Where to eat in Ostiense, Garbatella and Portuense

After exploring the eastern suburbs of Rome, let's push further in the working class districts of the eternal city, focusing on lesser known, authentic dining destinations.
Here are my favorite suburban dining destinations in the southern periphery of Rome; Ostiense, Garbatella and Portuense – three very interesting districts of Rome.

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Where to eat in Centocelle, Quadraro and Torpignattara

Suburbs are considered reservoirs of conformity, but not in Rome. Peripheral, working class and trendsetting, the outlying eastern districts of Centocelle, Quadraro and Torpignattara are setting some of the highest dining standards in town. Here are 18 of my favorite places.

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4 years of blogging

This blog's birthday is coming up. Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino turns 4 years old on January 24th!

Thanks to blogging, and all that has happened since – and perhaps thanks to – that fortunate night when I wrote my first post, a lot has changed in my life. Through blogging and my activity on the social media, I have

• changed careers, transforming my graphic design and showbiz past into a sweet memory. Now I'm relying on a steady income, and doing exactly what I love: writing about food and life in Italy
• I have published 370 posts to date on AO+P alone, which gain a good average of daily pageviews (despite long periods of laziness)
• positively improved my life pattern, which now includes plenty of playtime
• as recipe tester and restaurant reviewer, I have upped my weight by several hundred pounds (working on reducing those figures)
• as a food docent, I take foodies around Rome on delicious walking tours of my city
• I have written scores of articles, guest posts and features on other websites other than my own
• I have a column on a great online magazine
• I was hired to write 2 guide books, and a travel handbook
• I have written 2 manuscripts, working on a third
• launched the Roma Every Day photoblog, the Forchettine blog and the Rome City Guide for Kids blog
• garnered 2950 followers on Twitter
• connected with 1400+ Facebook friends, and 7300 following my public updates
• I recently purchased a second hand DSLR camera and a smartphone, through which I am learning the rudiments of photography
• received press mentions on, and was interviewed by, some of Italy's major newspapers and international web platforms
• starred in a web series in which I interview celebrity chefs
• above all, I have built wonderful connections with hundreds of fellow bloggers, readers, fans and followers

I think I deserve to take the day off to celebrate. 

This will probably happen in the company of my son, the inspiring muse behind all my food and lifestyle writing. Had it not been for his extraordinary eating requests, and his extensive naps, I never would have started blogging in the first place. 

Barring rain, I will be spending Jan. 24 outdoors and then seated at a table, eating spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino, as a tribute to the luck this long and unpronounceable recipe name has brought me. 

Although the best spaghetti AO+P are the ones made at home, in the old grubby frying pan with the good olive oil, young garlic and the chili peppers from Calabria, I won't be cooking it on this blog's birthday, though. When I say "day off" I mean it. I'll decide where to dine on perfectly slippery, spicy, garlicky spaghetti on the day, with only a lazy stroll between me and the eatery's doorstep.

There are good trattorie that occasionally make this dish, but since it is one of those homestyle fixes everyone knows how to prepare (even Italian men!), it's hardly ever a restaurant menu item. Good thing is no trattoria or other informal osteria will ever raise eyebrows if you ask for a plate of AO+P, they might not even charge you for it.

This is just a small list of places where I can usually score some good Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino in Rome. Feel free to add names.

• Da Lucia – Vicolo del Mattonato 2/B – Tel. 065803601 (Trasevere)  
• Da Giovanni – Via della Lungara, 41/A – Tel. 066861514 (Trastevere) 
• Da Francesco – Piazza del Fico, 29 – Tel. 066864009 (Navona) 
• Agustarello a Testaccio – Via G. Branca, 98/100 – Tel. 065746585 (Testaccio)
• Lo Scopettaro – Lungotevere Testaccio, 7 – Tel. 065757912 (Testaccio)  
• Da Roberto – Via della Magliana, 763 – Tel. 066550662 (Portuense)  
• Trattoria Ponte Mollo – Via Tor di Quinto, 11 – Tel. 063333608 (Flaminio)  
• Hostaria Da Edmondo – Circonvallazione Clodia, 90 – Tel. 063701272 (Prati)  
• Dar Pallaro – Largo del Pallaro, 13 – Tel. 0668801488 (Campo de' Fiori)  
• La Capanna – Piazza Dante, 23 – Tel. 06730369 (Esquilino)  
• Pommidoro – Piazza dei Sanniti, 44 – Tel. 064452692 (San Lorenzo)  
• Cul de Sac – Piazza Pasquino, 73 – Tel. 0668801094 (Navona)  
• Buccone – Via di Ripetta, 19 – Tel. 063612154 (Piazza del Popolo)  
• Armando al Pantheon – Salita dei Crescenzi, 31 – Tel. 0668803034 (Pantheon)
• Li Rioni a Santiquattro – Via Dei Santi Quattro, 24 – Tel. 0670450605 (Testaccio)
• Fontanella al 30 – Via del Pigneto, 30 – Tel. 0670613871 (Pigneto)
• Osteria La Quercia – Piazza della Quercia 23, – Tel. 068300932 (Campo de' Fiori)

Happy Birthday, Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino!

Gluten-free Rome

Please read my 2018 update! 

Not many gluten-free travelers realize that coeliacs exist in Italy too.

The boot-shaped peninsula seems like the last place where you'd enjoy a gluten-free meal, what with all the pasta, pizza, bread, focaccia, salumi and other Italian specialties and staples. But celiacs in Italy can enjoy a large variety of gluten-free foods at every meal.

For example, mornings can have a sunny start with gluten-free croissants (cornetti senza glutine) along with steaming cappuccino. Midday snacks and main meals can include gluten-free panini, gluten-free pasta, gluten-free beer, gluten-free pizza, and even gluten-free gelato, served in a flour-less cone.

gluten: substance present in cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic tissue of dough. A mixture of two proteins, it causes disorders in people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities.

Prompted by a celiac friend skeptical of traveling to Italy, I did a little research, tried various products and after a number of wheat-less meals, I came up with this little list of gluten-free dining options in Rome.

Baiamonti Lounge Bar - Charming pizzeria, cafe and tavola calda (informal, cafeteria-style) that caters exclusively to celiacs. Via Baiamonti, 12 (Prati) - Tel. +39 0637351954

Hotel Diana Roof Garden - Dine sans wheat on a breathtaking terrace with sweeping views of the Vatican and tiled rooftops. Via Principe Amedeo, 4 (Esquilino) - Tel. +39 06478681

Il Capriccio di Trastevere - This fun trattoria offers a large number of gluten-free options along with their regular menu of Sicilian specialties. Via Roma Libera, 19 (Trastevere) - Tel. +39 065816469

Polenta (slow-cooked cornmeal) is a typical northern Italian staple, and totally gluten-free.

Il Viaggio - Sitting in the pastel rooms of Il Viaggio, celiacs can pick from an impressive list of wheat-less dishes, from antipasto through dessert, and choose between 3 variegated tasting menus. Via Isonzo, 14 (Nomentano) - Tel. +39 0697997043

Insomnia - Great seafood and homemade desserts in this restaurant and pizzeria that has prides in providing numerous gluten-free preparations, including pizza, pasta and fried goodies since 2007. Via Portuense, 469 - Tel. +39 0655389376

Giancarlone al 19 - Giancarlone cooks up some of the city's best homestyle Roman cuisine, with an eye for celiac pizza-lovers. Via Durazzo, 19 (Prati) - Tel. +39 0666014164

'O Masto - Pizzeria in EUR that serves Napoli-style thick crust pizzas, receives daily deliveries of mozzarella di bufala and limoncello from Naples, and coats its ambrosial fritti with celiac-approved breadcrumbs. Largo Salinari, 8/16 (Tre Fontane) - Tel. +39 065413448

Mama! Eat - Appealing joint that serves up a plethora of delicious gluten-free options, including pizza, several pasta dishes, tasty grilled panini, desserts and beer. Via di San Cosimato, 7 (Trastevere) - Tel. +39 065806222

Renovatio | La Soffitta - Home to some of the best gluten-free cuisine in town. Specialties include antipasti, thin crust pizza, Roman pastas classics like carbonara, and homemade desserts. Piazza Risorgimento 46a (Vatican) - Tel. +39 0668892977

Tramvì - Within the compound of the children's museum Explora, celiacs can enjoy palatable dishes in a colorful setting. And free parking in a virtually carless zone. Via Flaminia 82 (Piazza del Popolo) - Tel. +39 0632600432

Universale Caffè - Wheat-less pastries and sweets are served along side freshly brewed espresso and exotic teas, as well as gluten-free appetizers with drinks. The place is located at a stone's throw from Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. Via delle Coppelle, 16/a (Pantheon) - Tel. +39 0668392065

Voglia di Pizza - Bakes flour-less pies, served with gluten-free beer, both at deliciously small prices in otherwise costly surroundings. Via dei Giubbonari, 33 (Campo de' Fiori) - Tel. +39 066875293

Beyond the city center:

Agriturismo Santa Anastasia - In the lovely setting of this rustic working farm and B+B minutes away from the center of town, the wood-fired brick oven and grill churn steaks and gluten-free pizzas until late at night. Via Torre Sant'Anastasia, 83 (Ardeatina) - Tel. +39 0671350361 - temporarily closed for renovation (2018)

Al Colle - Besides the delightful wheat-less pizzas, this place rocks a lush garden and a romantic terrace overlooking the Tuscolo winelands. Via di Passolombardo, 212 (Romanina) - Tel +39 067201032

Stella Marina - The special gluten-free menu includes wheat-less ravioli, potato gnocchi, and fettuccine, all dressed with delicious seafood condiments, plus stellar homemade breads, cakes, crostate, tiramisù, and sorbets. Via Nino Taranto, 29 (Acilia) - Tel. +39 0652440215

Favorable facts for celiacs in Italy:

• In Italy celiacs receive a monthly allowance from the government for gluten-free foods.
• By law gluten-free foods must be available to celiacs in schools, hospitals, and public places, like malls and cinemas.
• All pharmacy products are required to indicate the presence of gluten on labels.
• All food labels must indicate the presence of gluten.

Soy–, yeast– and gluten–free "occhi di bue" cookies

Useful resources:

Associazione Italiana Celiachia ~ Italian celiac disease association
Cose dell'Altro Pane ~ Artisan GF products
Celiachiamo.com ~ Intolerance-awareness website, has now opened 2 shops in Rome
Glutenfree Roads ~ GF travel website
Celiacando ~ GF grocery store

Value dining in Rome

C'è crisi — it's crisis time: there's no way around it. Our former prime minister insisted the opposite as recently as last fall, when he told the world that Italian restaurants were packed to the hilt with happy folk spending money right, left and center. But that was 2011. Welcome to 2012, which finds Italy's economy poised on a slippery slope and trickling south faster than melting butter.

Dining out will remain an option for few fortunate foreign wayfarers and revolutionary nonconformists. But for others, pick carefully. Here's my shortlist of where to score a value meal, and still feel like living La Dolce Vita...

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