Where to Eat in Testaccio (minus the offal)

Rome's Testaccio neighborhood has long been associated with so-called quinto quarto dishes, traditional delights made from the leftover parts of grazing animals (including tripe, sweetbreads, lungs, nerves, tail, intestines, and liver).

But it's not all organs in contemporary Rome's working-class wonderland.
Testaccio has grown hipper by the decade and is now home to upbeat nightlife, museums and dance clubs. It also has its share of very good offal-less gourmet destinations.

Here's my shortlist of places to find great Testaccio meals while taking a break from the innards frenzy. Continue Reading ➔

Featured on Frommer's radio Travel Show

Sunday August 17th between noon and 2pm ET, I am interviewed by Arthur Frommer, founder of the Frommer's guidebooks and his daughter Pauline (publisher of Frommers.com) hosts of the nationally syndicated Travel Show, now heard on radio in over 130 cities across the United States.

You can catch the live streaming, or download the podcast, which is generally available two weeks after broadcast. It will also be available on iTunes.

Ciao!

Unexplored Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Peninsula

©zingarate.com

Despite more than half-a-century of mass tourism and wildfire exploitation, the Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast still possess a few unexplored and approachable places not yet corrupted by impossibly high prices and artificially piped lemon-scents.

Some remain authentically frozen in time, but you have to seek them out.

Here's my shortlist of lesser-known Amalfi Coast destinations that retain some of the dreamlike quality Steinbeck marveled at when he visited after WWII.

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What to avoid when eating out in Rome

If you dust grated Parmesan onto your seafood risotto while sipping cappuccino, a waiter may grimace. If so, it's not because he doesn't like tourists (he actually loves them) but because you're not leaving your comfort zone. You're eating I-talian as you would at home.

Every city demands you learn a little about its food scene before taking the plunge. Since Rome is quirkier than most, my first advice to food-loving tourists is that they study local habits, customs, and also make an effort to learn a few words of the language. The more prepared you are, the less you're surprised, and prone to paranoia.

That said, here's my shortlist of tips on what to avoid when eating out in Rome. Continue Reading ➔

Where to eat in EUR

EUR is a curious vision of grandeur interrupted. An acronym for Esposizione Universale Romana, the outlying neighborhood south of the Rome center was first commissioned by Benito Mussolini, eager to celebrate 20 years of Fascist rule by creating a temple to his vision of Roman modernity.

Despite its sleek marble-lined avenues, EUR never established its own food culture. Instead, it was seen as something of culinary wasteland with only a few stylish meeting places and eateries.

But trends change, particularly in food, and Rome's most modern neighborhood, with its cluster of beehive office buildings, is slowly but surely turning into a foodie destination. Here is my shortlist of places worthy of a visit, should you happen in this side of town.

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