Il Chiodo Fisso and my great neighborhood

This lovely little bundle is how they pack the little pastries that I bought today at a local pastry shop.  I got to walk home with this beautiful package and it was a gift to me! So much to be thankful for.

Read the reviews.  Went tonight and had a GREAT meal.  We have been eating ourselves through various guides for 2 weeks and this is one of the best.  I had the Saltimbocca or Jump in the mouth- yummy, the sauce had the traditional butter,wine and sage, lots of sage this time. It was salty but not so too much like other places I have eaten this.  The Fantasy of grilled vegetables- very nice and naturally sweet vibrant flavors of zucchini, eggplant and yellow peppers, and the special dessert Seadas- OMG ( i am not a fan of the saying but ... here it fits) fried dough, like a ravioli but bigger and better, similar to a thicker sopapilla which we have in New Mexico, filled with the right amount of cheese all melty when you cut into it, maybe a saltier cheese than mozzarella, like a provolone but still mild and then drizzled with honey and a very light dust of powdered sugar and perhaps lemon zest ( I ate it so fast I cant say exactly).  So worth it. Even the table bread was perfection, crusty crust and soft moist inside.  A favorite for sure and a nice way to spend Thanksgiving, very understated and really a non event but a really good meal.

Clementines and the produce

Oh my clementine.  How beautiful are these!  From a local Fruiteria.  These, when peeled, perfume the entire apartment.  Sweet like sugar and the flavor so intense!

Lamb and a trip to the "ghetto"

Da Francesco

Oh my lamb, this restaurant was in the top 10 book I have and it was so good.  A roasted piece of lamb.  Not sure what piece but it was fantastic.  This is close to the school and a favorite.  There is also a local spot by school that doesn't seem to have a sign with a name.  It has several meat dishes that are so tender, like it cooked for hours, and probably did.  One is served with peas and mushrooms that have been cooked with the veal and have absorbed the juices.  Delicious.   They serve the meal with huge bread rolls that are crusty on the outside and hollow in the center.  Perfect for lopping up the remaining juices from the roast.  They also have a pasta with eggplant, fantastic.  It seems that the eggplant is roasted until super sweet.

Today the meal was a meal at Sora Margaritta, again no sign and so good.  Our waitress suggested that she bring us dishes.  First a deep fried artichoke, no breading just fried to a crisp so good.  The a batter dipped zucchini flower stuffed with mozzarella and anchovy.  good, it would be great if I liked anchovies.  A soup with fish and cauliflower, interesting but I dont need to have it again.  Pasta with ricotta and cheese and black pepper.  Some sort of sausage, pinky red inside great flavor and served in a deep orange sauce with big beans.  Im normally not a fan of beans but this was so good  I am finding that much of the food I am eating is very salty and I mean very.  I was wondering if it is because people smoke... then came the lamb legs just skinny strips of fat on the bone the best taste of lamb I think I have ever eaten.  Lets see , Oh we also had a Roman dish that is a type of shredded green shoot with anchovy and oil.  its only found in Rome I could take a pass next time.  Ill try to get the name.  Then Spinach deeply flavored and likely with some type of meat.  I finally told the waitress Basta.  enough stop.  The guide said it was a reasonably priced place. the meal for 2 was 87 euros.  like $120.  so not so reasonable.  but worth the experience.

Thru friends at school I have found a bar that has a happy hour.  One drink and all you can eat for 6 or 7 Euros.  and the food is pretty good.  I think the actual name is Apperitivo.  It is near school and a bit of a scene.  So many experiences....