Mamma e Io: Mangiamo Cibo

Pizzarium Pizza

Italiano: Mangiamo Cibo

English: We Eat Food

This will be the last post documenting my week long trip with my Mom. And what better way to conclude, but with a post about all of the delicious food we ate! I tried to make sure we ate a variety of Italian dishes, and most importantly, ate at places that came well-recommended and reviewed.

Pizza al Taglio is a classic and must have lunch bite. Essentially, there are tons small eateries that serve Pizza al Taglio, or pizza by the slice. I've been itching to try Pizzarium, and after touring the Vatican, Mom and I made our way over there per Katie Parla's recommendation. A hole in the wall pizzeria, Pizzarium offered such an immense variety it was hard to choose. We concluded with a prosciutto e mozzarella pizza, and a pizza with seasonal bell peppers. Our server was new and ended up burning one of our slices, so we ended up getting a complimentary additional piece. Pizzarium uses fresh and seasonal ingredients, and although Mom and I aren't big pizza fans, it's something you just have to try in Italy, because it is NOTHING alike American Pizza.

Cul De Sac: Antipasti of Meat and Cheese; Aubrogine; Mom with Stuffed Bell Peppers

On Mom's first night here, we ventured to Cul De Sac. A small enoteca near Piazza Navona. We weren't starving, so I figured a wine bar would be perfect for us to enjoy some antipasti and good Italian wine. I suggested a Frascati, since Frascati is made in the Lazio region of Rome we were drinking local. Our server was helpful in directing us choose from their extensive wine list. Mom was pleased with the Italian cheeses and cured meats. Our eggplant and stuffed peppers are classic vegetable side dishes. Even though Cul De Sac accumulates a fair number of tourists, their choices of Italian wine, and delightful dishes definitely make up for any touristy-vibe.

All Arco' Venezia; Venetian Brusccetta

I was told, prior to my trip to Venice, to eat where you see locals. Venice is not known for being a culinary stopping point in Italy. Mom and I realized this very quickly upon our arrival. However, on the second day, after strolling through Rialto Market, we stumbled down an alley way that brought us to All'Arco. A small wine bar that served tons of little brushcetta and antipasti. We opted for the three choices above: prosciutto con pomodoro, salume con pickles, creamy sardine paste (bacaea’ manteca’) I managed to order in Italian, but our server immediately swtiched to English after asking him which he preferred of the fish spreads. The third bruschetta on the far right was actually our favorite. Who knew sardines could convert to make such a delicious spread when made with garlic and cheese? Paired with a  glass of wine, this place hit the spot. 

Visit #1: La Zucca; Ficci con Gorganzolla; Pumpkin Flan; Artichoke Hearts; Dolci: Fig Cake

La Zucca is by far my favorite place I have dined in all of Italy. Mom actually read a review about this place. She knows how big of a vegetable fiend I am, and found the perfect place for us to dine. We loved dinner here so much we ended up coming back a second time (photos below), for lunch on our last day in Venice. 

Although not catered specifically for Vegetarians or Vegans, the menu is predominantely Vegetarian cuisine. Although there is a small section offering dishes with meatballs, rabbit and some classic dishes like carbanara and all'amatriciana, the predominant focus are on all of their other dishes which are made solely with seasonal ingredients. 

We went fig crazy at this place. Our appetizer was a a fig dish stuffed with creamy gorganzola cheese. The figs were soft, the cheese creamy, and the sauce divine. To follow we shared their infamous pumpkin flan. To say how much of an experience this dish was, I would have to tell you all reading this that you just have to taste it to understand. I suppose I could compare it to the texture of a pumpkin pie filling, but this flan was much lighter, nothing alike an artificial flavoring, and full of savory components which were complimented by the cheese  and pumpkin seeds on top. In addition we had some of the largest artichoke hearts I've ever seen (as well as some spicy carrots, not photographed), which were one of their many sides they offered. To conclude, we of course picked this fig torte. The crust tasted like your best friend's homemade pie, filled with natural fig jam, complemented with simple fior di latte gelato and caramel sauce. It was warm and light. We walked away from this meal extremely happy. 

Crab Gnocchi; Veal in Fish Creamy Fish Sauce; Shrimp and Veggies; Docli: Fruit Cake

We were stumped where to eat our second night in Venice. Especially after eating such a great meal at La Zucca the night before. We opted for the restaurant our hotel recommended: . This unfortunately, ended up being a mistake. Although not horrible, Mom and I were very turned off by the service we recieved. Especially since we had our hotel call the restaurant, we expected to have better service. It may be because we choose to eat their two set menus, but nevertheless the food did not make up for their service. 

The first dish: Crab Gnocchi was surprisingly good, although I am not the biggest shellfish person, it was still flavorful and pretty light. The main courses were just ok. We found the veal drenched in a fish creamy sauce to be too much for us (in particular me) to handle. The shrimp on a skewer was good, but nothing to boast about. The cake above, was just ok. I found it odd that Italy would serve a fruit cake, but we grugingly ate some of it since it was included with our meal. 

Ratatouille; Pumpkin Flan; Dolci: Upside Down Fig Cake 

As I mentioned above, Mom and I ate at La Zucca the last day we were in Venice. It was that good. Neither of us can resist eggplant or bell peppers, so the two combined made our mouth water. This ratatouille was truly made Italian style. Of course, we ate the pumpkin flan again, I don't think I'll ever eat something quite like this again unless I return to Venice. To finish, we ate yet another fig dessert. We realized after ordering it, that it wasn't the same as the previous dessert. I was pleased with this fact, since our goal was to eat something different upon this visit. This cake was definitely what we would call an "upside down cake," in the States, however made with fig. Mom and I tried to decipher the flavor, and we think they used an ample amount of Olive Oil (no complaints). This time, complimented with cinnamon gelato and a similar sweet sauce, we were in a dessert heaven. The cinnamon gelato is my favorite I've eaten in all of Italy.

Obviously, Mom and I ate at some pretty wonderful places. Although not photographed, we dined at Antico Arco on Mom's last night. It was too fancy for me to take photographs, but I highly recommend this restaurant if you're willing to pay a bit more. Overall, I had a great time with my Mom, and I'm glad she came to visit me. Buona Esperienza!