I haven’t spoken about the dinners and some of the lunches we’ve had while in Rome, and I know my friend Tom is disappointed, so here goes. After our Vatican tour we grabbed a quick Panini at an open-air stand and ate it sitting on the base of a statue with a view of St. Peter’s Square. We took the loudest cab I’ve ever experienced back to the hotel to unpack and freshen up. Our balcony had a view to the street, and a billboard across. The ad? Martini and Rossi Vermouth. Have they met me?

What did we have for lunch? More carbonara, of course. Rome is known for it, and you gotta compare.

We met in the lounge and had a complimentary cocktail, a combination of I think Campari and Prosecco, which was beautiful to look at and tasty to drink. I’d done a quick search for a restaurant not too far away, but not in the screw the tourist area of Via Venuto. We settled at Locanda Barberini, just a couple of blocks away where we dined on Chianti, Spaghettoni alla Carbonara, insalate, and wonderful desserts, chocolate lava and a panna cotta.

The buffet breakfasts at the hotel gave us plenty of fuel for the day. Eggs, sausage, bacon, any pastry you could imagine, fruit, juice, salami, cheese, yogurt, and a full dessert table. Cheesecake for breakfast? You bet.

Roberto had suggested we go to Campo de Fiore the next night for dinner, and there were restaurants galore. The hotel had suggested La Carbonara, and we dined there on fried artichokes, Rigatoni all’ amatriciana, Spaghetti aglio olio e pecorino, more carbonara, roast suckling pig, bruschetta and more Chianti.

After our Roman Forum tour we opted for a big late lunch and a dessert for dinner. What did we have for lunch? More carbonara, of course. Rome is known for it, and you gotta compare. And pizza. And Chianti. We took a walk down Via Venuto that night to look for the best desserts, and stopped into a white tablecloth place that had an eye catching dessert display. I can’t remember what everybody else had but I got a chocolate truffle surrounded by chocolate gelato and topped with Grand Marnier. I was a happy girl. Sorry I don’t have photos of all the food, but when food is before me I’m thinking about eating it, not having it model for me. I gotta get better at that.

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So, how did I do after all of that pasta? And dessert? And Chianti? I bravely went to Weight Watchers three days after we returned not knowing what to expect.

I’d lost a pound.

Arrivederci Roma!

Deborah