We need a new favorite restaurant in Rome.

Our favorite restaurant in Rome has been in the Vatican district, where we usually stay. It’s a little place, not very tourist oriented, and they’ve always treated us really well. Leslie especially enjoys their bronzino, which which she finished with gusto last yearand the year before thatand the year before thatand the year before that!Karl likes their pasta cachio e pepe, followed by grilled lamb chops.You can imagine our distress when we went by there yesterday and found that they were closed for most of the month! This confirmed that they do not rely on tourists for customers but left us to find a new favorite place.

Yesterday, we went to a place near our usual restaurant which Rick Steves recommended. He’s never steered us wrong, and this was no exception. The bronzino was in filets, roasted under a bed of julienned potatoes, rather than grilled whole, but Leslie Ruth enjoyed it very much. Karl had some of the best grilled vegetables he’s ever hadfollowed by a very good pasta cacio e pepe. The house wine was excellent.

Today we went to a Rick Steves recommended wine bar and again found his recommendation spot on.We had a meat and cheese platter and a bruschetta platter, with local (Lazio) wines.

We are happy to report that, although our usual favorite restaurant is closed, there are other great choices in Rome.