We have been in Italy for the better part of a week and we have settled into our beautiful apartment in Florence. We spent the last few days in Rome walking around the largest city I have ever seen. I would have posted sooner, but the interweb is hard to track down in Rome. Heres a short recap of whats gone on so far. Bare with the writing, there is a lot of wine to taste here.
Part 1.
The trip so far.
Flew KLM from toronto to amsterdam. 6 hours plus in a plane really wears on you. The saving grace is that KLM is an exceptional way to fly. The service is outstanding, and the planes are very well equiped. The food was, well, airplane food, but I can honestly say Ive had a lot worse both on and off a plane.
Arrived in Amsterdam.
The airport is a a mega hub. Tons of people kicking around at 6am. So much so that you would be hard pressed to tell the time here. Bars are open, seafood restos are open and even at 6am the place is pretty much running at full steam.
Its interesting. There are several restos here all sporting solid looking food. They are packed while the food court, hidden away on a second floor, is pretty much empty. Right off the bat its clear that food is much more important here then it is back in Toronto.
Off to rome.
Part 2
The fist day in Rome consisted of wandering the city. It is epic in scale. While we have some large buildings in Toronto, nothing compares to the sheer scale of buildings in Rome.
It is a city of a million small restaurants, snack bars and cafes. For the most part each designed to take from the tourist. So far we have managed to find one local spot for coffee and it is incredible. Forget everything we have in the city, forget every barrista maven and trendy coffee hangout, coffee in Rome is serious. Locals dont sit on a patio nursing a cup. They walk in, order and slam back a coffee in no time flat. They drink the coffee, standing, at the counter.
We decided to stay in for diner for dinner and hunted down a grocery store. No small feat in Rome. As it turns out, most grocery stores here feel like shopping at a glorified convenience store. While the selection was slim, prices were in line with Torontos but the food quality was outstanding. Sad to say, but the food we get in Ontario is poor by comparison. Standard, run of the mill, non artisanal charcuterie is mind blowing. Delicate textures, beautiful cures and a noticeable lack of salty burn make even the most regular meats outstanding. Everything so far is much better then anything I have tried at home. I have quickly come to understand that we have a long, long way to go.
NEXT
Breakfast at our apartment. Eggs, fresh bread, french brie and brassola. Unbelievable. Eggs with bright yellow-orange yolks, bread slightly sweet from semolina flour and creamy, divine french brie. I cant adequately relate how good the raw ingredients are here.
After walking for most of the day taking in the sites and sound of Rome, it is dawning on us that most of the restos aim at the tourist market. sit on a patio and espresso costs 4euros, almost three times as much as it does inside. The key to eating in rome is to either run with the Michelin guide or, talk to people and find out where the locals eat. While the tourist spots may offer good food, it is a far cry from what can be had.
That being said, we found a little out of the way spot, tucked out of the way in the Trastevere area. Red and white check table cloths,drunk locals singing their hearts out and perfect food. Tomatoes are just coming into season here. They are epic. I almost cried at my first bite of perfectly seasoned bruschetta. So simple. Tomatoes, a little olive oil, salt, and garlic on fresh bread. Fall down amazing. Two thin crust pizzas, fresh and unreal. Again, ingredients and care made each dish. A liter of house wine and we walked out paying about $45 CAN, tip in.
AND THEN
Tracked down two farmers markets on Sat. Both really fun and offering far more then every single grocery store in Rome. People don’t shop at grocery stores, they shop at the market and buy, for the most part, from the farmer. We bought some beautiful food:
800g rib steak. Butchered with massive knife and cleaver for us.
200g oyster and beech mushrooms
300g new potatoes
4 brand spanking new carrots
fresh bread
total: less then 20 Euros.
What is important to note here is that meat is very expensive. Every where you go in Rome, even at the markets, Meat is very pricey. That being said, its of top quality. People simply will not buy factory meat here. Chickens are sold whole and are a luxurious yellow color and come with a healthy fat cap. Pork is clean and tastes like, well, pork. The steak we bought had a rich red color, smelled of proper aging and was a little bit of bovine heaven.
More to come…