We flew back Athens to Houston via Frankfurt last week to celebrate my brother Michael’s high school graduation. My grandma came from California, and we spent a lot of quality time together. In our whirlwind four days at my family’s house, we got together with some friends, and did last minute shopping and packing for our summer in Europe. Last Saturday, we left with my parents, Amanda, and Michael for Rome via Newark. We got to our Airbnb around noon, and Robert and I went with my parents to Roma Sparita for lunch while my siblings rested. We had salad and cacio e pepe (chewy, eggy pasta with pecorino cheese and black pepper) served in a cheese bowl. The cacio was good, but not our favorite (that award still goes to my favorite restaurant: Da Enzo). For dessert, we had some of the most delicious berries with homemade ice cream. We picked up the rest of the family and walked around the city, stopping at Enoteca Ferrara for a glass of prosecco and some complimentary appetizers before our night tour of the Colosseum. Because we have all spent time in Rome and covered the major tourist sites, this was the only place we felt we needed to return. Getting to walk around inside the Colosseum without hordes of other tourists made for a special experience. The next day, we went on a food tour of Rome to learn about the history and cuisine of the region while walking around the city tasting cheeses, cured meats, vegetables, pizza, suppli, cherries, gelato, espresso, and chocolates. In the evening, Michael, Robert, and I went out for mojitos at Freni e Frizioni, an al fresco bar in the picturesque Trastevere neighborhood. We met everyone for dinner at my absolute favorite restaurant: Da Enzo al 29. Da Enzo makes the best cacio e pepe I’ve ever had. They also make the best carbonara in the city (not even a dish I usually like). Their chicory (a dark green, slightly bitter vegetable) with olive oil and garlic is fantastic, and their carciofo alla giudia (fried Roman Jewish artichokes) are addictive. Locals order the house wine, which you can count on to be delicious, cheap, and plentiful. The casual atmosphere and reasonable prices bely the outstanding quality of the food, which Robert and I have been talking about longingly since we first ate there more than three years ago. The meal ended with espresso (as any Roman dinner should), limoncello, tiramisu, and fresh strawberries. On our final day in Rome, Robert and I visited the Biblioteca Casanatense, where we perused a beautifully illustrated 15th century edition of Dante’s Inferno. We had couscous with tomatoes and fresh cheese, watermelon soup with mint, and local cheeses at Cavour 313, then walked home to rest before having dinner at Flavio al Velavevodetto, another of our favorite restaurants that we found during our 2015 trip here. The standout dish is the ravioli, freshly made and cooked perfectly al dente, filled with fresh ricotta and topped a simple sauce made from the freshest, most flavorful tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil. This morning, we took the bus to Sorrento, a city on the Amalfi Coast near Naples that we are excited to explore.
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September 2018
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