Consumed in Rome
Roman holiday in your inbox
A few months ago, I went to Rome for a long weekend with dear friends, guided by recommendations from other dear friends. My knowledge of Rome is far less deep than my knowledge of LA, so instead of a long list of must-go spots, I’m focusing on a handful of memorable dishes. I’m not the expert! Your best bet is always following the guidance of people who live in Rome, especially the brilliant Saghar, whom I love following on Instagram.
The first recommendation is an extremely basic one: pizza al taglio, Roman street food sold by the slice. The joy of a fully rectangular pie is that you choose the width. Do you want a square? A long rectangle? Tiny slices for sharing? You’ve got the power! The variety of toppings is another delight. I kept gravitating toward red-sauce slices with the perfect acidity and tang, followed by potato or zucchini slices for a hit of creaminess.
Next up: another classic, supplì. I first tried supplì as a teenager, on the recommendation of my sister and our neighbors, at 2Amys in DC. Their supplì al telefono—named for the way the mozzarella stretches like a telephone cord—remains one of my favorite dishes of all time. The Roman versions didn’t disappoint. Carbonara supplì is wildly untraditional, but it was an unexpected favorite
I made a pilgrimage to the home of bucatini all’amatriciana, La Matriciana, and I would return in a heartbeat just for another bowl. It’s an old-school joint, complete with white tablecloths and waiters in their finest. Everything else on the menu paled in comparison to this dish, with the exception of the tiramisu!
Puntarelle alla Romana is a popular winter dish I first learned about during a weeklong stage at London’s River Café last year. Preparing it is no small feat: extracting the tender inner shoots, soaking them for hours in ice water, then dressing them in an anchovy-forward vinaigrette. The result is fishy, savory, and the perfect palate cleanser between rich Roman pastas. Baccano made a lovely version—though the restaurant looked and felt so much like Balthazar that it was genuinely disorienting.
Now, onto dessert!
Biscottificio Innocenti makes all sorts of delightful cookies and sweets, the scent of the space alone should draw you in. I recommend choosing whatever speaks to you, or whatever the person behind the counter suggests that day (speak to them!). You truly can’t go wrong.
This apple tart was so light and tender, I could’ve had three.
I can’t handle caffeine from coffee, but I always make an exception for granita di caffè, accepting the temporary anxiety because it’s just that good. The bitterness of icy espresso paired with fresh whipped panna is an ideal dessert (or breakfast, if you’re freaky) in warmer months. This time, I also tried a coffee mousse, which was much milder but equally satisfying.
On this trip, my friend Jenna had a gelato so divine that she insisted we go back the same day so she could have seconds—and so I could experience it too. Come il Latte sources high-quality ingredients from around the world and makes gelato in daily batches. Their Sicilian pistachio flavor is haunting me months later, the star of many of my unfulfilled dreams. They also fill the bottom of your cone with dark or white chocolate and dip a crisp on top in the same. It was luxurious!
That chocolate-lined cone took me straight back to a gelato ten years ago, when Jenna’s sister Jessica sent me to Gelateria Snoopy in Cortona—another life-changing moment. The Je-lato sisters are truly on top of their game.
Consider this less a guide and more a love letter to carbs. See you next time, ideally with a cone dipped in chocolate in hand.
Call me on my supplì al telefono,
Roya
I want all these foods IMMEDIATELY