Roma, Italy

If you’re lucky enough to have visited the romantic city of Rome, you’ve probably wandered the streets and passed hundreds of restaurants which are difficult to distinguish. Here are 3 of my favorites from our trip in August which are slightly off the tourist trail, but close enough to still be convenient during your next Roman holiday-tion.

Eat / Drink

Aroma

We passed by Aroma on our way to the Spanish Steps. We casually stopped to ask for directions and the owner coerced us to come back for lunch. Good thing we did, because it was a delicious!

Via della Mercede, 32

Cul de Sac

Right around the corner from Piazza Navora is the cute, non-touristy Cul de Sac serving Italian style tapas, delectable home-made pastas, and 1,500 different wines. On our 5-day visit to Rome, we ate here twice!

Piazza di Pasquino, 73

http://www.enotecaculdesac.com/

Grano

I choose Grano as my number 3 because it is on a secluded corner and has a lovely candle-lit terrace where you can dine al fresco in the summer. The menu is a mix of traditional and modern and the bread basket is one of the best I've had!

Piazza Rondanini, 53

http://www.ristorantegrano.it/

Huge congratulations to my brother and his fiancee who got engaged during our Holiday-tion! We are so happy for you and can't wait to celebrate this summer.

Holiday-tion style tip

• When in Rome...maybe I was inspired by the location or maybe I'm just obsessed with the gladiator trend but I stocked up on Steve Madden bronze sandals and beaded dresses from my favorite home-town boutique, Knuth's. Landerwood Plaza, 30619 Pinetree Rd, Pepper Pike, OH 44124 / 216.831.1116

Holiday-tion lit pick

• Jamie Oliver's Summer/Fall magazine. If this guy can teach ME to cook...it's worth a read. jamieoliver.com/magazine

Up next: Christmas in Cheshire, England!

Casperia, Italy

I always aim to bring you Holiday-tion destinations that are off the beaten path and Caperia fits the bill perfectly. If you don't want to see a single tourist bus, souvenir shop or menu in English, this is your ideal hideaway.



Located one hour north of Rome by train, Casperia is a tiny thousand year old medieval hilltop village.

Stay / Play

Casperia is home to 2 bed and breakfasts, one grocery store, a bank, a patisserie/gelataria, Friends Cafe and...that's pretty much it. We stayed at the 7-room La Torretta owned and run by a Welsh/Italian couple and their 2 daughters. The rooms are basic but full of charm, as is the rest of the house. Breakfast is served on the patio where you enjoy beautiful views of the Sabine Hills. If there is enough demand, daughter Jennifer gives Italian cooking lessons. And you can also go hiking and hill-climbing to explore the country side.


http://www.latorrettabandb.com/

Visit

Englishman Johnny Madge is Casperia's olive oil expert. He sniffs and drinks it like wine, he has oil stains on his shirt, and he's full of character and stories from his olive oil escapades. He also runs a wine club which is essentially an underground bar open only to the lucky ones who know to look for the gecko on the door. Johnny's private olive oil tour is a full day of gastonomical delight. We started with olive oil and wine tasting at his wine club. He then drove through the Sabine Hills to some olive tree groves where we learned about the process. And eventually we ended up at a fabulous agritourismo for a 7 course lunch (see below).
http://www.johnnymadge.com/

Eat / Drink
Other than Friends Cafe, there aren't many restaurants near by, so we dined at 2 agriturismo (farm restaurants) and trust me, you will not be disappointed. We had 2 of the best meals of our lives washed down with locally produced wine and a beautiful sunset. At the agriturismo, there is daily set menu with whatever is fresh and available and meals range from 5-9 courses of pure local goodness.

Johnny Madge took to la Trattoria Sabina for lunch
Via Conventi 1 (Via Mirtense km 10)
Casperia
tel: 0765.36346

And we went to Gusto al Borgo, which also is a cooking school, for dinner the following night.

http://www.gustoalborgo.it/main_en.htm

Holiday-tion Style Tip

• Thousand year old cobblestone streets require comfy shoes. Brazilian cult flip flops, Havaianas, saved me from breaking an ankle. www.havaianas.com/

Holiday-tion Lit Pick

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson - because who didn't read it last summer!?

Up Next: Roma!