The Most Adventurous Meal of the Day: Dinner

Day 93

Dinner is the meal I go out and try to experience Italian food.  Trinity gives us three meal coupons a week that can be redeemed for the amount to €11,20 worth of food at two food markets (Volpetti's and Giacomini's), or a pasta or salad or pizza and a appetizer or dessert with wine, soda, or water at two restaurants (Insalata Ricca and Da Rino's).

So we have three meal coupons a week, but they give us the entire months worth at the end of the previous month.  I usually spend them all before the last week of the month and then am left to fend for myself.  Oops.  But that means I just have to go out and find some new place to eat.  I have yet to go somewhere that I didn't enjoy the food, which is usually pizza or pasta.

I usually don't snack during the day so I'm ravenous by dinnertime, which for Italians is late.  830/9 is the Roman dinner time.  We usually go around 7/730 and the restaurants are always empty.  Sometimes its a little weird, but it also means we don't need to make reservations.  Most restaurants (at least the good ones) are small, family owned and run, and are about the size of my room in the convent: tiny.  Its great.  I love the homey atmosphere, the food, and the waiters/owners.

My favorite places to eat and what I get there:
Insalata Ricca: Penne all'Arrabbiata  (literally, "angry penne"), Avocado Salad, or a white pizza with artichoke plus a bruschetta with a truffle spread for starters.
Volpetti's: A panino with turkey and marinated artichoke with fried vegetables.

Carlo Menta: Pizza Margherita (and its only €3!) and I usually split the Gnocchi Carlo Menta (gnocchi with a tomato sauce with clams and mussels) with someone as well.

Taverna Cestia: Cacio e Pepe (spaghetti in a cheese and pepper sauce).

Ciao,
J