This weekend Bo and I headed south to Rome, Italy for 48 hours of history, architecture, delicious food, and fun with two of our friends from Georgia, Raj and Asha. While you can certainly spend multiple days in Rome without growing bored, I would say that a minimum of two nights is needed to really experience both aspects of the area but 3 nights is ideal. This weekend we spent one full day seeing ancient Rome and another full day exploring Vatican City which was a perfect way to see the city without becoming overwhelmed.

STAY

Since Bo recently left his job we knew that finding a reasonably priced hotel or an AirBnB spot would be ideal for this trip. Since none of us had spent much time in Rome, narrowing down the area of town where we wanted to stay was quite difficult. Luckily I work in an international office so I was able to ask a few co-workers who are from Rome for suggestions. Since we knew that we wanted to spend a full day in Vatican City and we didn’t want to be in an area packed with tourists, two co-workers each suggested staying near the Vatican. The rates tend to be less expensive yet you can still reach many of the popular sites across the river either on foot or with a less than 10 euro cab ride. We were very pleased with our experience at Starhotels Michaelangelo. Located just 5 minutes from Vatican City, the hotel was recently renovated and features 179 rooms, half of which enjoy gorgeous views of the Vatican. We found the hotel on Expedia and were lucky to snag reasonable rates which were 1/2 as much as many other 4 and 5 star hotels in Rome. Our rooms featured a king size bed, large bathroom, balcony, fridge which was perfect for storing snacks & wine, and a blow dryer. Our room rate also included a full European breakfast and wi-fi which is often not included in European hotels. The only thing to note about the hotel is that their front desk staff leaves something to be desired. They acted as if answering questions and calling a cab for us was doing us a favor or something out of the ordinary.

EAT

How do I begin to describe the incredible food we ate while in Rome? Seriously we were so lucky to get recommendations from friends, blog readers and Twitter because so many of our bites and tastes through Rome were memorable. In order to make this easy to read and remember for later, here our 4 places you must eat while in Rome!

• Gelato: Located near the Trevi Fountain, San Crispino gelato shop has gained recognition around the world through its inclusion in Eat, Pray Love, New York Times, Michelin Guide and others for their made from scratch gelato which ranges in flavors from the light and fruity to the incredibly decadent. The gelato is served only in cups due to their belief that cones aren’t hygienic. I highly recommend splurging on two scoops because one flavor just won’t suffice.

• Pizza: The pizza served at Pizzeria Remo came so highly recommended we were willing to wait in the rain for our table! This bustling pizzeria serves up delicious, simple Roman thin crust pizzas while greeting customers with a smile and a hearty pour of their very inexpensive house wines. This was the best pizza of our trip and also very reasonably priced as our group of 4 enjoyed wine, water, appetizer and two pizzas for under 60 euros! The margherita pie was by far my favorite not needing any topics to wow our taste buds with it’s simple buffalo mozzarella and fresh tomato combination. 

• Cheese: My second time dining at Roscioli, a small restaurant within the Italian grocery store wasn’t quite as magical as the first. We were seated near an unruly American crowd for 30 minutes which made enjoying our wine and hearing each other talk difficult. After that the courses were hit and miss, a huge change versus my first experience. However, one dish continued to amaze and leave me wanting more. The con pomodorini dish, which is now a dish I can’t imagine not enjoying whenever in Rome, is a heaping plate of fresh Burrata cheese topped with crushed pepper and house made roasted tomatoes. What makes this dish is the combination of flavors due to the Burrata and uniqueness of the sundried tomatoes. Burrata cheese is similar to fresh mozzarella but as if it has been taken out before it’s fully matured. This dish included the taste of soft mozzarella with almost brie like gooeyness.  On the side, sun dried tomatoes added a rich, herb flavor while being far more moist and flavorful than your average jarred sun dried tomatoes.

• Pasta: Located a few blocks away from Pizzeria Remo, Felice a Testaccio had a similar feel – crowded but local. We shared 3 different pasta dishes -  carbonara, pepper parmesan, and a simple tomato sauce pasta. Shared with a bottle of wine, this meal was the perfect way to end our time in Rome. I have no idea who recommended this small local restaurant to Asha but we are forever grateful as they pointed us in the direction of the best pasta we’ve ever tasted. I know that is a strong statement but last night’s house made egg pasta, topped with a simple tomato sauce, was absolutely incredible. We asked our waiter for further details regarding the tomato sauce, including a hint at the ingredients, and he merely winked and said it was just tomatoes.

Later this week I’ll share details around the two wonderful tours we enjoyed while in Rome – one through the ruins and the other through Vatican City!

Have you been to Rome? If so, what was your favorite food experience?