Spring in Rome

Happy cat getting sun.

Spring in Rome is spectacular and for those who've never experienced it, I strongly recommend you see it for yourself. The leaves appear, the early flowers bloom and everywhere smells of Mother Nature's finest perfumes.

First blooms from March

Early April visitors get to smell the wisteria. Late April sheds their beautiful hanging flowers, carpeting the sidewalks with tiny purple or white pedals. Yesterday, I got my first whiff of jasmine as I wander through the back alleys of Rome. May and early June will be loaded with these white asterisk-shaped flowers and it reminded me that this truly is the best time of year for visitors. Sure, it can be a little crowded already, but the weather is just right.  The rain is gone, the sun is bright and Rome is at its prettiest.

First grape leaves of the season

Every day, I sit next to a kiwi plant with leaves that turn pink and white, jasmine strands which straggle over the top of my wall soon to bloom and an old grape vine spouting its first leaves to cover the bright sun.

Welcome to my office.

It's easy to write a novel when you have such a beautiful writing environment.

Scotch Festival in Rome

It was always an uphill battle.  I wanted to like scotch. I had these visions that I could fit in with the elite 19th century aristocracy, complete with long tailed black coat with two columns of large buttons tightly covering my white shirt with black tie. Most importantly, a thick, handlebar mustache. No doubt, a tall, black top hat would help distinguish myself from the ruffians who couldn't afford such high quality marks of income. In the comforts of an exclusive men's club where the scents of fine leather and tobacco pervade the eyes and nose, the ensemble would be perfected with the perfect glass of single malt whiskey freshly imported from my friend's (read: he's in my pocket) distributorship.

But no matter what I tried in the past, I just couldn't get into scotch. It wasn't the more modern atmosphere that made it difficult. I recently learned it was the lack of tasting these fine spirits from the northern land.

The Spirit of Scotland only lasted two days so better be ready for it next year!

This weekend was Rome's second annual scotch festival in Rome, called the Spirit of Scotland. Master classes, food pairings, smoked salmon, artisanal chocolate and more complemented the multitude of direct label and local vendor tables. If you had a favorite brand, it was likely represented.

The Spirit of Scotland scotch festival was held in a beautiful event space in Rome: the Aranciera di San Sisto.

Because I am an amateur scotch enthusiast, I did some research before on a few various sites to find the best single malt scotches on the market.  This was a smart move because I wasn't entering blindly.  I had fun searching through the tables for particular bottles and when I found the exact brand and vintage, it felt like a major win.

The scotch festival was small but great for scotch enthusiasts of all degrees.

All in all, I was able to sample some of Scotland's finest. Some were smokey, lightly briny. Some bordered on sweet with notes of honey or fruit like green apples.  And then others were floral and grassy. To try some of the best out there was a true pleasure, and I would recommend to all, handle bar mustache or not, go to next year's Scotch Festival in Rome.

This fine gentleman offered a 35 year old scotch tasting.  It was far too expensive for my amateur palate at 8 euro for a finger's worth.

 In the end, I was lucky enough to choose the following samples:

• Highland Park 18 Years Old
• Laphroaig 21 Years Old
• Glenmorangie 18 Years Old

Coming here with three other friends, however, allowed me to try approximately 15 total scotches.  Consider me converted.

I went here for the Glenlivet 15 year old French Oak Reserve.  They told me the bottle was too good for samples.  It was a purchase-only bottle. (super sad face)

Hiking in Tivoli at the Villa Gregoriana

Adventure seekers need not worry about being too "bored" in Rome.  Sure, the city is famously known for its gargantuan supply of art museums and archaeological sites and yes, they are pretty darn interesting.  But keeping the kids entertained can be tough after several days in the same spot with material that looks the same.  Luckily Villa Gregoriana is nearby, located in Tivoli, Italy, and it's exactly what you need to change things up.

Tivoli is only about 45 minutes from Rome.  It's the perfect partial day train trip to get out of the hustle and bustle when things seem too chaotic.   The city itself is charming and contains superb views of the Lazio countryside. Three important villas are worth visiting if a full day trip is possible. Villa d'Este is relatively compact and has some of the most beautiful gardens you'll ever see. Down the hill and not as easy to get to, Villa Adriana will stun you with its man-made pond surrounded by ancient sculpture not to mention the size and grandeur of the ancient site. And then there is something completely different: Villa Gregoriana.

Unlike the other two, Villa Gregoriana does not focus its attraction on just the ancient home of a ruler. It is more of a series of hiking paths through forested lands sliced by waterfalls and their beautiful runoff.  

On the steep hillsides of Tivoli, travelers can find random caves, ancient sites of worship and perhaps inner peace.  The sounds of nature blend in to your experience and for a brief moment in time, you just might feel like you belong.

It's also a place worth exploring for able-bodied people.  The paths were not difficult, but they weren't flat either. It was a mild workout through nature that reminds people why they love Italy.

 For outstanding views, a pleasant hike though the woods and so much more, I recommend a trip to the Villa Gregoriana if you are near Rome.

So have you been here before?  If so, what was your favorite part?  If not, what's the best place you've ever been for a hike?  Share your experience with us!

One Unique Way to Celebrate Carnevale in Rome

Like so many professions, my attempt as a writer means it will take a lot of time before success is fully realized. To help cover the bills until that day arrives, I took on the side job of teaching private English lessons.

It was my normal Tuesday routine.  I exited the bus, crossed the street and walked toward my destination yesterday afternoon.  On the way to my student's home my path took me through Prati, the part of Rome adjacent to the Vatican City. The area was mostly residential, though like most parts of the Eternal City, commercial businesses offered their services on the ground floor while the remaining nine of each building were for personal use.  That meant people frequented the streets often.

On top of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, preparing to climb the dome.

Well the street I was on wasn't so busy.  In fact, besides myself, there were but two others - an approaching grandmother and her grandson of five years at most.  I minded my own business. Mostly, I looked down as I walked because too many residential sidewalks in Rome were plagued by dogs and their careless owners, see my article Better to Look Down When Walking for further explanation. So as I got closer to the pair, I noticed the grandmother stopped to watch her grandson. Nothing occurred to me as being out of the ordinary, even after she chidingly said his name in that long, drawn out way... "Filipoooo."

Meanwhile, Filipo's eyes flicked up at me as I approached and he, too, just as quickly went back to minding his own business.  He strolled slowly like there wasn't a care in the world.  He looked at the wall of the building next to us.  He glanced back to his grandmother wondering if she was watching. He was just an innocent little boy.

And the second I walked directly next to him, he threw an entire fistful of confetti.

Showered by millions of pieces of glittering shapes, I realized I, a complete stranger, had just been tagged by a one-man street gang of five years old.

Happy Carnevale everybody!

Berlin Sweet Berlin

It has been far too long since I told you of my adventures and though nothing hilariously story-worthy occurred in my latest journey up north, I did manage to find one of my new favorite cities in the entire world.  Let me introduce you to Berlin, Germany.

Inside the Dome of the Bundestag (German Parliament)

I fell in love with Berlin because there were an astounding amount of cultural activities.  Museum after museum could be found there and I am confident the city offered something that nearly everyone could find interesting. Besides playing host to Germany's legislature, the Bundestag also had one of the coolest experiences for tourists.  An audio guide played as I walked up the circling ramp telling me all about their city and the sights I saw in the distance.  The architecture alone was worth the visit.  I should also note that if you want to go there, even though it's free, you MUST register online in order to gain entrance.  For more information, visit their website - http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/visits/kupp.html

What made it so cool is that, unlike most museums where you have to plug in the numbers and press play to hear the information, the audio guide used a sensor system based on our location along the ramp to start its next recording.  So once I passed a section which had a clear view of the Brandenburg Gate, I was told to wait there for a moment, look out the window and then I learned all about its importance.

The Brandenburg Gate

 Berlin had a sort of street-punk feel to it.  Some people call it graffiti but others see it as street art.  Though I didn't really notice an abundance of "tags" I would describe as the truest definition of graffiti, there were plenty of public art displays on building walls, restaurant doors and the like.

The street art culture is strong in Berlin

My absolute favorite museum there was the Pergamon, and that decision is based on the fact that I went to a total of 8 different ones.  That's a lot of museum-ing (the official verb for going to museums). I know, it sounds a little crazy, but I had incentive because I was paid to write about most of them. I especially enjoyed this museum because they had three particular rooms which featured exhibits on the grandiose scale like below.  Full size reconstructions are awe-inspiring and there was something magical about standing in front of an original ancient object, like the altar below. It felt like I had been transported back in time more than 2000 years ago and I was about to witness the sacrifice of some poor animal to appease Zeus.

The Altar of Pergamon in the Pergamon Museum

The Berlin Wall played a major role in the history of Berlin.  To relearn all about that and see it up close really put things in perspective.  Can you imagine being forced to live between two opposing governments within the same city? If you tried to get on the other side of the wall, you would have been shot dead if you were caught. It is estimated that 600 of the 5,000 were caught in the act. Disturbing, and yet a little unbelievable that this happened as early as 23 short years ago. The Berlin Wall was destroyed in 1990.

A section of the Berlin Wall and the path it used to cover

Berlin turned out to be a multicultural mecca of cuisine.  Traditional Bavarian cuisine was considered "old-school" and I was ok with it. I saw everything from French to Spanish tapas to all sorts of Asian fusion restaurants. The street food was more like burgers, donor kebabs and curry wurst (sliced sausages in a sauce of ketchup mixed with curry powder). And then there were the amazing pastry bakeries and coffee shops for breakfast.  I also hear Sunday brunch is very popular. For me, let's just say it was nice to have a change up from all the pasta and pizza here in Rome.

In Berlin, the traditional cuisine of Germany gets no respect!

So that was my trip to Berlin in a nutshell. Have you ever been there before?  What did you like most about it?  Share your experiences!

Venice: A Labyrinth for Romantics

Only a few cities in the world come close to matching the mystical beauty of Venice, Italy. It is an island where vehicles are prohibited on land, while boats traverse the crossword puzzle of murky green canals through the labyrinth of buildings. Buses are large boats.  Taxis are water taxis. Romantics may hire a gondola for a hand-pushed ride in those long and skinny Venetian boats, best for small parties.

 Above sea level, walking by foot is the only other choice. Here, no bicycles are found, no motorized scooters or tiny Smart cars are allowed.  Here, the island is a life away from the rest of the world.  A sort of paradise for romantics.  In the winter months, Venice is a cold and not so pleasant place.  Being located on the sea seems to chill even the warmest bones no matter how many layers of clothing. The benefit of going that time of year is the number of tourists drastically decrease.  Off season numbers are fantastic, including off season pricing for hotels and as airfare. 

 But in spring, autumn, and summer in particular, Venice may be crowded, but it has a magic to it.  The flowers are in full bloom delighting the nose and the eyes. The evening temperatures are comfortable, where nights show people wearing perfectly appropriate shorts, shirts or light dresses.  The charm of the city is discovered through evening strolls in the largest public square, Piazza di San Marco.  There, centuries ago, visitors arrived at their docks to a large palace, called the Doge Palace, and a beautiful basilica, the Basilica of San Marco.  Today, people stand in awe at the immaculately detailed and wonderfully preserved mosaic and sculpture-filled facades of the religious institution. Truly, it is a jewel not to be missed both at day time and night.

 In the very same piazza, at least one live band plays easy listening instrumental-only hits. One band prefers to showcase their accordionist. Another, more of a jazz ensemble, highlights their talent through the liquid yet playful clarinet. Every one of them has a pianist and drummer.  Behind the band is the entrance to the restaurant sponsoring the musical group.  In front of them are seventy tables for two, tempting passers-by to sit down and enjoy just a few more pieces over a refreshing Bellini  the peach and prosecco concoction originating from Venice. Falling in love with everything has never been so easy.

 At Carnevale, the annual festival right before Lent, people wear masks and have done so for hundreds of years. Because of this age-old tradition, they are sold, it seems, in every other store on the island.  From the bright and colorful to the blank, unpainted varieties, masks of every odd mold and design are uniquely Venetian.

 Murano is nearby Venice, an easy boat ride to an island of artisans.  Their handmade glass is unique and known worldwide, considered very good quality. Art-lovers are lucky.  They don’t have to go to Italy just to get the beautiful products.  They can find Murano glass nearly everywhere, as vendors understand the demand for hand-crafted excellence.

Beautiful glass, odd shaped masks, canals, labyrinths and charm. Venice is easily one of the cities that make Italy so great. Have you ever been there?  What did you like best about Venice?

Rome's Restaurant Week

For the life of me, I can't understand why November isn't considered part of the high travel season in Rome. This is possibly one of the best months to visit Rome.

This is the month when the best festivals take place.  Olives are pressed, the newest wines are uncorked from last year's harvest.  It is easily two of Italy's favorite things.  But then there's also the colder weather.  Sure, it's a little rainy, but the air is crisp. Scarves wrap every neck and people look more than good as they eagerly show off their newest fall purchases.  The air mingles scents of wood-burning fires from each pizzeria with the sweet smokey chestnuts of the street side vendors. Later in the month, lights will be hung down main streets and the Christmas markets will pop up to children's delights everywhere.

Indeed, November is a great time of year. And in Rome, it just got even better, all because this week was Restaurant Week! (Nov. 5-11) Here, have a log with some sweets on it!

More than a month ago, the participating restaurants were announced.  Some were great, others not so much.  The best of the best had their time slots full within days.  This year's list can be found here.

For 25 Euros, most people were offered a three course menu.  Not a bad deal if you chose well.

But then some places had stars next to their name. Some stars were red, others were gold, and one even had two gold stars.  What did this all mean?

It turns out some of the restaurants could "up" their game, something I don't recall seeing during Restaurant Weeks in Philadelphia or New York City.  In my opinion, it's a good idea which benefits both parties.  The restaurant makes more money while the consumer eats a better meal. I just want it to be extra good if I'm going to be paying more, like this meal at Metamorfosi... 

The amuse bouche - perfectly cooked chicken bite with fresh herbs and a light orange sauce, perfect with the complimentary glass of prosecco they gave us.

A modern take on carbonara with a 65 degree Celsius cooked egg, guanciale pieces and a pecorino foam.

Sweet onion risotto with snails in a light pesto at the bottom.

Lamb roulade, herb blend on the inside, outside: fennel, dill, awesome, perfectly cooked.

Pre-dessert lollipop: White chocolate coated gorgonzola pop in a  port sauce.

We had to splurge on real dessert, called Torrefazione 2.0. Dark chocolate shell, hazelnut gelato center, sugary foam at the bottom then they pour hot coffee on top to split open the center.  Then pour on puffed rice to add another level of texture.

And finally, post-dessert dessert. Delicious cookie with real raspberry puree, pineapple gelee with a  passionfruit gel, and a dark chocolate lollipop with a coffee truffle center.

Red stars mean the meal costs 35 Euros.  This is to make up for the use of better ingredients. This meal was the best 35 Euro I have ever spent.  And then of course, I spent more for the extra dessert and the bottle of wine, but wow, Metamorfosi was a stunning experience.  Talk about forward-thinking Italian cuisine!

For more info on the restaurant, go to their website: http://metamorfosiroma.it/

A single gold star means the restaurant has earned a Michelin star.  They charge an extra 15 Euros per person for better ingredients and service.

And two gold stars means the restaurant has earned two Michelin stars.  They charge an extra 30 Euros per person.

Restaurant Week to me always meant a "somewhat" better deal to be able to try a restaurant's offerings.At Metamorfosi in Rome, it was an outstanding deal. The other restaurant I went to earlier this week... not even worth mentioning. A disappointment for the 35 euro.

Have you ever been to a restaurant week dinner? What city was it in and why did you like/dislike it?

Olive Season

November in Italy means olive season!  Those small green or black berries are just waiting to be picked, only a small percentage destined for the salty bath we all know as brine will make them wholly edible.  The rest will be thrown into the press.  Olive oil, here we come!

The single largest olive tree I have ever seen, simply MUST be hundreds and hundreds of years old, located at the ancient Villa Adriana (Hadrian's Villa) in Tivoli, Italy.

My latest article can be found here: http://www.made-in-italy.com/travel-to-italy/news/harvesting-olives-in-november

Never Forget

It's stories like this that make me so thankful to be living here in Italy, to be living more in the moment rather than for the future. Financial planning has plagued Americans and likely much of the world for ages upon ages. Funny how I say "plague", like it's a bad thing.  Because obviously financial planning is NOT a bad thing.

It's actually quite good and we all know the key benefit of saving our hard-earned money... so we can use it later, so we don't have to work later.  When we are slower to get out of the car or getting out of bed, when we will someday be slower to answer the holographic image of our grand kids, what we used to know as a phone call,  projected from the ring of special bulbs coming out the center of our coffee table, the thing that will someday also be our holographic television set. All of that will be really nice when we are much older, as long as we have the money saved.  This is true.

Time for the reality check.

What if you die sooner?

A scary thought. An enlightening thought as well.  What if you worked so hard for so many years, saving all that money, never doing the things you wanted so you could do them in your retirement... but then fate catches up sooner than expected.  What are you going to think during that millisecond of time when your entire life flashes before your eyes, if it even does that? Have any regrets?

A very close friend of mine recently told me about a story. He was the best man for his friend's wedding a couple weeks ago. Everything was spectacular about the occasion, the couple couldn't be happier. After the special day, they headed to New Zealand for a truly fantastic honeymoon. Four days later, they got in a terrible car crash, killing the husband and sending the wife into a coma from which she still has not risen. Simply awful.

It's stories like that that make me thankful for everything I have.  That I have lived this long. That I have experienced so much that life has to offer. And that I'm not wasting the opportunities that are presented to my wife and I. It reminds us that life is short and no matter what, we should live it to its fullest, especially without regret.

My personal experience may not picture me as the poster-child for financial security, but I certainly can represent the other side who chose a riskier path. I'm not saying it's a better path, just riskier.  All I'm saying is the rewards are there, and they are quite different.

My friend told me words from the vigil about the newlyweds, that even though this tragedy came to them, at least this was the happiest time of their lives. Right now, I have two very close friends on their honeymoon in Aruba and I wish them nothing but the best during their celebration, and to be safe as possible. If you have friends or family traveling or just doing normal day-to-day things, don't forget to mention how much they mean to you. Don't forget to say you love someone even if it feels awkward. If you fight with your loved one, always end it making sure they know you love them. It's a morbid thought, but you never know when your time is up.  We can thank Kirsten and Kenneth for reminding us how important that is.  Religious or not, prayers and thoughts go to both of them.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2206198/Newlywed-husband-killed-wife-critical-condition-honeymoon-crash-horror-New-Zealand.html

Do NOT Eat at Flavio al Velavevodetto

This past week, my little blog celebrated its 50,000th page view within about a year and a few weeks from my original start date. Because there's a chance you have stumbled on my site as a tourist looking for great places to eat in Rome, I recommend that you do NOT eat at Flavio al Velavevodetto! 

This place has received too much attention from the foodie blogs of Rome and perhaps they've become too popular for the staff to handle a heavy workload.  My wife and I used to go there because it had a good name for the food, and because it used to be a Best Budget Eat in Rome with surprisingly good and affordable dishes. But things have changed. We are locals in Rome and we will never go back and neither should you.  There are much better restaurants in Rome that will be more attentive and serve better food than Flavio al Velavevodetto.

My wife and I brought our two friends there a week ago because this had always been our go-to place for great Cucina Romana, the authentic Roman pasta dishes. We honestly went about once a month for the past nine months. The past few times before, especially in August, we noticed the food was becoming less satisfactory than the beginning experiences. Portion sizes were dramatically smaller than usual, taste of food was just ok, pasta wasn't as al dente as usual, in our eyes, it began to fail in general. We remembered the food tasting much better.

The Amatriciana at Flavio al Velavevodetto used to be so good... used to be.

Every Italian takes holiday in August so I looked over the most recent negative experience thinking the usual chefs were on vacation, that the next time would be better. September rolled around, it was a Friday night so you know the normal chefs were there and we had our worst experience yet, so bad in fact that we will never again patron this restaurant while we live in Rome and will forever recommend that people skip it if they are considering it.

It was a mix of the service and food this night. Our server forgot to bring us menus. After 10 minutes of waiting, we asked him for menus. After 10 more minutes, we asked him again. Keep in mind, he saw us often as he ran past serving food or taking other orders. Eventually, we gave up and just took them from a nearby empty table.

Next came the water and wine request. We ordered white for our friends, red for us and a bottle of water while we looked over the menu. The water came out in 5 minutes, not bad. The white wine took an additional 10 or 15 minutes and he completely forgot to bring the other carafe of red wine that we requested. And don't worry, we definitely asked at least twice for our red wine. So, more waiting and more asking where it was, and more of his saying "just a moment" in italian. 

Then the food came out.  The fried food antipasti tasted good.  That much, I was at least pleased with. Once we finished, we waited about 30 minutes for the next part of our meal which was much too long. When the primi arrived, the pasta plates, it continued going down hill. Portions were average to small, the taste was just average bordering too salty, overcooked pasta instead of al dente, nothing too pleasing.  Then the secondi came out, well, one of them, because he said he only heard us order the one meatball plate. So ten more minutes wait while we watched our friend eat her secondi, then ours came out and it was another slap in the face: a severely reduced portion of potatoes than what our friend received.  Why serve six total pieces at all when most plates serve a pile of at least twenty. The person opposite with the same plate just laughed. We ordered this dish every time we went there and knew what it usually looked like and this was not up to their standard. So we decided to talk to the staff about the terrible service that night.

Eventually we voiced all of our complaints, told them we were frequent visitors of the restaurant and he added an extra half liter of wine which when he asked if we wanted it, we said no. But he didn't comp the first half-liter, he just went and refilled it even though we didn't want it.

Then we asked for the bill. By this time, we assumed he would want us out of there too, but no, he wanted us to sit there for another 15 or 20 minutes. Awful.  So he brought out the bill and he noted that  he gave our secondi as free. We thanked him and waited for him to come back several minutes later to pick up our money. 

But when we paid the bill and he came back with our change, which was supposed to be 2 euro, he brought back only a 1 euro coin, set it on the table and walked away immediately. We looked down at it trying to remember if we read the bill incorrectly. Nope, the whole table agreed we were owed 2 euro. All we could do was laugh at the terrible experience and how spiteful the server was for questioning his terrible service and the kitchen's issues. By that time, though, we'd had enough of the battle and left without asking for our extra euro back. Enjoy the tip, pal.

I hope Flavio al Velovevodetto does something to change its ways because it has supremely become worse over the last few months. HEED MY WORDS, visitors of Rome, go someplace else if want a good Roman food experience.

The Pope's Escape Path

In case there are any plunderers wandering about Rome, you should heed these warnings: Skip the Pope.

Long ago, when times were much less safe, a strategic Pope decided it would be smart of him to have a backup plan in the event his city fell or someone wanted to kill him.  So he commissioned builders to create a secret path that would lead him from the Vatican to his private apartments in the nearby Mausoleum of Hadrian, also known as the Castel Sant'Angelo.

The important question was how should he get there?

Underground sewers? Too dirty.
Horseback? Too visible.
The options weren't, as they say, a-plenty. (This verbiage makes me sound like a cowboy from the mid-1800s.) After all, resources were limited in the mid-1200s, a wee 800 years ago.

The answer was quite simple, really: build above ground.

So his men used the existing wall that protected the city and built on top of that. They made it stretch the full 800 or so meters, about half a mile all the way to the castle.  And thus, the Passetto di Borgo was born. From what I understand, it came in handy, as it was used a handful of times to save the life of the Pope.

Now granted, I am no scholar of history and my version of how it came to be may be a little different than the exact truth.  But what I can tell you honestly is that YOU too can walk this historical, life saving passage, just like I did.

A View of the Dome of Saint Peter's Basilica from the Passetto di Borgo.

Castel Sant'Angelo opens most of the passageway only one time a year.  For a few weeks in late July / early August, and only at night, they allow visitors to access and walk a surprising amount on the Pope's escape path.  For the cost of the entrance fee, it's worth it to first tour the castle and see some of the rooms that aren't usually open to the public, such as the rarely viewed Pope's bathroom, fancier and full of more frescoes than any bathroom I have ever experienced. Then a lovely concert among the catapults.

A concert in the Castel Sant'Angelo.

And some great views from up top.

A view of Saint Peter's Basilica from the top of Castel Sant'Angelo.

Few things in Rome are as romantic as this. At night and including a concert, this attraction is one of a kind already. But adding a jaunt on the Passetto di Borgo? Well that might just steal your heart. Consider yourself plundered.

Front view of the Castel Sant'Angelo.

Troubles at a Roman Market

My first few months living in Italy, I experienced culture shock.  To me, that term means trying to understand how life works in a culture I was unfamiliar with and the struggles that resulted from misunderstanding. Back in the States, when I went to the grocery store, I could touch every and any piece of fruit I wanted.  As an amateur but still critical gourmand, I am quite particular about trying to match the correct food to my culinary needs.  For example, various recipes might have called for riper fruit, like if I were making a banana bread or my own fruit roll ups.  Others, I would have preferred firmer, slightly ripe fruit, like if I were to grill peaches.

Just because I'm in another country doesn't mean I should change my demanding preferences (too much). Right?

Artichokes at Roman Markets can be bought whole, or cut when in season.

Let's go back to my first month in Italy, an age of blissful ignorance. I shopped occasionally at the outdoor market, where it is common to see vendors grab the fruit for you. I simply told them what I needed and in what quantity and they bagged it, weighed it, and sent me on my way.

Mostly, though, largely due to my extremely small comfort zone and inability to speak many Italian words at the time, I went to the large grocery store.  There, I did what I normally do when I purchase produce: feel the product, inspect it, trust in the fruits and vegetables I'm about to buy, and put back the ones I know are not worthy of my coin. After a few minutes of touching and evaluating the firmness/crispness of the apple selection one warm September day, which by the way when eaten raw, the crispier an apple, the better in my humble opinion, the produce guy comes over to me and chastised me like I'm his child. I had no idea what he said to me during his blizzard of words and I am confident he could not communicate it well in English. So after I replied, "What?", he decided to use words his dog would understand.

"No. No! NO!" he said as he pretended to touch all the fruit.

Buddy, you should have rubbed my nose in it so I really would have understood.

Here's my tip for tourists: don't test the produce! Some places have hand shaped plastic bags that go around your hand so you can put back a piece if necessary.  Use those instead.  Or use them to put one small apricot in each finger and see how many weird looks you can get from the locals.

I delicately set the apple back in the pile after being scolded. Fine, I pouted to myself, then I won't buy ANY of your stupid apples. Wishing I had  fluency in Italian, I walked away thinking about what I would have responded with.  Most of it was highly inappropriate for all you wonderful readers, but once I cooled down, it got me thinking.

How do you prove to someone that you are experienced enough to touch fruit and not bruise it? Secondly, how would you do it if you couldn't speak their language?  If you have a solution, I'd like to hear it below.

Best Places in Rome for Craft Beer

There are a lot of places in Rome to buy yourself a bottle of birra artigianale. The grocery store, the wine store (called the enoteca), a handful of those late night liquor store types called alimentari, and quite a few restaurants stock the delicious brews.  But what about great quality craft beer straight from the tap?

Really, they can be found at a great many pub and restaurant in Rome. Plenty of places keep one, maybe two on draught.  But that's not what you want, is it?  You're looking for variety.  You want the pub that has more than a handful of different types of good beer.  You pine for artisanal beer, the kind of brew that is hand crafted by small teams and brewed in Italy.

Look no further and trust in Vasgo's beer knowledge. The four must-visit Rome locations for quality craft beer, most of them Italian and with more taps than most pubs and restaurants, are as follows:

1. Open Baladin

Neighborhood: Campo Dei Fiori

http://www.openbaladinroma.it/

When I first went to Open Baladin, I had no idea I was going the one night of the year that they had Autumn Beer Festival.  Angels looked down on me that evening and they said, "Vasgo, you've had a rough day. We'd like to reward you." The place is fairly large and the taps, well, let's just say, to the craft beer connoisseur, anything over 20 taps is epic. This should put it into perspective for you: Open Baladin in Rome employs the use of 43 taps.  They serve a lot of beer from Italy, and plenty more from the rest of the world.  I've never eaten here, but I hear the food is good but a little expensive for the value.

2. Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa

Neighborhood: Trastevere

http://football-pub.com/ (I'll never know why they chose this as their domain name)

Unfortunately, I have no photo to share of my experiences here. I first heard about this hole in the wall pub during my tour of Belgium.  I was in Brussels at one of the best beer pubs in the city, Moeder Lambic. After careful evaluation of their 20+ beers on draught, I told the bartender I was from Rome and he asked me if I'd ever been to Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa.  Once he learned I'd never heard of it, he insisted that I go.  The two pubs sometimes work in cahoots, bringing delicious beers from their respective countries to their various local festivals. 

Every time I enter the tiny pub, Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa, I choose between six stools in the front section and a handful of tables in the back room. It's obviously not designed for large crowds.  It's ideal for beer lovers that want to order and step outside to watch the tourists pass by.  The bartenders are nice, their knowledge of the English language is usually good enough and their beer selection is great with 12+ taps. It's particularly a great spot to go because directly across the street and one store over is their competitor, my number three choice for excellent craft beer on tap, Bir & Fud. 

3. Bir & Fud

Neighborhood: Trastevere

No true website. Found at Via Benedetta, 23, Rome 00153

With about 15 taps on deck, Bir & Fud has a great selection, a small outdoor seating area in front and plenty of inside space for you and your pals to go once you've stood around at Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa for 30 minutes.  It's been a while since I have been here, but the first time I was there, I wrote about it in better detail.  See my article Ode to Craft Brew for more information about that experience.

4. Eataly

Neighborhood: Ostiense (*Insider Tip*: You will get there fastest by walking through Ostiense train station, under the tracks to the other side.) 

http://www.roma.eataly.it/

If you know Eataly, the worldwide grocery chain offering regional Italian product, you'll know it's an amalgamation of part mall food court, part high-end grocery store and part learning center. In Rome, it's a multi-floor establishment with kitchen classes, art exhibits, restaurants, coffee bars, bakery, every department of a grocer, and the one surprising addition, an onsite microbrewery. If my memory serves right, they operate up to four batches at a time in those large stainless steel vats. In the pub section, they offer a selection of 8 craft beers on draught, at least a couple from their own brewery at any given time. Reader beware: Avoid the fried tortellini happy hour snack.  It sounds and looks good on the advertisement out front, but looks and tastes not so good in reality. Dried out, seemingly stale even after being deep fried, they are not worth the money, and unfortunately, they summarize the experience of all Eataly's fried food offerings.  Don't say I didn't warn you. 

But you're not at their pub for the food court-quality meals. You're there for the air conditioning, and the great selection of Italian craft brew.

Cheers!