February 22, 2007
Rome, Part 2
Armando al Pantheon
Heard good things about this place on the Fodors and Chowhound boards, which is usually a safe endorsement. We huddled under the roof of the Pantheon to stay out of the cold drizzle until we saw the lights turn on at 7pm. Gave them another 15 minutes to set up before dashing over. We were cold, hungry, and desperate for a bathroom so didn't care that we were unfashionably early for an Italian dinner. That ended up being a good thing as we were able to snatch up a table before the tiny restaurant filled up with tourists and locals (we ended up sharing our table with an American mother-son couple).
The salumi antipasto plate ended up being quite a big portion of salty, spicy, fatty meat for me as the SO didn't care for the cured flavor. A half-bottle of Sangiovese and plenty of bread helped to moderate the strong flavors. It sure ain't your typical grocery store lunch meat. Spaghetti carbonara was simple and good, although the egg-sauce got a bit gooey as it cooled. Noted that the ideal Italian al dente pasta is a bit rawer than what we're used to.
GF had the Chicken in White Wine. Simple description of a simple but authentically Roman dish. Browned chicken with a wine reduction sauce. Good flavor although it's impossible for the entire chicken thigh to be thoroughly cooked without the thin bits ending up a bit dry. I had the osso bucco with peas and mushroom gravy. Definitely hearty down-home food. The meat is fork-tender and the bit of marrow in the bone caps off the rich meal. Also had the chicory veggie sauteed in olive oil and garlic. The slightly bitter, fibrous chicory was a good complement flavor and texture-wise to the rich entrees.
Enoteca Cul de Sac
After another long day of walking the cobbled lanes of Rome we were tired and looking for a place to sit down and have something to eat at a normal hour instead of waiting 'til the Italian dinnertime. The oldest wine bar in Rome seemed like the perfect place for a pick-me-up.
The bar sits in a piazza between Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. Befitting the name, the space itself is a narrow lane barely wide enough for two rows of tables. The wine bottle sat in long shelves above our heads and the waiters came around occasionally with long retrievers to snatch a bottle. As expected, the wine list is a massive tome, and there's a casual menu of pastas and antipasti to go with the wine. It was mostly filled by tourists, but then it was early, plus even the tourists were a cosmopolitan bunch so it was still plenty interesting to look around. Unfortunately we're just not up to a full bottle for ourselves, so it was a glass of red Nobilo for me, and a glass of prosecco for her. I had a plate of assorted salumi to go with the red wine, and SO had a bowl of hearty onion soup to drive away the blustery day.
Armando al Pantheon
Salita Dei Crescenzi, 31
06.68803034
Enoteca Cul de Sac
Piazza Pasquino, 73
+39 6 6880 1094