Testaccio Market is changing.
Lela Casa moved out, which is fine because I love the new location.
The stand where I used to buy my fruit and vegetables has been cut in half, leasing the space to Romeo.
I regularly pick up a juice at Zoe.
While I appreciate the new injection of life into the market, I very much want my very own neighborhood market to remain a neighborhood place.
I want the balance of old and new, which is why I appreciate Piadina.
Piadine are Italian flat bread sandwiches.
At first, I turned up my nose to this Italian bread. It was sometimes blasphemously used as tortillas for “Mexican” recipes. I couldn’t get behind it.
But Piadina serves piadine the way they are meant to be.
I went for melanzane (eggplant), stracchino (soft cheese), and pesto.
Jim wouldn’t stop talking about his salmon with salted butter and vinaigrette.
The piadina bread is light and warm, and the perfect thin layer for holding together your pick of ingredients.
Be sure to ask what the special of the day is. I made the mistake of not inquiring and missed out on polpo e patate (octopus and potatoes).
Piadina
Box 21 at Nuovo Mercato di Testaccio
Via Beniamino Franklin, 12/E
Open: Monday – Saturday, 10:00(ish)-14:30
Agree that the market has changed a lot in the past few years, and sadly I don’t think it’s for the better for people who live in Rome. I used to come here every week when I first moved to Rome due to its proximity to my home, but hardly ever now – basically because It’s been taken over by ”trendy” prepared foods stalls like Romeo and this one, at the expense of options for fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s completely fine if you are a tourist, or looking to have a quick bite – though i even hesitated to take my out of town friends there the past weekend as it doesn’t give the image of a real neighbourhood market anymore.