Ristorante "da Ottavio", Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy

I went to this restaurant by following a process of choice that was rather instinctive. It was a hot Sunday in early June 2008 in Rome, after many hours of sightseeing and before goint to the airport to catch a flight. I was wandering around Piazza Navona and had rejected most of the places that were open, until I saw "da Ottavio". It attracted me because it was not full of tourists and was projecting the image of a down to earth place. So I gave it a try, and did not regret it.

The exact address is Corso Rinascimento 17, opposite the Senate. The website address is http://www.ottavioalcorso.com/.

The first positive sign was the fact that they have their own house wine bottled. It shows some respect to the customer and the wine. I tried the white and was not disappointed.

For a starter, I selected the "Antipasto di Mare". It was fresh, juicy and tasty, as it should be. It contained octopus, squid, and small shrimp (gamberetti).

For the main course I selected "Fettuccine Fiori di Zucca, Zafferano e Mazzancolle" (flowers of zucchini, saffron and prawns).

The dish was excellent. The pasta was fresh, the quality of the prawns was top, and the saffron with the flowers of the zucchini gave the dish colour and sweetness. Definitely a dish I will try to cook at home.

Overall, "da Ottavio" is a nice place to have a "honest" meal, at a very reasonable price in the center of Rome.

Enoteca Palatium, Rome, Centro Storico, Italy

This is a short report from my visit to Palatium in late May 2008, a "cool" enoteca that serves food in the historical center of Rome, via Frattina 94. After you shop and shop in via Condotti, or visit the museums ot whatever else you are doing in the center of Rome, take some time out (before 1430 hrs) and visit Palatium for lunch.

The place was crowded, all the people near my table were speaking Italian. No sign of tourists, which was good!

I started with stuffed zucchini flowers, which were tender and sweet. They were stuffed with a white mild cheese that accompanied the taste of the flower, without overwhelming it.

I continued with veal tartar, that was served without egg and the other regular trimmings. Just lemon, pecorino and light greens. The dish was out of this world. The meat taste was clear, fresh and the firm texture of it made the pleasure complete. I was afraid that it would be a rather boring dish, given the absence of taste enhancing materials that accompany a Steak Tartar. I was wrong! Top quality veal does not need anything more than just some lemon to cut the protein surge, and a light cheese to provide a salty stimulus to the palate. I was moaning with pleasure and as I was finishing the dish, I saw that in the next table two extremely well dressed ladies who were having just a salad, were rather amused by the sight of their overweight neighbour enjoying so much a pile of raw miced meat.