The food in my 'hood

I have written at length about the well-known food stores and markets in my fancy Parioli neighborhood, these are places which get constant attention from blogs and press. But it's the small, unpretentious businesses on my block that I find the most charming. Still managing to resist through the bad economy are a handful of small family owned businesses that manage to combat the growth and popularity of larger convenience stores and supermarkets. These tiny shops scattered on my block is where I buy most of my food.

New, younger businesses have taken over as older generations have retired or passed away, sadly changing the last remaining authenticity and character of this old part of town. This means that where the old tabaccaio used to be – selling cigarettes, lottery tickets and boxes of sea salt – now is a tattoo parlor. In place of a boutique where residents knew to find elegant interior design items and vintage wallpaper now is a hipster clothing store that I don't think is doing very well (it's always empty).
The Bangladeshi mini market that occupies the space once managed by a family-run photo developing studio (obsolete, the landlord branded it) is ok for quick emergency cleaning supply runs, but given their not-so-competitive prices, it's not really worth it.

Fortunately the best, more historical places still hold fast and provide us residents of the block with the best, most reliable service and constant product quality. And a good bit of neighborly conversation.

My shoe repair man Francesco, for example, where I take my boots and best leather shoes for a good buff or to fix a broken heel, is holding on by the teeth to keep his little shop open, because less and less clients prefer to fix rather than buy new shoes. But, boy does he know how to live: every year he takes the luxury of closing his business down for a week to go with his wife for "cure termali" at a spa town in northern Italy where he detoxes drinking special spring water.

Rosalba, the lady that sews hems and fixes zippers in her little workshop just up the road is a chain smoker, but her needle work is unrivaled. If I need a good replica of a designer item she can do that too, at an affordable price.

Then there's GioFerCas, a small family owned store that is a little bit of everything haberdasher-type place: a cross between a giocattolaio (toy store), a ferramenta (hardware store that also makes copies of keys), and a casalinghi – the place where you can get home supplies, from brooms and shaving cream to alkaline batteries and stainless steel pots. Patrizia, who now helps her retired parents, put on the best store front decorations on Halloween this year, and all the Italian neighborhood kids got heaps of candy.

The little "Pica Pica Porro" specialty store is where I get my exotic fruit fix. If I want avocado and dates, sweet mango and proper papaya, this is where I go. The sales are managed by the father and daughter in law, while the son (owner) is always out and about delivering groceries with his 1974 Moto Guzzi which I can hear roaring in the street even with my windows closed.

Antonio is the neighborhood fruttivendolo and his shop – once dubbed by us residents 'Bulgari' for what he used to charge for fruit and vegetables – has drastically reduced prices to reclaim customers back from the new Bangladeshi minimart competition. Antonio boasts the area's best seasonal produce (his clementines for example are the juiciest) sweetest on the planet. He's serious about seasonality and doesn't give in to the haywire primizia trend of selling produce out of season, therefore his fruit and vegetables are always top-notch. He also sells beers, a few bottles of average wine, fresh eggs, a few kinds of pasta and small choice of canned foods and bottled goods. When I get home late after work, it's great to pick up some rinsed and trimmed salad or pre-chopped minestrone, cubed pumpkin and cauliflower florets, which Antonio prepares himself. In case of bigger emergencies, his sweet Slav assistant delivers the groceries to your doorstep, for free.

My favorite neighborhood store is however Forno Nonno Franco.
As I approach my neighborhood bakery, attracted by the aroma of freshly baked bread, I know I'm in for a sensory overload and a long wait in line.

I'm here every morning to get bread and there's always a crowd elbowing to the front of the small counter. The bread is baked around the clock from dawn 'til sunset, and store opening hours reflect that. In the oven area works the young and passionate heir of retired baker Franco Fiorentino who opened the shop in 1994. His two sisters manage the front end dealing with customers. The three communicate, fight and laugh through a window that connects the bakery ovens and the actual shop, and through which the products are fed on large hot pans before everyone's eyes.

After 10 a.m. is when the place gets the busiest since that's when the hot loaves of Lariano, Altamura and Pane della Salute are ready, and sell still warm, in a matter of minutes. A thick crunchy crust conceals a fluffy, airy wholegrain crumb studded with assorted seeds. A large loaf of this 'bread of health', if properly stored, can last 4-5 days. In my house, it only lasts a few hours. As soon as I buy it, I break off the end and eat it in the street, still warm.

Besides the various types of sourdough, farro and grano tenero bread, the Fiorentino brothers also bake and sell different products, like breadsticks or low-hydration bread pockets filled with an ever changing selection of fillings that range from sautéed dandelion greens to pumpkin & gorgonzola. Their focaccia pugliese is award winning, as is the crisp "scrocchiarella" cracker-like pita, plus buns, savory croissants and ciabattas of every size.

The pizza romana stuffed with porchetta or mortadella is weighed, cut and wrapped in €1 squares ready at 7 a.m. for kids to stuff in their school backpacks for merenda (mid morning snack time). They even make a whole wheat or plain version without yeast called "suolo". The quality of their other types of pizza al taglio (sold by weight) is nothing short in terms of quality compared to the one sold in the more famous centrally located bakeries. Crisp yet chewy, it comes topped with good quality homemade tomato sauce, select cheese and fresh charcuterie. The choice is not ample but turnaround is rather fast.
And this is just the savory offer.

There's a whole universe of pastry that Forno Nonno Franco excels at, in which the strudel and artisan cookie galaxies shine the brightest. The other day I nearly threw a tantrum in the middle of the small store because they had run out of their cinnamon sablé biscotti. Mini crostatas filled with homemade jam; custard and pine nut torta della nonna cakes; lemon curd tartlettes, fried donuts and flaky sublime cornetti (forget the crappy industrial 'croissants' you find at coffee bars in the morning) are sold fresh daily. And there's always something baked new every day, so it's fun to walk in just to see what they've come up that morning. Oh, and the fridge in the entrance near the cookie shelf is stocked with bottles of fresh milk... and chocolate milk. Help!

The secret ingredient that makes the products taste better at this little neighborhood establishment is not a flavor enhancer – there's been lots of controversy around how commercially sold bread in larger Italian wholesale bakeries has been known to be spiked with a "miglioratore", a chemically obtained flavor improving agent. No, what makes this place really special is the courteous, friendly service. The girls are always smiling and crack jokes with customers, despite the frantic crowds pushing at the counter and lined up in the street. You can call ahead of time to reserve your bread should you be running other errands, and they will bake cakes and other typical Italian party food (mini pizzas, bite sized stuffed sandwiches, quiche and other snacks) on request.

Low prices, constant quality, wide variety of products and friendly service.
No wonder the cue outside is so long.

Opening image romasparita.eu - All other photos in this post © Eleonora Baldwin

Lardo di Colonnata | Pork fat nirvana

Belonging to the municipality of Carrara, considered the world's white marble capital, and the place where Michelangelo used to shop the raw material for his sculptures, Colonnata is a small village perched on a ridge between two marble quarries in the Tuscan Apennine Apuane Mountains, which is mostly known for another kind of white marbling, the one in the lardo.

Lardo di Colonnata © Massimo Zivieri

This smooth and delicious cured meat should not be mistaken with lard. What in the English-speaking world is commonly referred to as 'lard', is a rendered white paste that's used for cooking as a shortening, and named strutto in Italian, and sugna in the south of the peninsula.

Some folks are still nervous when it comes to eating fat. I personally am more suspicious of whoever rips the white part off prosciutto, but that's me. Lardo di Colonnata is a delicious cured "affettato" that should not be eaten with distraction. Each morsel of silken pork fat is a precious, melt-in-your-mouth, mystic experience, and the complexity of its flavor should be savored religiously.

Until recent times, lardo in northern Tuscany was considered a poor-man's meal, that cavatori –– the marble quarrymen of the area –– would stuff it in crusty homestyle bread sandwiches, along with sliced onions and tomatoes. This humble panino was prepared early in the morning before the men went off to carve statue staple out of the Apennines at 6200-ft altitude, a snack that had to last them all day. The calorie content, along with the vegetables and a nice flask of local wine, assured the necessary sustenance in the long and strenuous shifts at the quarries. In time lardo has become an exquisite gourmet item, and a highly sought foodie must.

Lardo di Colonnata is a beautiful white –– or sometimes pinkish –– slab of thick pork fatback, which is cured with a mixture of salt, spices, herbs and minced garlic. In the curing process the salt extracts moisture from the fat, creating a brine that preserves it from air and bacteria, and flavors the tissue. 

Alpi Apuane © Lucarelli

According to a local legend, Michelangelo could have never managed to extract his own marble or even sculpt his statues, were it not for the local lardo, of which he had grown very fond of during his stay in the Apuane.

Marble conca © lardodicolonnata.net

The procedure to make lardo dates back to Ancient Roman antiquity, and the secret has been handed down through generations. The seasoning magic happens in vats of various sizes called conche, carved out of marble blocks commonly stored in caves, or in underground cellars. The concas are initially rubbed with garlic, and the bottom scattered with sea salt, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, sage, bay leaves, rosemary and more garlic. The trimmed fatbacks are placed in the conche and layered with more salt, herbs and spices, and so on; and closed under a wooden covering for about a week. Then the concas are flooded with a salt-water brine, sealed with a marble lid, and the lardo is aged in the brine up to 6 - 10 months. The natural humidity of the caves, and the porous surface of the marble basins create a perfect habitat for the lardo's maturing process. Chemical and bacteriological tests on the lardo have determined that the ancient curing method is extraordinarily efficient and safe, and the pork doesn't require any chemical treatment, nor preservatives.

Image @ culinarytypes

Thin slivers of lardo arranged casually on warmed slices of bread... see it melt slightly, before tasting the life-changing goodness. Perfection.

A glass of wine, a view, some pig fat on bread. Life is good.

Some like to wrap thin slices of lardo around filet mignon, go overboard with foie gras pairings, or prefer it employed in novel seafood recipes. Tuscans use the leftover lardo rind as a flavor booster in hearty soups and minestrones.

On one of my regular shopping spree trips to Colonnata, I learned a wonderful new way of enjoying lardo. Here is the recipe that –– besides the star ingredient –– also employs leftover polenta, and lightly seared radicchio.

radicchio tardivo

Ingredients:
Leftover polenta, cut in thin slices
1 head of radicchio tardivo, ribs separated
Lardo di Colonnata
Olive oil
Salt

Film a skillet with olive oil and lightly wilt the radiccio ribs.
Place the polenta slices on a greased oven pan, or on the grill, and toast 5 minutes on each side.
Dress the toasted polenta crisps still hot from the oven, with a generous amount of thinly sliced lardo. It will go translucent and melt beautifully.
Top with the grilled radicchio, uncork the vino rosso, and relinquish all inhibition.

To learn more about Lardo di Colonnata visit lardodicolonnata.net

You can also read an interesting article on Lardo di Colonnata: Protecting traditional foods from EEU regulators

Food Trucks in Rome

I first started hearing of construction site–meets–Hollywood film set roach coaches turned into gourmet gatherings in L.A., by friends and family who raved about top chefs going mobile, and mouthwatering tweets that informed hungry patrons at which corner the best Asian taco truck would park that day. The food truck buzz was too loud to ignore, so taking advantage of my nephew's wedding in Texas this past July, trip that included some quality time in California, I decided to investigate the US food truck scene in the only way possible. Eating my way through it.

First up I hit Dallas, and found an astonishing street food scene. Not all fried green beans and ribs, here I tasted some of the best Korean fusion and tacos north of San Luis Potosì. If the term "kimchee fries" says nothing to you, look up ssahmBBQ.com. Austin showed some pretty nice food on wheels – can't forget the fried chicken, shrimp and avocado coated in an almond, sesame seeds, cornflakes and chili panure – as did Houston, with it's superlative Tex-Mex and sensational food-truck meetups advertised in the lifestyle section of the paper.

Then it was San Francisco, with its illuminated food culture and eating activism. The city's food trucks went beyond fusion and value meals, these put actual white tablecloth restaurant chefs on the expandable/collapsible kitchens for some serious high-end, gourmet mobile eats, like the former organic farming students that run a rotisserie truck that serves heritage pork, free-range chicken and local lamb. Awesome!

At the Monterey weekly farmer's market, the tandoori oven on wheels fed flocking crowds some of the best chicken and chapatti I've had in a long time. Next in line I checked Los Angeles, another epiphany: Reuben sandwich trucks, breakfast food trucks, bacon-with-everything trucks, fried chicken and waffles trucks, BBQ burger trucks, cold stone ice cream trucks, thai-mex trucks, lobster sandwich trucks, sustainable trucks running on vegetable oil, dumpling & samosa trucks... each selling all kinds of awesome grub.

Every single pop-up wheeled enterprise I tried, offered great food that was cooked well, and cost reasonably little. Each business I ate at had a Facebook page, a Twitter account, QR codes and catering gigs lined up 'til 2014. These people understand the importance of communication, image and hard work: they dish out an average of 300 lunches a day, and besides creating a new food trend, they keep their clientele informed and happy, raise good cash, and most importantly, are bringing people back to dining.

photo © www.cousinsmainelobster.com

I began to feel a little envious. Seriously, why can't we have that here? Can't we replicate this genius phenomenon in Italy too, where food can be good but lacks international variety, the economy is in a down-pointed vortex, and any food fad tagged USA is a sure hit (well, except for Starbucks)?

Does the average Italian Joe that lunches out need to necessarily sit at a table, read his meal off a menu (albeit scribbled on a chalkboard) and perforce use silverware? Is the food truck concept too alien for Italians? Might the idea of a mobile cuisine be scary to the locals, who tend to associate it with the dubiously painted and hygienically–challenged panini-gelato-pizza carts that charge €5 for a bottle of lukewarm mineral water, and that Roman rodents are so fond of? Or can present day Italy, habitual to street food and regular historic invasions by foreign cultures, actually become the next food truck frontier? Mauro Uliassi, a cheerful Michelin-starred chef from Senigallia, is probably the first trying to make it happen, with his mobile food caravan.

photo © dissapore

At Torino's recent Salone del Gusto - Terra Madre world food extravaganza, Uliassi, who wisely focuses his efforts on street food, parked his little "StreetGood" kitchen cart in the middle of Lingotto's Padiglione 2 and sold fried morsels and gourmet sandwiches to the audience. All food coma and festival stupor aside, I think his was one of the best ideas present at the Salone del Gusto. He proved that good, affordable food can be brought to the many, and be available via roving kitchens.

I interviewed a friend and fellow expat foodie living in Rome who dispenses wine pleasures with her Vinoroma wine tasting venture, and that is strongly invested in the Rome food scene. When I asked her opinion on food trucks having a chance in Rome, the response was more than enthusiastic. It sounded like a business pitch. This got my metaphoric glands salivating.

So here I am calling out to you, my fellow expat friends living in Rome, with an idea. I'm looking for partners in a crazy venture. I want to start a Rome food truck movement, in a moment in which Italian food is in dire need of a revolution.

I am speaking to you. You who will sell a limb for a decent burrito. Yes, you right there stubbornly believing Rome will one day deliver a properly toasted bun for that 25% fatty burger you crave. You, with the Asian noodle fetish, and you there, in constant unfulfilled Rome ethnic food lust: if you haven't surrendered, come to me. Let's pool ideas, let's get serious, brainstorm, talk Kickstarter and buy that old Airstream van in the Cinecittà scrap heap. The required start-up capital should be minimal. Let's get this Rome food truck scene moving, and let us "stranieri" give Rome the dream. Starting with fulfilling our own, down in the streets.

foto © allbarnone

Positano for the weekend

It's October, I should be pulling out scarves, sweaters and rain gear; polishing apples and sweeping dried leaves from the doorstep, stowing away summer clothes and beach towels..

Not me.

I'm rubbing aftersun lotion on my brown shoulders after a spectacular secret weekend escape in Positano with my little boy.

We packed a small tote, left on the hush hush and spent two fabulous days swimming, relaxing in the sun, eating seafood and meeting friends in what is said to be the warmest Fall season in 150 years.

We like to catch the Laurito shuttle early, before the crowds. It's a 5 minute sail south of Positano, and the red fish ferries its lido patrons every half hour, despite what's painted on the fish (every 60 mins.)

We found a spot on the rocky beach and waited for Laura to arrive from Amalfi. It was a real treat to finally meet in person after almost two years of knowing each other via web.

We ate lunch on the terrace at Da Adolfo, and it was laid back and delicious as usual. I always have the house specialty, a mozzarella antipasto, which is grilled on wild lemon leaves... very tasty. We also slurped zuppa di cozze, sopped up the juices with a loaf of crusty bread and downed a caraffe of chilled white wine with chopped peaches bobbing in it.

After bidding arrivederci to Laura, we were swept away on a friend's motoscafo, and we laughed in the sun, giddy with acceleration and high on beauty.

More snorkeling and swimming at "il germano," a rock formation said to resemble a German soldier's profile. The water is deep deep blue, with patches of emerald green, and the mountains reflect on the surface.

We returned to Positano in time for aperitivo and...

My son couldn't believe it, and neither could I. Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" tune kept ringing in my ears.

...and dinner of course!! Paccheri are a regional type of broad, tube-like pasta whose name means "slaps." These were made with sautéed scampi, and just a few fresh tomatoes thrown in the pan. The Buca di Bacco holds cooking classes in the restaurant kitchen, taught by the charming Executive Chef Andrea Ruggiero. I'd like to join one before the hotel closes for the winter.

One last swim before heading back home yesterday. I have to keep reminding myself it's October.

Ciao Positano, a presto!

Please head over to Ciao Amalfi! for Laura's exquisite reportage of our Laurito rendezvous...

Pomodori al Tonno recipe

I'm a hard worker, but not in summer. In summer I'm lazy.

Even in the kitchen.

Plus it's hot, and working by the stove–or even worse, the oven–in this weather, is torture.

Like today, for example. I wasn't feeling too good, I had no appetite (a bad sign for me), and I didn't have the desire to even swim once. What I did do was take a nice walk in the property's orto (vegetable garden) with a large basket, and returned home with inspiration.

And lunch.

The good thing about spending time in the country is that you don't have to bother going grocery shopping. The produce is all home-grown, and every family has a ridiculously well-stocked pantry. Olive oil, wine, jams and preserves, canned vegetables, honey, bottled sauces, eggs, sausages, herbs, bread... everything is sourced or made right here, on the premises.

When I rinsed the field dust off these tomatoes, they were still warm from the sun.

I whipped this dish up in 10 minutes, and it managed to restore a smile on my face.

And a grumble to my tummy.

6 small Vesuvio tomatoes, halved
200 g (1 cup) oil-packed tuna, drained and flaked
2 ribs of baby white celery, diced
3-4 tablespoons of light mayonnaise
Pinch of salt

Scoop out the pulp from the tomatoes, removing seeds and watery parts, and set aside.

Chop the tomato pulp, toss in a mixing bowl with remaining ingredients, and stir to mix well.

Divide the mixture and scoop it into the halved tomatoes. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

Uncork the chilled Sauvignon and put your feet up, it's summer and you deserve a break after all this hard work.


Buon appetito.

Pollo arrosto al limone recipe

This recipe has been in my family ever since I can remember. I have seen variations of it in cookbooks from all over the world, and in various cuisine websites.

When we refer to this dish we usually call it "pollo coi limoni nel c..." alluding to where exactly it is the lemons enter the chicken.

Despite its uncouth name, this dish is always very popular. It's easy to make, and has saved my own culo in the course of many improvised meals, with the unexpected dinner guests routinely licking their fingers and the plate clean.

Image © paperogiallo

Essential to any successful dish–I'll never tire of repeating this–are natural, wholesome ingredients. Choose a healthy chicken, that's not been fed hormones, antibiotics, or animal protein. A bird that's had plenty of time to cluck about in wide, open spaces. I'm lucky enough to have a retailer nearby that sells San Bartolomeo broilers.

Real free-range chickens in the San Bartolomeo farm

The lemons I use are plucked off my mother's tree, two blocks from my apartment, in the garden I grew up in. I know the only thing I scrub off these lemons is dirt. No chemicals, no pesticides, no wax... niente.

Mamma's organic lemons

The ingredient list is short, and the instructions are brief. Please don't let them scare you with things like, 'the mark of a top chef is roast chicken.' This failsafe recipe will guarantee a perfect bird, crisp on the outside, with under it succulent, tender meat.


1 whole chicken, possibly free range
2 organic lemons
1 bouillon cube
Preheat oven at 180° C (350° F).

Burn off any excess feather stubble over the stove and give the bird a nice bath. Carefully towel dry inside and out.

Soften the lemons by rubbing them between your palms (good exercise for cleavage). Cut one lemon in half and poke holes in the other with a fork. Insert the lemons and the stock cube in the chicken, apologizing for intrusiveness.

Seal the opening shut using toothpicks (or poultry skewers) and kitchen string, and then tie the drumsticks together.

Place in a high-rimmed oven pan, and bake for 30 minutes, basting often with resulting juices.

Raise the heat and broil for another 10 minutes. To check final cooking, poke drumstick with a fork: juices should run clear.

This particular recipe's simplicity is directly proportionate to its mouthwatering goodness. It'd be a crime discarding the precious skin.

Buon appetito.

Local Rome markets

Neighborhood produce markets and farmers' markets are all over town. Rome is a big city, and the number of markets is staggering. That’s just how lucky we are here. Every day, smallholders and sellers provide seasonal and quality fresh fruit and vegetables–in some cases from their own nearby territories–directly to consumers. No middle men. Prices may be a little higher than those of big retail chains that capitalize on mass-distribution, but quality and freshness are indisputably superior.

But mercati rionali are also the modern day agoràs where residents socialize, and browse other stalls beyond produce: charcuteries, butchers for all tastes and religions, fishmongers, florists, honey beekeepers, olive oil farmers, bread bakers, vintners, clothing vendors, haberdashers and housewares sellers.

Mornings at the market begin with purveyors' familiar faces, customers engaging in friendly conversation, warm greetings and small talk over crates of fresh salad greens, vine-riped tomatoes, carrot bunches, soiled potatoes, onions, pumpkins, brown eggs, pared artichokes, chopped mixed vegetables for minestrone, catalogna for puntarelle soaking in tubs of fountain water.

Through this relationship based on everyday contact, Italians are raised trusting their suppliers. Thanks to this interaction, we learn about local foods, their origin and farming methods. Giuliana, the signora that sells me mesculun salad grown in her country orto, personally guarantees safety from pesticides and unethical farming (many producers adhere to a natural approach for their agriculture, and gain prestigious certification for it), and contextually allows me to benefit from transparent traceability, decrease the number of food miles and enjoy amazing quality meals.

Here is a randomly ordered list of FARMERS' MARKETS in Rome, where producers and consumers come face to face, drastically cutting the agricultural food chain:

Roma Farmer's Market - Città dell’Altra Economia Via D. Frisullo (ex-abattoir in Testaccio) Tel. +39 3471217942 Ex-Mattatoio abattoir Largo Giovanni Battista Marzi entrance, near Ponte Testaccio – Stall 9C – Sat. 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. / Sun. 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Mercato Campagna Amica del Circo Massimo Via San Teodoro, 74 – Weekends
Mercato Contadino Tiburtino Via Tiburtina 695 - Tel. +39 347 538 1452
Mercato Campagna Amica Monteverde L.go Alessandrina Ravizza
Centro Sportivo Val Melania Via di Val Melania, 81 – Monthly
Audirorium di Roma Parco della Musica Via P. de Coubertin, 30 – Occasionally, on weekends
Mercato Campagna Amica San Luca Evangelista Via R. Malatesta – 2nd Sunday of the month
Mercato Campagna Amica San Clemente Papa Via Val Padana – Monthly
Mercato Campagna Amica Nuovo Salario P.zza A. Fradeletto – Occasionally, on Sundays
Mercato Campagna Amica Prati Fiscali Via dei Prati Fiscali – Occasionally, on Sundays
Parco Almagià Via Zenodossio (Torpignattara)
San Saba P.zza G.L. Bernini
Piazza Bologna P.zza Bologna
Pio XI P.zza Pio XI (Aurelio)
Il Parco di Sabato S. Igino Papa park (Aurelio Primavalle) Tel. +39 06 5237 9595 – 4th Saturday of the month
L'Altra Domenica & Biomercato - Città dell’Altra Economia Via D. Frisullo (ex-abattoir in Testaccio) Tel. +39 347 121 7942 – 3rd Sunday of the month
Mercato della Terra di Slow Food - ASL Via M. Calò (Ciampino) – 3rd Sunday of the month
Mercatino Agricolo di Stagione in Stagione - La Casa Internazionale delle Donne Via della Lungara, 19 Tel. +39 06 6840 1720 – 2nd Saturday of the month
Mercato Agricolo Biologico - Casale Podere Rosa Via Diego Fabbri/Via A. De Stefani (Nomentano) – 1st Saturday of the month
Mercato Contadino e Biologico Terra/Terra (4 rotating locations) - Centro Sociale Occupato Autogestito La Torre Via C. G. Bertero, 13 (Pietralata) – 1st Sunday of the month ~ Città dell’Utopia Via Valeriano, 3/F (Ostiense) – 3rd Saturday of the month ~ C.S.O.A. Forte Prenestino Via F. Delpino (Centocelle) – 3rd Sunday of the month ~ Piazza Santa Maria Consolatrice (Casalbertone) – 4th Sunday of the month
Mercato Bio di Aguzzano - Il Centro di Cultura Ecologica Via Schopenhauer, corner of Via Locke (Rebibbia)

Here is a list of Rome NEIGHBORHOOD MARKETS divided by Municipi, the city's 19 municipalities:

MUNICIPIO I
Monti – Trevi – Colonna – Campo Marzio – Ponte – Parione – Regola – S.Eustachio – Pigna – Campitelli – S.Angelo – Ripa – Trastevere – Esquilino – Ludovisi – Sallustiano – Castro Pretorio – Celio – Testaccio – San Saba
Bocca di Leone Via Bocca di Leone · Open air
Campo Marzio 1 P.zza Monte D'Oro · Covered
Campo Marzio 2 Piazza delle Coppelle · Open air
Castro Pretorio Via Milazzo · Open air
Celio Via SS. Quattro · Open air
Nuovo Esquilino Via Turati · Covered
Macao Via Montebello · Open air
Monti Via Baccina · Covered
Regola 1 Piazza Campo de' Fiori · Open air
Regola 2 Via della Pace · Open air
San Saba P.zza G.L. Bernini · Open air
Santa Lucia Vicolo della Moretta · Open air
Sommelier Via G. Sommelier · Open air
Testaccio Piazza Testaccio · Covered
Trastevere/San Cosimato P.zza San Cosimato · Open air
Trevi Via del Lavatore · Open air
Viminale Via Cesare Balbo · Open air

MUNICIPIO II
Flaminio – Parioli – Pinciano – Salario – Trieste
Crati P.zza Crati · Open air
Flaminio 1 Via Flaminia · Covered
Flaminio 2 Via Guido Reni · Covered
Nomentano P.zza Alessandria · Covered
Parioli V.le Parioli · Open air
Pinciano Via Antonelli · Covered
Salario Via Metauro · Open air
Savoia P.zza Gimma · Covered
Trieste Via Chiana · Covered
Vescovio Via Fara Sabina · Open air
Viale della Moschea (Fridays only) · Open air
Via della XVII Olimpiade (Fridays only) · Open air

MUNICIPIO III
Nomentano – Tiburtino
Italia Via Catania · Covered
Portonaccio 1 Via Vespri Siciliani · Open air
Stevenson Via V.E. Stevenson · Open air
Tiburtino 1 Largo degli Osci (S. Lorenzo) · Open air

MUNICIPIO IV
Monte Sacro – Monte Sacro Alto – Val Melaina – Castel Giubileo – Marcigliana – Casal Boccone – Tor S. Giovanni
Fidene L.go S. Felicita · Open air
Talenti Via G. Deledda/Via V. Gambara · Open air
Monte Sacro 1 P.le Adriatico · Covered
Monte Sacro 2 P.zza Menenio Agrippa · Open air
Sacchetti Via F. Sacchetti · Open air
Serpentara Via V. Talli · Open air
Tufello P.zza degli Euganei · Covered
Val Melaina Via G. Conti · Open air
Valdinievole Via Val d’Ossola · Open air

MUNICIPIO V
Tiburtino – Pietralata – Collatino – Ponte Mammolo – San Basilio – Settecamini – Tor Cervara – Tor Sapienza – Acqua Vergine
Casal de' Pazzi Via Kant/Via Locke · Open air
Casal Bertone Via C. Ricotti · Open air
Ina Casa Via dei Crispolti · Open air
Meda Via F. Meda · Open air
Ponte Mammolo Via Rivisondoli · Covered
Portonaccio 2 Via San Romano · Covered
Rebibbia Via G.B. Scanaroli · Open air
San Basilio Via Recanati · Covered
Tiburtino 2 V.le G. Stefanini · Open air
Tiburtino Sud Via Sacco e Vanzetti · Open air
Artigianmercato Via Mozart · Covered

MUNICIPIO VI
Tiburtino – Prenestino Labicano – Tuscolano – Collatino
Casilino Via del Pigneto · Open air
Casilino 23 Via Ferraironi · Open air
Labicano/Condottieri Via A. da Giussano · Open air
Gordiani V.le Ronchi · Open air
Olevano Romano Via Olevano Romano · Open air
Perestrello L.go Perestrello · Open air
Tor Pignattara Via Ciro d’Urbino · Covered
Villa Gordiani Via Rovigo d’Istria · Open air

MUNICIPIO VII
Tuscolano – Prenestino Centocelle – Alessandrino – Don Bosco – Tor Sapienza – Torre Spaccata – La Rustica
Centocelle Via degli Olivi · Covered
Grano Via del Grano · Open air
Meli Via dei Meli · Open air
Platani Via dei Platani · Open air
Quarticciolo Via Ostuni · Covered
Tor Sapienza Via De Pisis · Open air
La Rustica Via Dameta · Open air

MUNICIPIO VIII
Don Bosco – Lunghezza – S. Vittorino – Torre Angela – Borghesiana – Torrenova – Torre Maura – Torre Gaia – Torre Spaccata
Tor Bella Monaca Via dell’Archeologia · Open air
Torre Maura P.zza degli Alcioni · Open air
Torre Spaccata 1 V.le dei Romanisti · Covered
Torre Spaccata 2 Via Sisenna · Open air

MUNICIPIO IX
Prenestino Labicano – Tuscolano – Appio Latino
Appio Via F. Valesio · Open air
Colli Albani Via Castelgandolfo · Open air
Latino P.zza Epiro · Partly covered
Latino Nuovo Via Gregorovius · Open air
Metronio Via Magna Grecia · Covered
Ragusa Via Verbania · Open air
Tuscolano 1 Via Orvieto · Open air

MUNICIPIO X
Tuscolano – Don Bosco – Collatino – Appio Pignatelli – Capannelle
Calisse/Bonfante V.le M.F. Nobiliore · Open air
Nuovo Cinecittà Largo Appio Claudio · Open air
Cinecittà Est Via S. Oberto · Open air
Piscine di Torre Spaccata Via R. Vignali · Open air
Quadraro P.zza dei Tribuni · Open air
Quarto Miglio Via Menofilo · Open air
Statuario Via Polia · Open air
Tuscolano 3 Via del Quadraro · Covered

MUNICIPIO XI
Appio Latino – Ostiense – Ardeatino – Appio Pignatelli – Aeroporto Ciampino – Torricola – Cecchignola
Commercio Via del Commercio · Open air
Garbatella Via Passino · Covered
Grotta Perfetta Via Granai di Nerva · Open air
La Montagnola Via Pico della Mirandola · Open air
Navigatori P.zza dei Navigatori · Open air
Ostiense Via Corinto · Covered
Tor Marancio Via R.R. Garibaldi · Open air

MUNICIPIO XII
Ostiense – Giuliano Dalmata – Europa – Castel di Leva – Vallerano – Castel di Decima – Torrino – Vitinia
Decima Incis Via Sansotta · Open air
Laurentino 38 Via F. Sapori · Open air
Spinaceto Via Caduti per la Resistenza · Open air
Tor de' Cenci Via R. Bertani · Open air
Vigna Murata Via Meldola · Open air

MUNICIPIO XIII
Lido di Ostia Ponente – Lido di Ostia Levante – Acilia – Lido di Castel Fusano – Castel Porziano – Mezzocammino
Stella Polare Via Capo Passero · Open air
Ostia Lido Nord Via dell’Appagliatore · Open air
Ostia Centro Via Orazio dello Sbirro · Covered
Casal Bernocchi Via G. Biagi · Covered
Casal Palocco Via A. Galli · Covered

MUNICIPIO XV (there is no 14)
Portuense – Gianicolense – Magliana Vecchia – La Pisana – Ponte Galeria
Casetta Mattei Via La Contea · Open air
Enrico Fermi Via D. Macaluso · Open air
Magliana Viale Pescaglia · Open air
Monte Cucco Via G. Porzio · Open air
Portuense 2 Via Portuense · Open air
Portuense 3 L.go S. Silvia · Open air
Trullo Via Campagnano · Covered

MUNICIPIO XVI
Portuense – Gianicolense – Maccarese – La Pisana Nord – Castel di Guido
Bravetta P.zza Visconti · Open air
Donna Olimpia Via Donna Olimpia · Open air
Gianicolense P.zza S. Giovanni di Dio · Open air
Monreale L.go Monreale · Open air
Monteverde Nuovo Via G. de Calvi · Open air
Monteverde Vecchio Via G.B. Niccolini · Open air
Portuense 1 Via E. Rolli · Open air
Vascello Via del Vascello · Open air

MUNICIPIO XVII
Borgo – Trionfale – Prati – Della Vittoria
Prati P.zza dell’Unità · Covered
Tito Speri Via Tito Speri · Open air
Trionfale Via Andrea Doria · Covered
Vittoria Via Monte Santo · Covered

MUNICIPIO XVIII
Aurelio – Trionfale – Primavalle – Casalotti
Aurelio Via San Silverio · Open air
Casalotti Via Ovada · Open air
Irnerio Via Aurelia · Open air
Pineta Sacchetti Via Urbano II · Open air
Sisto IV Via Sisto IV · Open air

MUNICIPIO XIX
Aurelio – Trionfale – Primavalle
Belsito P.zza C. Mazzaresi · Covered
Monte Mario P.zza P. Thouar · Partly covered
Primavalle 1 Via Igino Papa · Covered
Primavalle 2 Via Pasquale II · Open air
Torrevecchia Via Sciamanna · Open air
Vegezio Via Vegezio · Open air

MUNICIPIO XX
Della Vittoria – Tor di Quinto – La Storta – Cesano – Tomba di Nerone – La Giustiniana
Flaminio Nuovo Via Tuscia · Open air
Ponte Milvio Via Riano · Covered
Saxa Rubra P.zza Saxa Rubra · Open air
Tor di Quinto Via Monteleone da Spoleto · Open air

Source: Italian Chamber of Commerce
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