TURNIPSEED TRAVEL
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors
  • Social Media

Artichokes and Olive Oil: Our Favourite Food Tour, Rome

5/1/2019

 

Join us as we eat our way through the Eternal City on the best food tour Rome has to offer - and learn some important lessons about Italian cuisine along the way.

We were granted media passes to LivItaly's Rome food tour at no cost and we thank them for their support. All research, writing, and opinions are our own. Note that some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means we are paid a small commission should you make a purchase.

Details of our food tour, Rome: Sampling eggplant and potato pizza in Rome
Eggplant pizza, cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) pizza (back) and potato pizza.
Are you ready for a culinary lesson, straight from the best food tour Rome has to offer? Here goes! There are three important things you should know when it comes to buying olive oil. First, always knock a year off the suggested 'best before' date. Freshness really matters when it comes to olive oil. Next, you should store it far away from your stove. While it might be convenient to have it nearby while cooking, proximity to heat can affect the quality of the oil over time. Finally, know that you usually get what you pay for. It's impossible to get a high quality olive oil for $7 a liter. Single source, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil, a foundation of Italian cooking, is well worth paying a premium for. 

If you're suddenly craving a loaf of crusty bread and a saucer of pungent oil for dipping, you aren't alone. It's delicious! So would it surprise you to learn that I didn't once try olive oil during our LivItaly small group Rome food tour? Everything I learned about olive oil came from a conversation with our tour guide, Dario, over glasses of wine and a platter of local cured meat, cheese, bread, and honey.

​I'm not exactly sure how we got on the topic of olive oil but once we started asking questions, we couldn't stop. And we soon learned that the mark of a great food tour is that you're so busy chatting you scarcely notice the food at all, no matter how delicious it is. Within minutes, we weren't studious culinary scholars. We were noshing with a new friend and it felt like old times. 

Read on to learn more about the wine, food, and conversations that flowed! 

Forget tomatoes. Rome is all about artichokes!

Jewish-Roman food including a deep fried artichoke in Rome. Picture
My very own plate of deep fried artichoke, battered and fried salted cod, and a zucchini blossom stuffed with cheese and anchovy.
Inside Rome's yummiest food tour!
Time to eat!
Inside Rome's yummiest food tour!
Washing it all down with wine and water.
Inside Rome's yummiest food tour!
Ready to walk, eat, repeat!
While discussions about olive oil around a platter of prosciutto, salami, and three kinds of pecorino cheese sounds oh-so-very Italian, not everything we tried throughout the tour struck me as being a classic Italian dish. Which shows you just how little I knew! For instance, at Il Giardino Romano restaurant, we sampled carciofo alla Guidia, filetto di baccala, and fiore di zucchine (that's Jewish style deep fried artichokes, fried filet of salted codfish, and battered fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with anchovy.) Um, where's the giant plate of spaghetti and meatballs? Maybe a little fettuccine Alfredo?

Turns out I was in dire need of an education about Italian food, Roman style. Dario has some experience himself with North American style Italian food, so we had a lively conversation comparing different menu items. As we'd soon find out, what passes as carbonara in Ottawa bares little resemblances to that made in Rome! The fare served at the average North American Italian style restaurant has little in common with Roman cuisine. ​Rome is like a lasagna, layers of history and culture coming together to make the city what it is. Tomato sauce is just the beginning! 

Il Giardino Romano is situated in Rome's historic Jewish quarter and specializes in Jewish-Roman cuisine. You can still find pasta and bruschetta on the menu here, but the delicious deep fried treats are the real stars of the show. In particular, we both loved the Jewish style artichoke, right down to the stem, which Dario reminded us not to miss. A full glass of Venetian prosecco and a bottle of mineral water were the perfect accents to wash down the exquisite bites.

Coming to terms with carbonara

Inside Rome's yummiest food tour - a bowl of spaghetti alla carbonara!
Now this is a plate of spaghetti alla carbonara I can get behind.
Now let's chat about that carbonara I mentioned. In Canada, carbonara is a creamy, garlic-y affair, laden with bacon, Parmesan cheese, and sometimes mushrooms or peas. When I heard it was an unofficial Roman staple during our first visit in 2015, I couldn't wait to try it. Inhaling one of my favourite pasta dishes AND being able to justify it all as cultural exploration? Yes, please!

No one was more surprised than me when I HATED the dish I was served. The rigatoni, cooked very al dente, was so hard it was inedible. And instead of creamy sauce, the traditional Italian carbonara recipe of egg and pecorino cheese was dry and unpalatable. In lieu of bacon, there were chunks of guanciale, or cured pork cheeks, that were nothing but rubbery bits of fat. Could this be the dish that was so beloved by Romans? Oh dear!

When I heard we'd be sampling carbonara on the food tour, I won't lie. I was filled with dread. Would I be able to fake enough enthusiasm to save our host from offense?

To my tremendous relief, the carbonara we tried on the LivItaly food tour was nothing like my first introduction. Instead of rigatoni, spaghetti was served. It was prepared in the classic Italian al dente style but it wasn't nearly as tough as my previous encounter. The sauce was much creamier and the guanciale was crispy, meaty, and perfectly balanced out the dish.

I'm happy to report that the bad blood between carbonara and myself has been resolved and I wouldn't hesitate to try it again. However, I must confess - this is one recipe where I prefer the North American incarnation, complete with the usual heaps of Parmesan and plenty of rich cream mixed into the sauce. Please don't hate me, Italian friends! Some cheese based habits are apparently hard to change. 

No night on the town is complete without pizza and beer

Inside Rome's yummiest food tour! Inside Alice Pizza.
There's close to a dozen varieties of pizza at Alice Pizza.
Inside Rome's yummiest food tour! Sampling potato pizza.
Ryan enjoys potato pizza. It's a unique combination but it was positively delicious!
If you're thinking that the portion of spaghetti alla carbonara we received was rather generous for a food tour, you're not alone. And check out the pizza Ryan is posing with above. We each had three slices of pizza this size! This isn't your average Rome food tour filled with samples, small bites, and nibbles. It's a full, multi-course meal spread out over multiple stops. There's also plenty of wine to complement all that you eat! At one stop, a hip pizza shop called Alice Pizza, glasses of beer were a refreshing change of pace.

Alice Pizza has a great energy. It's packed with locals, students, and tourists. Frugal foodies, take note - at Alice, pizza is sold by weight so if you want an inexpensive snack or a more filling meal with several flavors, it's an excellent place to check out. There are ample vegetarian and vegan options as well. 

'Pining' for gelato 

Punto Gelato Shop, Rome
Happily posing at one of my favourite spots in Rome - a gelato shop!
Sampling gelato flavors in Rome
Four from the left, in the front row, is my new favourite gelato flavor: pine.
With plenty of miles and meals under our belts, there was one final stop on our Rome food tour. Time for gelato! Rome's glorious gelato has not been overrated and Dario told us that Punto Gelato was one of the very best shops in the city. I'm no novice when it comes to gelato and I have to say I agree with his assessment.

But the evening couldn't conclude without a few final foodie lessons. My initial order of Indonesian cinnamon gelato and pine (yes. PINE!) gelato was squashed by both Dario and the store staff. They vehemently said that two such strong flavors did not belong together. I altered my order and settled for a just sample of the pine flavor. (Spoiler: It was DELICIOUS! Definitely give it a try).

I also learned that American visitors in particular are very, very partial to mixing coffee gelato and pistachio gelato, a combination that Italians find baffling. Americans are also extremely suspicious when they learn that the mint chocolate gelato is not bright green. My big takeaway? Ask the staff for recommendations. They'll help you branch out from your comfort zone but won't let you make any flavor missteps. 

If you love gelato - as any good person should - eating it as often as possible should be a top priority in Rome. My friend Hannah has an incredible, drool worthy piece on the best gelato in Rome!

A few final insider tips so you'll enjoy your Rome food tour as much as we did

Turtle Fountain, Rome
The charming Turtle Fountain - the turtles were rumored to be made by Bernini himself!
Normally, I recommend that you arrive several minutes early for a tour to protect against delays or getting a bit lost. But in this particular case, it's also so you can take a moment to really appreciate the loveliness of the meet up point. Some thing not to miss...
  • The meeting point is at Fontana delle Tartarughe or the Fountain of the Tortoises (or, simply, Turtle Fountain). I loved this charming fountain that dates to the 1500s! A nearby plaque explains the fountain's history and its connection with the one and only Bernini. 
  • There's a LOVELY urban food pantry and wee cafe called Dispensa Cibo Urbana on the edge of the tiny square where you'll find Turtle Fountain. They offer smoothies, salads, cakes, coffee, take-home containers of prepared foods, and a small shelf of sundries like canned tomatoes and pasta. This is where we had our pre-tour cappuccino when we had about 40 minutes to kill and I fell head over heels in love! 
  • Also running off the square is a pedestrian only street, Via della Reginella. There's a neat small shop specializing in hot sauce whose proprietor is from Montreal and, if memory serves me right, there is also a shop specializing in Harry Potter merchandise nearby. Fun!
  • At the risk of sounding risque, discreetly peek into the windows of some of buildings surrounding the square. We noticed gorgeous, ornately decorated ceilings in a few of them. So chic!

As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. That means strolling, sipping wine, eating home style food, and indulging in passionate conversations - and a bit of gelato too. We can unreservedly recommend this tour. It offered excellent value and a fantastic foodie experience and it made us fall in love with Rome even more than before.
​

If you enjoyed this piece, you'll also like:
Discovering Rome For The First Time
Roman Recipes: Cooking and Life Lessons from Nonna.
7 Tips To Get The Most From Your Vatican City Tour

Comments are closed.
    Recent Posts
    Posts by Location
    Turnipseed Travel Category Canada
    Turnipseed Travel Category USA
    Turnipseed Travel Category Europe
    Turnipseed Travel Category Africa
    Turnipseed Travel Category Australia
    Turnipseed Travel Category Asia

    Post Categories

    All
    $200 Challenge
    200m Challenge
    Accommodation
    Africa
    Amsterdam
    Anti Adventurist
    Asia
    Australia
    Belgium
    Business Travel
    Camping
    Canada
    Central Counties
    Cozy Travel
    Destinations
    Europe
    Experiences & Activities
    Female Travel
    Food And Drink
    Gear And Packing
    Golf
    Greece
    Guest Posts & Interviews
    Health
    Inspiration
    Making Travel Memories
    Montreal
    Most Popular Posts
    National Parks
    Norfolk County
    Ontario
    Ottawa
    Paris
    Partners
    Pet Travel
    Photo Essay
    Preparation
    Press Trip Portfolio
    Reviews Accommodation
    Reviews Gear Packing
    Round The World
    Saving
    Toronto
    Transportation
    Travel Cooking
    Travel Memories Series
    UK & Ireland
    United States

    Posts by Date

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Disclaimers, Privacy, and Cookie Policy

Top 100 Travel Influencer
As named by the Obama White House in 2014.​
White House Study Abroad Logo 2014
Turnipseed Travel Logo 2019
DMCA.com Protection Status
© COPYRIGHT 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors
  • Social Media