It's just around the corner from the Colosseum in an area that used to be considered down at heel but now boasts a cluster of good-quality wine bars and restaurants peopled by Romans and some smart (or in my case, lucky) travellers.
Puntarelle is there on the osteria's specials board, listed for €5 ($8), underneath the pasta of the day, maltagliata con pesto, and the chicken, il bocconino. It might be easier to ask the waiter for an explanation, but more fun to send a quick text to my Italo-Australian friend back home, who's getting up for breakfast in Sydney as I'm sitting down for dinner in Rome.
"They are the stalks of cicoria. You see the stallholders preparing them at the Campo de Fiore markets," is his reply.
Days earlier, as I walked through Campo de Fiore, I'd noticed but not understood what these stallholders were doing. They sat beside their produce stalls with buckets of icy water at their feet, holding bundles of what I now know are chicory stalks, or cicoria di catalogna.
The stalks are sliced into thin strips and dropped into acidulated water so they pucker and curl like frilly party decorations. The stalks are served raw, dressed in an emulsion of olive oil, anchovy and lemon juice. My puntarelle tastes divine; its crunchy acidity is a lovely counterpoint to the unctuous chicken braised in white wine that is Il Bocconcino's other special of the day.
And while it seems unutterably touristy to order tiramisu for dessert, I do so because the waiter promises it's home-made and very good. He's right.
George Bernard Shaw said there is no love sincerer than the love of food and given that holidays are by nature a time for doing the things one loves, it feels perfectly appropriate to spend time in Rome paying some attention to the city's art and history, and totally obsessing about its food and wine.
A walk through the Colosseum is a fine and wonderful thing to do. Just make sure to schedule it so you finish in time for lunch at Il Bocconcino.
Similarly, no visit to Rome is complete without a look at the Pantheon, just as long as there's time for spaghetti all'Amatriciana at a fabulously low-key trattoria nearby called Il Tonino at via Governo Vecchio 18. And while few would dispute that time spent inside the Sistine Chapel is one of life's enriching experiences, it would be a sin to miss the mixed plate of cheese and cured meats, served with a glass of rosato primitivo, at another via Governo Vecchio favourite, Cul de Sac.
Food-obsessed tourists in Rome are spoilt for choice. The trick, of course, is to find the small family-run places that deliver authentic Roman cuisine without breaking the bank. Here's how you do it:
- Look for restaurants that display the Gambero Rosso sticker. Gambero Rosso is an Italian-language restaurant and accommodation guide, with a focus on regional cuisine and slow food.
- Keep an eye out for queues. If the pizza's worth queuing for then it's worth queuing for. A case in point is Da Bafetto in Rome's Centro Storico.
- Ask around. Word-of-mouth recommendations through personal networks are worth their weight in gold.
One final tip. If you don't find the perfect place on day one, don't sweat. Tomorrow's another meal. Useful links: Il Bocconcino, Cul de Sac
- First published in The Australian