Eating in Rome was so decadent, that the old Romans would be ashamed. This whole trip was purely about the food. About finding the best and the traditional dishes. On our list there was cacio e pepe, suppli, trippa alla romana and so much more.

Since Debeli found out quite late where we were going, only at the airport, there was no time for him to explore the destination. This time I did it myself. And I did it well. I took some recommendations from the guests I had in my tours and from the Roman guy I work with. But, his only note was: you can’t go wrong with anything, just avoid Stazione Termini. Which is a totally legit advice 🙂

Our first breakfast stop was on our way to the old part of the city and it holds 7th place in Tavoleromane article Oscars of the breakfasts in 2018 🙂

Pasticceria Regoli has been founded in 1916 and it’s said to serve best bomba and maritozzo clasico. Bomba or bombolone is filled doughnut similar to the Berliner or krafne while maritozzo is a sweet bun filled with whipped cream. Very tasty and very sweet. proper breakfast. We had some sweet pastry with pistacchio as well.

Pasticceria or more likely a bakery named Santi Sebastiano e Valentino has a bit more hipster wibe but they make wicked pizzetta. And red mirtilo pastry….mmmm

Btw if you haven’t noticed we had freshly squeezed orange juice every day, together with an espresso for Debeli. It’s just and old habit from Milan 🙂

Our final breakfast stop was in the neighborhood, just around the corner of our hotel. It was a small caffetteria named Genova, that served lunch for a funny price, so we took some gnocchi for the road on our last day. They were absolutely fantastic with tons of mozzarella and fresh tomato sauce.

But the toasted sandwiches were the actual reason for us to come back. The pizza bread and the bresaola were my choices. A breakfast that good, I could have every other day. In between I would have an Irish one 🙂

It’s always good to have a snack or two between breakfast or dinner and luckily in Rome you have billions of options to do that 🙂

Debeli got lost couple of times, and I would always find him in the meat section of the small local salumerias, looking at the exhibits as the kid in a candy store.

He came out from one of those salumerias carrying a huge sandwich filled with mortadella and baked pork. Not one pork product but two. In one. Because he deserves it 🙂

At the Mercato Testaccio market he found a sandwich with tripes alla romana in a big bun, just as a small appetizer before lunch, right?

The new covered market building was opened a few years ago at the site of a former older market. Over 1000 products are sold here in around hundred vending stalls. It’s a perfect place for a locals to shop meat, fish, pasta or clothes and crafted products, but also a fantastic opportunity for a tourist to feel the vibe of a food selling place. Because the best place is where the locals comes, and this is where you can find them in abundance between 11:30 am and 1 pm during a lunch break.

Only five minutes by foot from the market we found (intentionally, because everybody’s talking about it) a small diner selling a mix between the traditional Italians sandwiches tramezzino and a pizza called Trapizzino.

Trapizzinis are small pockets of pizza bread filled with various topping, both meaty and vegetables.

We have tried trapizzino with parmigiana di melanzane, a traditional southern Italian dish made with a shallow or deep-fried sliced eggplant filling, layered with cheese and tomato sauce, and then baked.

Since we were on a birthday mission we took our trapizzino and sat in a nearing bar while drinking couple of cheap, but fantastic Italian white wines. It was beginning of an end. A bottle of wine followed and we slept through the afternoon, just to wake up for a birthday dinner. Oh, how decadent 🙂

Speaking of lunch, there were several options to explore: pasta, pizza or supplìs.

Supplì are Italian snacks consisting of a ball of rice (generally risotto) with tomato sauce, typical of Roman cuisine. Originally, they were filled with chicken giblets, mincemeat or provatura (a kind of cheese from Lazio), but now they have variety of ingredients in them. The ball is soaked in egg, coated with bread crumbs and then fried (usually deep-fried). They are closely related to Sicilian arancini but much smaller and in a shape of ball or a tube whilst the arancini are bigger and they have conical shape.

We have tried our supplì in Supplizio, the first roman street food corner where chef Arcangelo Dandini expresses his passion for the ancient Roman traditional cuisine.

We arrived there around 4:30 pm just after re-opening (most, if not all roman restaurants have double working hours) and there was a group of (very loud) young Americans in this very classy salotto (living room) interior. Soon they left and we were left all alone savoring our several types of supplì and more.

Supplì are usually eaten with your fingers and that makes them perfect snack or a bite if you’re in a hurry.

When supplì is broken in two pieces, mozzarella is drawn out in a string somewhat resembling the cord connecting a telephone handset to the hook. This has led to these dishes being known as supplì al telefono (“telephone-style supplì“, in reference to cables).

Debeli didn’t resist to have a buffala in carrozza e marmellata di pomodorini verdi or a buffala fried sandwich with green tomato jam

As for the dessert we had crema fritta or fried cream made of egg yolk, powder sugar, pecorino Romano cheese and cinnamon. Very sweet and very tasty.

Second on to-do-list was Bonci pizzarium behind Vatican city.

A small pizza shop some 20 minutes from Vatican city was overcrowded when we arrived around 2pm. It’s a small shop with only standing places, but nevertheless there was more people than in the street. Everybody waiting for it’s slice of pizza.

And they serve some heavy sh**. They had several types of pizza toppings so we tried artichokes (tis the season :), scrambled egg and cheese, with spicy salami and with ragu. When in Italy, do the ragu, even if it’s on a pizza.

The dough was absolutely fantastic but the toppings….mamma mia…my favorite was spicy salami and the artichokes.

Pianostrada laboratorio di cucina has started as a very small restaurant, with some three tables who’s owners are four women. It’s all women project, from the floor staff to the kitchen one. We have seen only one male cook in the kitchen though, but that’s it.

The restaurant was recommended to me by an Australian couple now living in Rome, and I was very eager to bring my cook there as it had female background. No matter contemporary world, cuisine has always been traditionally male dominant industry (as majority of other thins as well), so visiting a restaurant totally in women’s hands, I had high hopes. At least until I opened a menu.

And there it was….more than 50 dishes on the menu! 72 to be more precised! It was like every of the four women had it’s own menu and (as usual comes with women’s, sorry I’m not a feminist, I’m an omnisist) they couldn’t decide what to put, so they put EVERYTHING! Everything from antipasti, focaccias, pastas, salads, meats times four.

But we just couldn’t read that Divine comedy so we stick with the seasonal menu of decent 12 dishes.

We both opted for pasta that we devoured with soft focaccia while drinking Chardonnay from Trentino (there was nothing from Lazio on the list)

Ravioli ”pastificcio secondi” di ricotta e limone with echirè butter, dried roman artichokes, mint, ginger, olive powder and candid lemon for me.

Debeli had spaghettoni freschi with fresh tomatoes, ricotta cheese, lemon and Vacca rossa parmigiano cheese and basil.

Hands down to who ever made the pasta because it was – perfect. And if all of the seventy-something-dishes on the menu are that good, I take back all previously said.

The rain started pouring down again, so we stopped for an ice cream in a neighboring gelateria to try some tiramisu and creamy ice cream. Fantastic idea in summer, not so great in winter, but you can’t leave Rome without having some gelato, right?

Free time between lunch and dinner should be filled with coffee, tea or aperol spritz if in Italy 🙂 We drank our refreshments in local bars serving food and snacks and in some very suspicious looking cafeterias. But those actually were typical Italian espresso bars for a quick bite and a short drink in the morning or during the lunch break.

Five o’clock tea we had in a classic English tea room just next to the Spanish Steps. Although I love coffee, I drink tea every afternoon and always green tea so when I researched and found this tea room where they serve green, black and white Chinese teas, together with traditional English scones and cakes, the visit was completed 🙂

I was surprised by the price of a teapot (from 10 to 15 €), but the amount was more than enough for both of us, despite the opinion of a stubborn waitress who claimed opposite.

We had our green tea, rested a bit, dried out of from the rain and moved on. It was time for dinner 🙂

Regarding dinner options, I did the bookings of the first two places while Debeli had the assignment to find a birthday location. What were our final decisions, read in the text bellow.

Est Artigiani del Gusto was, actually, not my first choice but it was the only one with the cool name, good website and great reviews close to the restaurant that I thought of going in. Oh, yes, and it was in the close distance from the bus stop, where we took the bus (pullman) back to the hotel. In the wrong direction. But that’s a completely another story 🙂

A small but elegant Est Artigiani del Gusto was one of the few restaurants opened on Monday, so that was a plus as well when booking the place.

We arrived around 8:30 pm, a bit later than expected but were welcomed and seated to a one of the few small tables intended for two. It was a quiet evening with around fifteen guests and two waiters.

We started the dinner with a bit of home-made bread that we soaked in extra virgin olive oil while we waited for the appetizers. While I went for the real one, Debeli took what was actually il primo or first of the main dishes. He went for pasta. With truffles.

I had traditional Sardinian flatbread with buffalo cheese and anchovies that looked as it tasted. Very interesting and delicious, especially when the flat bread got soaked from the fresh tomatoes and the cheese, while the anchovies gave salty flavor.

Second course was a grilled octopus for Debeli and, finally, pasta for me.

My ever first cacio e pepe I had a decade ago while working in a restaurant just half an hour away from Rome so it was understandable to have this classic piece of roman dish once again.

The main ingredients of cacio e pepe are pecorino romano cheese, black grounded pepper and spaghetti, usually tonnarelli or bucatini style spaghetti. Four ingredients. That’s all you need to make this delicious dish, but you have to know how to make and cook the pasta and that is something that Italians are proud of and good at it.

While I was stuffing my face with pasta and Amarone della Valpolicela wine from the Veneto region Debeli was enjoying his grilled octopus with mashed potatoes, herbs and Sicilian sarmoriglio sauce made of minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, parsley and salt and pepper. All good in one place 🙂

Dessert was next on the list and as soon I overheard the couple next to us having tiramisu and limoncello, I knew what was going to be my choice.

Delicious and gorgeous, if you can call a dessert by that name, but the lightness and the exact amount of coffee and cocoa powder were the reason for the great tiramisu I had.

Debeli had opted for an apple pie with vanilla cream that he is fond of, but only if not too sweet, and this was perfect, according to him. Together with a cup of a true Italian espresso that was the end of our dinner.

Funny story with the espresso….so as Debeli was sitting facing the bar, he wasn’t sure if there was an espresso machine so he told me to look around for it while going to the toilet. ‘’But I don’t know how that looks’’, I said because I wasn’t sure if I would spot it. ‘’Just look for the thing with the big handles’’, he said. So, I stood up, made my way, looked around and just mimicked him, holding my six fingers in the air, that they really do have a proper espresso machine. With six handles. I think it would be a disgrace for an Italian restaurant not to have one, don’t you agree? 🙂

Casa Bleve is described as a decadent interior restaurant by the Lonely Planet guide as well as the Michelin one. And it really is.

This classy wine bar with gourmet dishes is located in a Reneissance palazzo just away from Piazza Navona and the Pantheon.

This time we arrived on time, and were seated in an almost empty restaurant, which gave us enough time to negotiate about the dishes, before the big group arrived and everything got more hectic. Not for us, though, but for the waiters.

Our three course dinner started with fried zucchini blossoms filled with buffalo mozzarella and Cantabrian anchovies for me while Debeli had tuna tartar.

Although always overlooked, zucchini flowers are very tasteful and rich in vitamin C and potassium, so I was more than happy to see them on the menu and taste them. Again. Back to working-in-an-Italian-restaurant-in-Italy memories 🙂

I remember that this salty neutral creamy fried combination was sooooo delicious that Debeli was also thrilled. He, on the other hand, had tuna tartar that he was surprised how good it was.

The second courses for both of us was pasta. Amatricana for him and octopus spaghetti for me.

Both pasta were simple in preparation and ingredients but delicious in taste. We just upgraded it with a bit of cheese and started thinking about the desserts. At least Debeli, I knew it was going to be – tiramisu 🙂

But before the desserts arrived, we were offered a bit of cookies and a fantastic La morandina dell’Asti moscato. Very light, although sweet as a dessert wine should be. So good actually, that we tried to look for it in duty free at the airport. No luck :/

While Debeli wasn’t delighted with his (too sweet) Signora Tina’s custard with Sorrento lemons and strawberries, I was pleased with mine.

The Est Artigiani tiramisu was a bit juicier than this one, but still it wasn’t left untouched. Au contraire 🙂

It was about 10pm when we finished our dinner so Debeli took us to a near cafe bar for a final espresso.

Sant’Eustachio Il Caffè was founded in 1938 and they have been selling and roasting coffee ever since. Today they are considered to make the best coffee in the city. Debeli approves.

The birthday dinner was Debeli’s choice between two Michelin stared restaurants. The final decision was made after he realized he didn’t bring his fine dining blazer 🙂

Metamorfosi is a rather small one Michelin star restaurant. Simple on the inside when it comes to the interior (wooden furniture, straight lines) but completely mind blowing when it comes to the dishes made by a Colombian chef Roy Salomon Caceres.

We opted for a ten course tasting menu that became 17 dishes meal after four hours dinner 🙂

The start was light; some salty flatbread to accompany white wine and Ardbeg Scotch whisky and home-made bread and some olive oil.

The bread was made from two types of Sicilian flour with couple of sorts of seeds while the olive oil was frozen to have a buttery hard texture. Very clever and interesting, not to mention tasty.

The first small surprise was squid salad under leek and potato cream, powdered with black squid ink.

Mussels in a razor clam sauce in a hollowed and baked lemon were absolutely crazy. Both in the looks and taste.

We were advised to squeeze the upper half of the lemon over the juicy part of sea ingredients. A bit like eating fresh oysters feeling 🙂

The crunchy salad with raw oysters, fermented cabbage juice, nuts, and seaweed immediately cured my headache from too much wine that day. Not that I’m proud of that, but, still… it was my birthday 🙂

Under the sheet of roasted seeds there were three kinds of fresh mushrooms, Japanese black garlic jelly and gorgonzola cream from the north of Italy.

After this small introduction, dishes we were finally greeted with the real appetizer called antipasta.

A simple game of words alluding to pasta and antipasto (appetizer) was actually not pasta at all but a frozen fish soup cut like tagliatelle pasta. Crazy, yet genius! The best part was that it really tasted like pasta. Fishy pasta, but pasta. The special touch were clams and prawns below the pasta and small lemon gel bobbles on top.

This, what smelled and tasted like tomatoes, were you are right, not the real tomatoes.

Small balls made from dough flavored with tomato powder and filled with anchovies, topped with mozzarella cream and celery foam was another mind blowing surprise of the evening. We got told not to cut the balls, but to eat them completely, because they would burst in your mouth as the real tomatoes did. Crazy, I tell you 🙂

First of the main courses was pasta. The real one.

Ravioli with pork and orange cream and smoked onion broth was both very juicy and tasty, strange in combination of flavors, but delicious.

If ravioli seemed a small, simple break what came afterwards was another crazy idea of the creative chef. Crab and lobster head mayo with kimchi, apple and cucumber between two pieces of dried celeriac.

The baked lobster was brought on a small cart and finished in garnishing and explanation right in front of us.

Cabbage baked lobster was garnished with smoked lobster cream with olive oil and kimchi essence and served with cauliflower cream and baked celeriac.

Baked pigeon breast came served under something of a strange origin (we were to excited to remember what it was) on a plantain banana leaves with périgueux sauce, umeboshi or Japanese apricot and Turkish pepper. Three continents on the one plate! Phenomenal!

Radicchio cooked in wine with a radicchio reduction cream, on a tempered taleggio cheese and roasted sunflower seeds was another crazy and brilliant work of cooking art.

First of the desserts was a blu del monviso cheese coated with white chocolate in a porto wine cream. So delicious as all of the ingredients go perfectly together, boosting its flavors when joined.

My birthday crust cream cake with forest berries was a small intermezzo before the second dessert arrived.

Yuzu or Japanese lemon ice cream with almond cookies and almond cover that is difficult to describe. Very cold, slippery and sluggish 🙂

Finally the last desserts that came on a small wooden board were almond cookie, orange jelly with orange cream and dark chocolate with coffee cream. Instead of espresso. But it put us right to bed.

Reflecting now on the Metamorfosi dinner, this was my best fine dinning experience when it comes to food creation. The Il luogo di Aimo e Nadia from Milan is still my favorite interior, but the  Metamorfosi dishes really justifies the restaurants name and the whole idea about transformation the usual ingredients into something new and completely different, not to say very exciting.

But when it comes to the roman dining scene I can confirm, with my whole mind and heart, that Italian cuisine is one of the best in the world. No matter if you eat street food, local trattoria pasta or you spend an evening in a fine dining restaurant, you will taste great, usually, local ingredients made and perfected by hundreds of years of experience. And love. Love for the food. Because, love does really goes through your belly 🙂

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NJUPANJE U RIMU

Put u Rim temeljio se na dvjema stvarima: razgledu grada i hrani. Obzirom da je Debeli tek na aerodromu saznao kud idemo, sav teret pronalaska gdje i što ćemo jesti pao je na moja nejaka pleća. Sirota ja 🙂 Dio preporuka dobila sam od svojih gostiju što ih vodam po Oslu, a kolega Rimljanin rekao je da generalno nigdje nemrem pogriješiti s odabirom hrane, osim da strogo izbjegavam zonu željezničkog kolodvora. Sasvim legitiman savjet, jer bez obzira što su se Talijani, očito, rodili s paštom u labrdama, isto tako znaju biti pokvareni pa podvalit muda pod bubrege. Mi, doduše, nit smo jeli muda nit bubrege, ali kušali smo najbolju tjesteninu ikad. I espresso. Debeli se konačno napio dobrog espressa. 🙂

Doručak. kao svugdje. prvi je obrok dana u Italiji, samo što Talijani srknu malo kave i pojedu neko slatko pecivo rano ujutro, pa onda i ranije ručaju. Mi smo malo zaobišli tradicionalne norme, jer nam je trebalo dobrih dva sata da se izvučemo iz sobe (btw. odličan hotel sam bukirala mamma mia! Guest house Via Nazionale 51, sve preporuke) jer smo tamo dobili male kapsule kavice za vlastiti espresso aparat.

Prvi doručak bio je u klasično tradicionalnoj pastićeriji, jednoj od deset na popisu najboljih u gradu prema nekoliko web portala i turističkih vodiča. Pasticceria Regoli utemeljena je davne 1916. godine i gastronomadi preporučuju bombu i maritozzo classico. To smo i uzeli. Uz još neko slatko pecivo s vanilij kremom i pizdaćima. Uz obavezni sok cijeđene naranče i espresso. Naravno. Sok i espresso su, zapravo, bili temelj naših doručaka, mijenjali smo samo tilbehør, kak bi Norvežani rekli.

Znate one kupovne krafne gdje vam štrcnu džema koliko je crno pod noktom? E, pa ove bombice su pucale od kreme koliko su bile napunjene. Puna usta! Maritozzo classico jest slatko pecivo s tučenim vrhnjem. Zelo slatko i fino!

Santi Sebastiano e Valentino nalaze se u suprotnom smjeru od starog centra grada, ali kupili smo dvodnevne karte i za 12.5 eurića po osobi vozikali se uokolo u potrazi za drugim najboljim mjestom prema www.tavoleromane.it

Pastićerija / pekara / bar više vuče na hipsteraj, ali prave fantastične pizzetice i lisnato

Pizzeta s crnim maslinama, mozzarellom i nekom zelenjavom, lisnato s bademima i lisnato s crvenim mirtilom ili europskom brusnicom

Cafeteria Genova nalazi se na uglu ulice gdje nam je bio hotel i bila je pravo otkriće. Em blizu, em poslužuju doručak, em su im sendviči božanstveni, em imaju povoljan (radnički) ručak koji smo si zadnji dan uzeli za doma, tj do aerodroma 🙂

Između doručka i ručka treba prizalogajit, tako da bi svako malo zastali pored pekare ili salumerije na zalogaj-dva.

Dok sam se ja pokušavala orijentirati po gradu, Debeli se u jednom trenutku izgubio i izašao sa sendvičem debelim ko šaka: pecivo punjeno mortadelom. I pečenom svinjetinom. Siroče se nije mogao odlučiti za jedno, pa je rekao da mu tutnu obadvoje. Što reći? 🙂

Na zatvorenoj tržnici Mercato Testaccio našli smo sendvič s tripicama na rimski i ooooogroman špek. U biti, nekoliko špekova spojenih skupa.

Sjeli smo, jeli i pili taman kako se tržnica punila studošima i mlađarijom koja je došla na pauzu za ručak.

Nova zgrada tržnice otvorena je prije nekoliko godina na mjestu nekadašnje (oronule) tržnice, a danas se na preko stotinjak štandova prodaje cirka tisuću proizvoda, što hrane, odjeće, razno raznih ručnih radova i sl.

Tržnica je otvorena od ponedjeljka do subote od 7 ujutro do 15:30, a najveća je gužva oko pol dvanaest kad ekipa dođe na brzi obrok svježe skuhane tjestenine ili pekarskog proizvoda. Milina!

Pet minuta hoda od tržnice mali je lokal koji nudi sendviče od tijesta za pizzu punjene svime i svačim.

Trapizzino je zapravo dijete između tradicionalnog talijanskog sendviča tramezzino i pizze. Za razliku od calzonea ili panzzerotta (sjećate se Milana?), kruh za trapizzino peče se zasebno, a potom se puni bezbrojnim povrtnim ili mesnim nadjevima.

Uzeli smo jedan trapizzino parmigiana di melanzane punjen patlidžanima u umaku i preselili se u bar do jer trapizzerija ne nudi alkohol. Tamo se se oduševili bijelim vinom za euro i po i popili po dvije čaše. Ipak mi je bi rođendan, a jel tako? 🙂

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/sep/27/foodie-traveller-rome-trapizzino-new-pizza

Na popisu za ručak bilo je nekoliko opcija: pašta, pizza ili supplì. Supplì su male loptice kuhane riže, pržene u dubokom ulju, a prije toga uvaljane u jaja i krušne mrvice.

Nadjev s rižom može varirati od bezmesnih, sa sirom, do mesnih ili povrtnih, pa čak i slatkih. Varijacije su brojne. A mi smo svoje probali u prvom street food corner shopu Supplizio.

Jednostavno uređen s jednim dugim šankom i malom sofom s par stolica okolo. Došli smo ravno u pol 5 nakon drugog otvaranja (većina restorana u Rimu, ako gotovo ne svi, imaju dvokratno radno vrijeme i kraću ili dužu pauzu između. Neki čak rade samo navečer). U restaču je već bila glasna američka mlađarija, ali nisu nas smeli…naručili smo svoja četiri supplija – tradizionalni (riža, vrganji, kuhani mošt i parmezan), rajčica bosiljak, toliko ljubljeni cacio e pepe ili sir i papar te carbonara suppli.

Za predjelo smo podijelili salatu od bakalara, a Debeli je još uzeo carrozzu di buffala ili pohani sendvič s buffalom i džemom od zelenih rajčica. Vrlo ukusno!

Za desert pala je pržena krema koja se radi od smjese žumanjaka, šećera u prahu, sira pecorino romano te cimeta. Uber slatko i nevjerojatno fino. Složili smo se da bi se ovi suppliji mogli jesit doma uz film, onako umjesto kokica 🙂

Ceh oko 25 eura, obzirom da je jedan suppli 3 eura.

Bonci pizzarium je mala pizzerija iza Vatikana, a negdje oko 2 popodne kad smo mi došli mjesto je bilo već debelo krcato. ”Pizzerija” nema sjedeća mjesta, samo šank, vani i unutra. Naručite pizzu za doma ili malo postojite i pojedete. Kaj vas briga, svi to rade 🙂

Bonci pizzarium nudi nekoliko vrsta nadjeva na ekstremno ukusnim tijestima za pizzu, dva prsta debela, mekano, a hrskavo….

Mi smo se odlučili za nadjev s artičokama, jer su sad u sezoni, s ljutom kobasicom, s kajganom i sirom te raguom. Što se tiče nadjeva dva zadnja bila su posebna, ali prva dva ipak moja omiljena.

20ak eura box pizze. I dva eura dva deci vina poslije u lokalnoj tabaccheriji. Oh živote. A bili na putu u Crkvu Sv Petra, na audijenciju kod Pape…ccccc

Pianostrada laboratorio di cucina počeo je kao mali restorančić s neka tri stola na Trastevereu, da bi se nedavno proširili i prebacili s ”ovu” stranu rijeke (stari grad? Stari grad, Ivana? Za Amere je cijeli Rim prastar! Ok, stari dio starog grada ili centro storico kak bi se reklo).

Uglavnom, restoran odnedavno posluje u novom i većem prostoru, ali i dalje ga vode četiri žene, dva mama-kćer para, s tim da je svo pomoćno osoblje također ženskog roda. Vidjeli smo možda jednog frajera u kuhinji. Eh, sad, da budemo jasni, kulinarska industrija, bez obzira što vidimo i znamo danas, bila je (i ostala) isključivo muško zanimanje (uostalom kao i većina toga) tako da sam s velikom strepnjom odvela Debelog tamo na ručak, jer ipak – žene u kuhinji, a on nije žena i tak….Uglavnom, došli smo bez predrasuda, otvorili menu i posrali se sami po sebi. Listam menu, gledam, brojim, ne vjerujem….ravno 72 jela na njemu! Ko svatovski meni u Donjoj Vrbi! Nema što nema, od predjela, zalogaja, pohanog, focaccie, pašte, mesa, salata, bogtepitaj čega….ono, njih četiri sjele napravit menu i nisu se mogle dogovorit oko četiri predjela, četiri glavna jela i četiri deserta nego svaka lupila dvaest jela i svaka rekla – može, idemo. O, kad mi nije mrak pao na oči. Odmah smo si malo vina popili da se smirimo. Chardonnay iz Trenta, jer nije bilo iz Lacija.

Odustali smo od listanja Biblije i usredotočili se na prvih nekoliko tjestenina s dvanaest jela dugog sezonskog menija.

Debeli je uzeo špagete s ricottom i svježim rajčicama, malo parmigiana, limuna i bosiljka dok sam se ja ugušila u tortelinima s ricottom, sušenim artičokama, mentom, đumbirom, prahom maslina i kandiranim limunom.

Brat bratu ako im je sve na meniju bilo ovako dobro, povlačim sve što sam rekla. Ali trebalo bi ostati 72 dana u Rimu i probati sve.

Ceh…negdje oko 50ak eura, Debeli platio, mene već vino dobrano uzelo i odvelo u susjednu ulicu na gelato. Nemreš iz Rima bez da si probao đelato, pa se zaletili u must-stop đelateriju po tiramisu za Debelog i zabajone, stracciatella i limun. Ceh, 10tka, samo keš.

Slobodno vrijeme između ručka i večere trebalo je ispuniti kavom, čajem ili aperol spritzom kad smo već u Italiji. Mi smo svoje slobodno vrijeme koristili u lokalnim zalogajnicama i barovima sumnjivog izgleda, ali koji su zapravo tipični talijanski barovi gdje ekipa ujutro ili u pauzi od posla dođe na brzi espresso.

Čaj u pet pio se u klasičnoj engleskoj čajani pored Španjolskih stuba. Iako kavu obožavam, čaj pijem svako popodne i to zeleni čaj tako kad sam pronašla ovu čajanu gdje služe vrhunske zelene, crne i bijele kineske čajeve, a u ponudi imaju i čajna peciva i kolače rekla sam – idemo. Malo me iznenadila cijena čajnika (od 10 do 15€), ali količina je bila više nego dovoljna za oboje, unatoč tvrdoglavoj konobarici koja je tvrdila suprotno.

Ispili smo svoj zeleni čaj u ovoj čajani koja proslavlja 125 godina postojanja, odmorili, osušili se od kiše i krenuli dalje. Trebalo je večerati 🙂

Odabir i rezervacije za prve dvije večere napravila sam ja, dok je Debeli za zadatak imao pronaći lokaciju za rođendansku večeru. Što je odabrao, čitajte dalje 🙂

Est Artigiani del Gusto nisu bili prvi izbor za prvu večeru, ali originalna destinacija  trenutno je zatvorena zbog renovacije tako da sam kao pravi gurman i ekspert zujala po google maps istraživajući restorane u okolici. Plan za ponedjeljak je već bio napravljen, bus stanica za povratak u hotel obilježena (zanemarit ćemo činjenicu da smo kasnije sjeli na dobar bus. U krivom smjeru :)), odlučila sam da ostanemo u okolici, a ovaj restoran je imao…hm, pa, eto zanimljivo ime. Najgore što na web stranici nemaju menija, nemaju slika jela samo par rečenica kako jela temelje na tradiciji sa suvremenim tvistom tako da nisam znala što očekivati. Lokalni proizvodi i uzgajivači, eko eko, bla bla…prodano! Olakotna okolnost bila je i što restoran radi ponedjeljkom. Prvi dan radnog tjedna inače je neradni za kuhare u Italiji, tako da je prava sreća nabasat na dobar restoran otvoren ponedjeljkom. Mi smo imali sreće.

Est je vrlo mali restoran s nekih 20ak sjedećih mjesta, vrlo malim stolovima namijenjenima za dvije osobe, ali koji se, po potrebi mogu spojiti za veće grupe. Interijer je jednostavan, zidovi ukrašeni samo etiketiranim i punim bocama vina. Minimalizam at its finest.

Večera je bila u 20h, mi smo kasnili 20 minuta i pokisli ko toppolini uletjeli u restoran. Sjedili smo pored jednog mladog para kojeg sam, samo iz ljubavi prema talijanskom jeziku prisluškivala 🙂

Večeru smo započeli s malo kruha i maslinova ulja koje je prethodilo pravim predjelima.

Debeli je za predjelo uzeo zapravo il primo, ono što je u Italiji većinom pašta dok sam uzela mille foglie od tradicionalnog beskvasnog sardinijskog kruha s razvučenom buffalom i inćunima iz Kantabrijanskog mora između zapadne obale Francuske i Španjolske. Poprilično internacionalno i ekstremno ukusno. Pogotovo kad se suhi kruh, nešto kao naši mlinci prije kuhanja, raskvasio od sira i rajčica, a inćuni dali slankastu, morsku notu.

Ako volite tartufe, onda vam ne treba dodatno pojašnjenje za Debelove fetuccine s tartufima i domaćim maslacem. Ako ne volite tartufe, zavolite ih jer je to dar s neba.

Moje glavno jelo, prema pravilima i propisima bila je tjestenina. Klasična rimska. Cacio e pepe.

Uz rimske tripice, cacio e pepe nešto je najtradicionalnije što možete dobiti u Rimu. Glavni sastojci su vrlo jednostavni: ovčji sir pecorino romano. mljeveni crni papar i tjestenina, najčešće debele špagete tipa tonnarelli ili bucatini.

Četiri sastojka za 12€. Ali kakvih dvanaest eura! Al dente tjestenina i brdo sira, lagano papreno, savršeno za isprat s crnim Amarone della Valpolicela iz Veneta.

Debeli je za glavno uzeo grilanu hobotnicu s pire krumpirom, začinskim biljem i sarmoriglio umakom napravljenom od sicilijanskog svetog svojstva (nemre bit trojstvo kad je sedam sastojaka). Dakle: češnjak, maslinovo ulje, limun, sjeckani origano i peršin te sol i papar.

Desert.

Tiramisu za mene, naravno, jer smo u Italiji i tiramisu spada u ona jela koje su samo bogovi osmislili. Ne presladak, s dovoljno kave i kakaa, savršen u malo limoncella, tradicionalnog južnjačkog likera od limuna. Isto s bogovskog popisa.

Debeli nije bio nešto od slatkog, ali odlučio se za tortu od jabuke s vanilij kremom i zadovoljno naručio espresso. Večera po mojoj preporuci je završila uspješno. Vožnja busom prema hotelu u suprotnom smjeru, malo manje, ali nećemo cjepidlačit 🙂

Casa Bleve stoji u vodičima kao što su Lonely Planet i Michelin, a slovi kao restoran s daškom dekadentnog šika.

Uistinu ovaj otmjeni vinski bar s gurmanskom ponudom jela smješten je u preuređenoj renesansnoj palači i svaki njegov dio vrišti detaljima i ukrasima.

U skladu s interijerom bila je i ponuda na meniju: klasično i tradicionalno, pa smo tako i počeli. Ja s pohanim cvjetovima tikvice, nešto s čime sam se oduševila prije preko deset godina kad sam radila u restoranu smještenom na glavnoj cesti Rim – Napulj (u mojoj originalnoj ideji bila je i posjeta tom restoranu, da nedavno nisam saznala da je vlasnica, porijeklom Bjelovarčanka, preminula). No, vratimo se na jelo. Svima poznate tikvice imaju velike narančaste cvjetove koje većina ignorira u kulinarstvu. Zapravo to i nije tako teško jer se tikvice prodaju uglavnom bez cvjetova, ali drugi put razmislite pri kupnji. Cvjetovi su bogati vitaminom C i kalijem i vrlo su ukusne kad se napune i ispohaju u tempuri.

Moji cvjetovi bili su punjeni mozzarellom di buffala i cantabrijanskim inćunima. Sir i riba. Neobična kombinacija, ali izuzetno ukusna.

Debeli je za predjelo uzeo tartar od tune za koji je oduševljeno potvrdio da je odličan. Hladan, ako barem ništa drugo 🙂

S glavnim jelom bio je nešto manje oduševljen, ali obzirom da se desetak minuta dvoumio između janjetine, tune i tjestenine te na kraju prihvatio preporuku konobara i odlučio se za tjesteninu all’amatricana sa slaninom, pikantnim umakom od rajčice i pecorino sirom. Ako do sad niste shvatili pecorino sir je lajtmotiv gotovo svih tjestenina u Rimu, što nije čudno jer je ovaj tvrdi, slani ovčji sir tipični produkt pokrajine Lacijo iako se 97% proizvodnje odvija na Sardiniji. Btw. pecorino romano, Disaronno (liker od badema) i kobasica s tartufima bili su ovogodišnji suveniri. Mi kad idemo, mislim jedemo, jedemo veliko 🙂

Amatricana, tvrdi Debeli bila je odlična, a ja vas uvjeravam da ni moji tonnarelli s hobotnicom, scamorzom (vrsta sira) i svježim rajčicama nisu bili za baciti. Apsolutno svi sastojci su bili izvrsni i postoji nešto neobjašnjivo u talijanskom načinu pripreme tjestenine. Jel to maslinovo ulje, voda, začini ili dugogodišnja tradicija teško je reći, ali jasno mi je zašto rijetki Talijani bukiraju naše norveške food ture. Zato kaj oni jedu bolje! 

Dok smo sjedili, jeli, pričali i ispijali bocu bijelog vina (Villa dei Preti Frascati Superiore) restoran se polako napunio, a odlično osvjetljenje dopustilo je da promatram posjetitelje (ovdje u Oslu svi restorani zaguše svjetlo, treba ti lampa da pogledaš meni ili nedajbože svog sugovornika). Vidjelo se da ljudi uživaju u večeri, izlasku, druženju, polaganim i dugim sljedovima jela, sve je bilo podređeno tome – jelu i pilu 🙂

Negdje prije deserta konobar nam je poslužio male čokoladne i čajne kolačiće koje smo jeli uz predobro muškatno vino. La morandinu moscato d’Asti iz Pijemonta bezuspješno smo pokušali nabaviti u duty free shopu na aerodromu pri odlasku. Više sreće u Torinu jedne godine 🙂

Tiramisu za mene, mrvicu lošiji od jučerašnjeg.

Krema od jaja sa Sorrentinskim limunima i jagodama bila je preslatka za Debelov ukus, potužio se ni da kiselina limuna nije pomogla. Složila sam se i udavila u svom tiramisuu.

Espresso je bio sljedeći na meniju, ali za to smo se odlučili navratiti u susjednu drevnu i najbolju kafeteriju u gradu.

Trgovina, kafeterija i pržionica kave Sant’Eustachio Il Caffè utemeljena je 1938 godine, na par koraka od Piazze Navona i Pantheona.

Bilo je negdje 10:15 navečer kad smo zašli u kafeteriju, koja inače radi od 7:30 do 1 ujutro! Očito nikad nije kasno za dobar espresso. Debelog je poslužio oronuli djedica na kafe aparatu, koji valjda zajedno sa svojim kolegom ima oko dvjesto godina, ali radi ubojitu kavu. I pjenicu na espressu.

Ako vas više zanima o toj temi, klik na ovo:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-coffee-crema-765688

Rođendanska večera bila je Debelov izbor. Teškom mukom dvoumio se između dva Michelinova restorana, ali na kraju odluka je pala zahvaljujući dress codu. Metamorfosi koji smo posjetili nije zahtijevao sako. Punto finale.

Restoran je smješten iza parka Villa Borghese, podosta daleko, kako to uobičava s Michelinovim restoranima, ali ništa nedostižno jednom rimskom taksiju, kad već jest javnom prometu.

Interijer restorana je vrlo jednostavan. Drvo, ravne linije, prozračnost sasvim je u suprotnosti onoga što nas je čekalo kasnije na stolu. Totalni twist. Glavni i odgovorni urednik, kolumbijski chef Roy Salomon Caceres igra se s tradicionalnim postulatima talijanske kuhinje, ali na svoj način. Debeli je bio oduševljen. Totalno. Ja? Impresionirana i zabavljena.

Preko desetak jela desetodijelnog kušačkog menija bilo je veoma ukusno i pažljivo predstavljeno, ali nekoliko jela totalno su nas iznenadila. Čitajte da otkrijete koja. Bože dragi, ovo sad ko naslovnica iz Jutarnjeg. Mea culpa!

Počeli smo jednostavno: slanim beskvasnim kruhom posluženim kao krekeri, koji su se topili uz bijelo vino i Ardbeg škotski viski.

Uslijedio je domaći kruh od dvije vrste brašna sa Sicilije i nekoliko vrsti sjemenki te podimljen pred kraj priprave s nečim što je izgleda kao maslac, a zapravo je ohlađeno maslinovo ulje.

Prvo malo iznenađenje bila je salata od lignji ispod kreme od poriluka i krumpira s prahom lignjine crne tinte.

Dagnje u umak od školjaka (razor clams ili cjevasti šljanak po horvaški, frangula po rabski) spravljeno u izdubljenom i ispečenom limunu.

Savjetovali su nam iscijediti gornju polovicu limuna koja je služila kao pokrov tako da je  kiselina je dala poseban okus ovom morskom jelu, gotovo kao svježe kamenice 🙂

Hrskava salata sa sirovim kamenicama, fermentiranim sok od kupusa, nori algama i lješnjacima odmah mi je izliječila glavobolju od previše vina popijenog tog dana. Nije da se ponosim, ali bio mi je rođendan 🙂

Ispod pokrova od prženih sjemenki sakrile su se tri vrste sirovih gljiva, žele od japanskog crnog češnjaka i krema od gorgonzole sa sjevera Italije.

Ako vas ovo nije posebno iznenadilo, spremite se za prvi od deset slijedova Expresion menija. Da, ovo gore, to je bio uvod 🙂

Prvo predjelo, jednostavnog imena antipasta, ali zapravo radi se o igri riječi anti-pasta ili anti-tjestenina oduševilo je cijeli restoran. Ravno deset ljudi koji su bili taj dan na večeri jeli su nati-pastu i ostali zabeknuti.

Ovo što vidite i na prvi pogled vam izgleda kao tagliatele, zapravo je skuhana i smrznuta riblja juha rezana kao rezanci.

Lažna tjestenina ispod koje su bile školjke i škampi, s gelom od limuna i posuta prahom od morskih trava bila je apsolutno oduševljenje! Nevjerojatna ideja i izvedba koja se udvostručila u sljedećem ”lažnom” jelu.

Rajčice.

Mirisom i okusom poput pravih rajčica bile su ove male crvene okruglice rađene od tijesta aromatiziranog i obojanog prahom rajčica punjena inćunima s kremom od mozzarelle i pjenicom od pijemontskog celera.

Preporučili su nam da rajčice ne režemo već da ih cijele zagrizemo u ustima. Zašto. Zato što se tako raspuknu kao prave male cherry tomato rajčice. Oni koji ih jedu, znaju kakav je to poseban okus i osjećaj.

Prvo glavno jelo bila je, ovaj put prava tjestenina.

Ravioli punjeni kuhanom svinjetinom s kremom od naranče i juhom od dimljenog luka.

Ako su se ravioli činili kao mali klasični i jednostavni predah chef nas je ponovno iznenadio svojom razigranom maštom s majonezom od rakova i jastogove glave, kimchijem, jabukom i krastavcem između dvije ploškice prženog celera.

Pečenog jastoga donijeli su na cijelom stoliću da bi ga pred nama otvorili iz kupusa u kojem se pekao, te potom poslužili uz umak od dimljenog jastoga s maslinovim uljem i aromom od crnog kupusa s kimchi esencom te kremom od cvjetače i pečenog celera.

Pečena golublja prsa došla su servirana ispod pokrova nepoznatog porijekla (bila sam previše impresionirana pričom da ih ugnjavim o čemu se zapravo radi) na pireu od plantan banana s périgueux umakom, umeboshjem ili japanskom marelicom i turskim paprom. Tri kontinenta; Europa, Afrika i Azija na jednom tanjuru. Fenomenalno!

Radić kuhan u vinu s kremom od redukcije radića, temperirani taleggio i tostirane suncokretove sjemenke bile su sljedeća luda kreacija i maestralno izvedeno jelo. 

Prvi od deserata bio je blu del monviso sir u bijeloj čokoladi i kremi od porto vina.

Sir i vino su sjajna kombinacija. Čokolada i vino također, a sir, vino i čokolada skupa nešto prefino! Kremasti sir i vrlo lagana bijela čokolada sjajno su se stopili s kiselkastom vinskom kremom. Pravi uvod u sljedeći desert s malim intermezzom: mojom rođendanskom tortom, malim kremastom desertom sa svježim bobičastim voćem.

Sladoled od japanskom yuzu limuna s kolačićima od badema te pokrovom od badema bio je vrlo ukusna kombinacija slatkastog i kiselog. Najneobičniji dio bio je pokrov za koji ne nalazim adekvatnu opisnu riječ 🙂 Hladno bi bilo najsigurnije i politički korektno jer da napišem sluzavo i ljigavo, mislim da vam ne bih otvorila apetit.

Ali posljednji od deserata bih vas sigurno razveselio.

Na drvenoj pločici stigla su tri minjona na štapićima, završni dio naše četiri sata duge rođendanske večere. Četiri sata za mojih 40 godina 🙂

S lijeva na desno: bademov kolačić, žele od naranče s kremom od naranče, tamna čokolada s kremom od kave

Na kraju ove obilne večere, koja se pokazala Debelovim najboljim kulinarskim iskustvom (uzimam njega za primjer jer je pojeo više nego što bih ja u dva života :)), restoran Metamorfosi svakako opravdava svoje ime. Ideje i način na koji chef preobražava jednostavne svakodnevne namirnice i kombinira različite okuse, teksture, boje i mirise dostojne su Michelinove zvjezdice, a talijanska kuhinja s pravom slovi za jednu od najboljih u svijetu. Veselimo se novim izazovima i jelima dogodine!