When I remember Rome I first think of La Montecarlo
with its large patio on Vicolo Savelli. We were regulars here.
I adore their Margherita pizza -- tomato sauce and mozzarella.
And their Quattro Formaggi -- four cheeses. Binaca o rosso? Bianca -- without tomato sauce.
Then another restaurant appears in my mind -- Luzzi -- two steps from the Colosseum.
I had a margarita pizza with arugula and tomatoes. I cut it in half and folded it over -- it's a grilled cheese salad-sandwich.
Restaurant staff soon learned our beverage preferences which never changed: bubbly water, a large beer and a quarter litre of red wine.
Before leaving for Rome most recently I drew up a list of the dishes I would order. Cacio e pepe -- pasta in cheese sauce was at the top of the list.
Gino al Parliamento surprised us one day with this offering: fettuccine al limone -- freshly made noodles in a delicious garlic lemon sauce.
Bill always likes greens with his meals. We discovered broccoletti, above,
and agretti, both delicious, and habit forming.
We both had the traditional lasagne at Alfredo e Ada: layers of pasta and cheese with ground beef and tomato sauce.
And Bill rediscovered an old friend at Enoteca Corsi: Pollo alla Romano -- chicken with sweet peppers.
We rarely had room for dessert after one of our sumptuous lunches, but when dessert called to us it was often in the form of a tiramisu.
Gino al Parliamento serves their tiramisu in a cup. Augusto in Trastevere serves a wedge.
We who are about to nap first prefer a few spoonfuls of sweetness.
