Rome Food Tour

I organized tours for each day in Rome.  I created a schedule and printed an itinerary for my father.  On our second day, we took a cab to Testaccio, a traditional working class neighborhood known for its butchers, pizza, and pastries.  The food tour included 12 tastings and several historical sights.

We arrived early so Dave and the kids played "Simon Says" on the square.

We started the tour at a  pasticceria that opened in 1934.  Our guide, a Manhattanite living in Rome, offered us a cappuccino and cornetto, the traditional Roman breakfast.  We also sampled a mini tiramisu, a speciality of the chef Maurizo.  Next, we went to a renowned pizzeria.  Typical Roman Pizza is thin crusted and square in shape.  We tried pizza con patate - pizza with potato - and pizza margarita, both delicious.

We tried cured meats and balsamic vinegars at a family owned "salumeria."

Our stomachs rested as we visited a Protestant graveyard, home to Pyramid of Cestius from 18 BC and John Keats' grave.  Keats died of tuberculous in Rome at age 25 and requested the phrase "Here lies One Whose Name was writ in Water" be on his grave stone.  When his friend John Severn died he had "John Keats" placed on his stone.

We walked to Testaccio Market where we bought tomatoes at a family-run vegetable stand.

We used those tomatoes to make bruschetta.  Emily rubs her bread with garlic.

We ate cannolis at THE cannoli place in Rome.  Costanza moved her art from Palermo to start this forno.

We sat down and enjoyed three pasta dishes at Flavio, a restaurant known for its carbonara.

Then we tried trapizzini, pizza dough filled with Roman tripe.

Finally,  Gelato.  We learned how to tell if a place serves REAL gelato.

We returned to our hotel completely stuffed and spent the evening playing our favorite card game.