The Campo de' Fiori farmers' market is just a short 5-minute walk from the GustoLab. This market forms the heart of an extremely important culinary district in Rome (basically the entire neighborhood of Regola along the banks of the Tyburn River). I did not realize how important this neighborhood was to Rome's well-established high-end restaurant & slow food movement scene until I took an "Eating Out" tour of Rome with one of my professors. He opened our eyes to a hidden foodie community -- one driven by some of the most prominent food entrepreneurs in all of Italy. The things is, you would never realize that the people walking along the side streets with you were actually food pioneers!
Anyway, the very first stop on our tour was the Campo de' Fiori market. My first thought upon seeing this vibrant market was that is had to be one for tourists. It was just too picturesque. But, our professors explained that many chefs in the neighborhood shop at this market for their fresh produce. We actually witnessed this in the flesh upon visiting a new artisinal gelato place called Carapina. The owner, Simone Bonini, came walking back in with a handful of nectarines from the market. His assistant started chopping them up to add as a fresh fruit topping.
Interested in exploring our academic neighborhood more fully, my flatmates and I decided to have dinner at Roscioli's - an artisan food shop/restaurant that is supposed to have the best Carbonara sauce in Rome. Actually, our professor (who is a major food writer in Italy) wrote the article that helped put this place on the foodie world map. We are all foodies (obviously) and are more than willing to pass dishes around the table to share. We opted to order a soft cheese plate to start and 4 main courses: lamb, pork sausage, sea bass, and the pasta Carbonara. I think the Carbonara stole the show. The sauce was so rich and golden. I love the combination of egg and Parmesan with al dente spaghetti. There is just something about having to slow down and chew your pasta that I love! The experience of eating becomes so much more tactile-oriented. The sea bass was also delicious -- primarily because it was so fresh.
Roscioli's was also a pioneer in the artisan shop-restaurant model. The combination of cafe and specialty supermarket was unheard of in Rome 10-15 years ago. Now, these hybrid food spaces are all the rage (as is the case with the behemoth gourmet grocery store, EATaly).
Anyway, the very first stop on our tour was the Campo de' Fiori market. My first thought upon seeing this vibrant market was that is had to be one for tourists. It was just too picturesque. But, our professors explained that many chefs in the neighborhood shop at this market for their fresh produce. We actually witnessed this in the flesh upon visiting a new artisinal gelato place called Carapina. The owner, Simone Bonini, came walking back in with a handful of nectarines from the market. His assistant started chopping them up to add as a fresh fruit topping.
Interested in exploring our academic neighborhood more fully, my flatmates and I decided to have dinner at Roscioli's - an artisan food shop/restaurant that is supposed to have the best Carbonara sauce in Rome. Actually, our professor (who is a major food writer in Italy) wrote the article that helped put this place on the foodie world map. We are all foodies (obviously) and are more than willing to pass dishes around the table to share. We opted to order a soft cheese plate to start and 4 main courses: lamb, pork sausage, sea bass, and the pasta Carbonara. I think the Carbonara stole the show. The sauce was so rich and golden. I love the combination of egg and Parmesan with al dente spaghetti. There is just something about having to slow down and chew your pasta that I love! The experience of eating becomes so much more tactile-oriented. The sea bass was also delicious -- primarily because it was so fresh.
Roscioli's was also a pioneer in the artisan shop-restaurant model. The combination of cafe and specialty supermarket was unheard of in Rome 10-15 years ago. Now, these hybrid food spaces are all the rage (as is the case with the behemoth gourmet grocery store, EATaly).
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