Another day of pilgrimage

Thursday was another gorgeous, late-autumn day in Rome. I decided that I would take the train out to Castel Gandolfo, one of towns in the Colli Albani, the hills just south of the city. I checked the train schedule. There was a train leaving at 11:30. This would give me enough time to go visit the church of Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, which had been closed on Tuesday. I got my things together and set off. I was in a great mood and ready to make the most of the day. I retraced my steps from Tuesday and arrived at the doors of the church. The sign with the opening times had been taken down and the doors were locked. Mannaggia! These Romans! Can’t they ever follow through? Disappointed, I turned around and headed for the subway.

This was my first subway ride of the visit. I boarded the train at Circo Massimo. This is a stop on the Linea B, one of the two main lines that crisscross the city. This line had always been the shabbier of the two, but I was really shocked to see the poor condition of the cars. I arrived at the station and began looking for the departure gate for my train.” Hmmmm. I don’t see a train at 11:30. There’s one at 12:25, let me check another schedule.” No, there was no train at 11:30; it was a phantom.” Did I want to wait until 12:25?” The day was going downhill fast. I decided to make lemonade. I would not

go to Castel Gandolfo.

At the Mercato Centrale

Since I was already at Termini, I would go to visit another stop on my gastronomic bucket list – the newly opened food court at the main rail station. This had been written about extensively when it opened about two years ago. The idea was to bring together some of the most notable chefs and provisioners in one space. The space itself is architecturally stunning, with soaring vaults. The idea appears to have worked. Both visitors and Romans have taken to this new way of eating. All the best of Roman cuisine and then some is available – pizza, pasta, gelato, ramen, sushi, hamburgers and much more. Most items are purchased at the stall and consumed standing or sitting nearby, but there is also a sit-down restaurant on the upper level. As I wandered around, I was amazed at the variety and was sorely tempted by many of the offerings, but it was barely 11:30 and I had decided that it was time to visit a major temple in the gastronomic firmament. I was going to Pizzarium, the home of what many consider the best pizza in the universe.

Pizzarium - that's it!

Gabriele Bonci has established himself as a master pizzaiolo, primarily for his dough formula, but not just. He sells pizza a taglio, i.e. a large rectangular sheet pan of dough with toppings that is then sliced and sold by weight. Basically, you gesture with your hands to the server how big a piece you want, he slices it, weighs it and gives it to you on a sheet of waxed paper, or, he wraps it up if you aren’t going to eat it right away. For a long time, the only place you could get his pizza was at this little storefront place near the Cipro Metro station. He recently opened another venue in the Mercato Centrale that I just wrote about. That was the one good thing about being at the train station; I could hop on the Metro and be at the Cipro stop in just over 10 minutes. I was feverish just thinking about being able to try this pizza!

Ordering at Pizzarium

When I got out at the Cipro  stop, I wasn’t sure exactly where the shop was, but Google maps showed the way. When I saw a gaggle of people outside on the street, I knew I had reached my destination. Pizzarium has no chairs. If you are lucky, you find a little space on one of the ledges indoors or out where you perch over your pizza. The pizza is all displayed behind glass on a long counter. Miraculously, you took a number, so it was more orderly than it would have been otherwise. The place is always crowded, so while you wait your turn, you can survey the offerings and make your choices. 

Red or white?

Since this was my first time, I decided that, in order to form a fair opinion, I needed to try both a red and a white pizza. But what if I chose badly? I might never get a second chance. The red was an obvious choice for me – tomato, anchovy and burrata. The white was much harder, but, in the end, I went for the potato, cheese and egg. I grabbed an artisanal beer out of the fridge – my number was getting closer – then it was my turn. I ordered and asked the guy to reheat the pizza for me. I seemed like an eternity before it was ready. But then, there it was, these savory morsels of deliciousness! I was lucky enough to snag a few feet of ledge just as someone walked away. 

I took my first bite of white, knowing that the flavors would be subtler. Oh my, was that good. Now the red, that was even better. I alternated tastes until it was all gone. Satisfied, I finished my beer and cleared my things. Then I walked back towards the Metro station and sat down on a bench to savor the experience I just had. I would have stayed longer, if it weren't for some very pesky mosquitoes. I had just completed another stop on my gastronomic pilgrimage.

Entering the Piazza del Popolo

Half in a food coma, I boarded the subway and headed back towards the center. It was way too early to go back to Sant’Anselmo. I decided to get off and go to the Piazza del Popolo, one of Rome’s grand open spaces. For some reason, my travels rarely took me in that direction, so I thought this was a great opportunity. It was a good choice. The Piazza del Popolo marks the place where the main road from the north, the Via Flaminia, enters the ancient city. I walked through the gate and saw the space spread out before me in the glistening sunshine, it was so beautiful. I watched as a man created giant soap bubbles and enjoyed seeing all the children chase after them. Since I was doing the tourist thing, I started walking towards the Spanish Steps, again, not a part of Rome that I frequented often. When I reached the piazza and saw the hordes of tourists, I changed my mind and headed off down a side street. 

Ara Pacis

My feet were getting tired, so I went in the direction where I could catch a bus to Sant’Anselmo. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the museum that holds the Ara Pacis, that great monument of Roman art. I had never been inside the relatively new museum, designed by Richard Meier and opened in 2006. This seemed like the perfect time. The modern structure that Meier built has been widely criticized, especially the exterior. Inside, however, the luminosity of the structure perfectly displays the ancient marbles. The museum has a very fine explanation of the altar and its place in Ancient Rome. I learned a great deal from this visit. Now, my feet were really killing me, so I hopped on a bus and went home. Knowing that I had a long afternoon ahead of me, I took advantage of Sant’Anselmo’s laundry and did some wash.

When evening came, I went to Vespers and then headed off for dinner. Since I “only” had pizza for lunch, I could justify a full meal tonight. I decided to take a chance at another temple of Roman cuisine – La Tavernaccia di Bruno, in Trastevere. Katie Parla raves about this place, so I knew it had to be good. It was very easy to reach by bus; and, if I didn’t get in, I could come back to Testaccio and find something. It is a good thing that I had a plan-B, because the woman at the door just shook her head. “No reservation? Sorry.” This is another novelty. Since when do Romans plan ahead and make reservations for dinner? Except for large groups, nobody ever made reservations “in my day”.

Tagliolini with artichokes and gricia

Harrumph. As I was heading back to the bus stop, I passed a place called Bistrot Essenziale. I would never have given a place with the word ‘bistrot’ in its name a second glance, but there was a chalkboard menu outside and I paused. The dishes listed were either Roman classics or reinterpretations with a heavy emphasis on seafood. Only one table was occupied, which made me nervous. Something told me to take a chance, so I went in.

Totani alla Lucania

The place was relatively small and nicely furnished. The waitress showed me to a table and pointed to another chalkboard on the wall and ran through the offerings. She went off to get my water while I was deciding about wine. No wine by the glass, which was odd. I’d have to order a whole bottle. Fortunately, in Rome that’s about the cost of two glasses in an American restaurant and probably better wine. I settled on a Frascati Superiore. For my pasta, I went with the tagliolini with artichokes and gricia, something akin to salt pork, a quintessentially Roman combination. For my main course, I ordered totani alla Lucania, a kind of spicy stew of baby octopus and tomato.

 The pasta was a perfect combination. The sauce had a viscosity to it that reminded me of carbonara, but the dish had no eggs in it. The totani were also extremely tasty, though I would have like a little more heat from red pepper. Overall, it was a great meal. I was tempted to see what dessert was like, but the timing was wrong. A large and somewhat unruly party had come in and the poor waitress had her hands full. When there was a break in the activity, I paid and commiserated with her.