Mario Draghi, the Prime Minister of Italy, and other government officials have recently announced a “Green Pass” for people hoping to travel to Italy from countries such as the United States. It was rumored that those who can show proof of vaccination, a negative test, or proof of recent recovery from COVID-19, can enter Italy […]
Author Archives: Natalie
I was instantly charmed the first time I was handed the keys to my very first Italian apartment. The long skeleton key seemed implausible. It was about four inches high with two prongs and looked nothing like the serrated house keys of my childhood. These long skeleton keys remain the norm in Italy, where reinforced […]
I love to see that the Roman street food scene is alive and well even after so much upheaval in the food industry in the past year. Amerina La Pizzetta is a delightful new space offering small personal pizzas in one the most beautiful small piazzas in Rome. So it really has pizzette (small round […]
One of the things that I really cherish about my life in Italy are the small social interactions that revolve around food. This can mean shopping at a local market to interact with the vendors, making small talk with the barista over a morning caffè, and of course, sitting down for an aperitivo. Aperitivo in […]
Roscioli is one of the best places to eat pasta in Rome. And one of their most famous dishes is, of course, la carbonara. Carbonara comes from Rome and Roscioli makes one of the most delicious versions in the city (and, therefore, in the world!) The guanciale is perfectly crunchy, the pasta al dente, and […]
Rome’s primi (first courses) tend to steal the dining thunder. Sometimes it is hard to see past the rich carbonara and impossibly creamy cacio e pepe to the succulent secondi (meat dishes) that await as a second course. In Rome, the true star of the cucina romana is abbacchio. More than mere lamb, abbacchio is […]
A year ago, all of Italy was under a national lockdown. I was 8 months pregnant and wrote a letter to friends and family that we were fine – but that the whole world might soon be in lockdown. And here we are, in March of 2021, with 48 million Italians under lockdown restrictions. It […]
Some Italian cities, such as Torino and Modica, are particularly well known for their sweet traditions. However, Rome also boasts its share of delicious chocolate shops. From carefully handcrafted candies that have been made in the same style for 170 years to edible shot glasses and dipped gelato cones, here is where to find the […]