Giorno Uno

Having spent an entire morning wandering around the Colonna Traiana, Monumento Vittorio Emanuele II (also scathingly referred to as the wedding cake or typewriter) and Museo Capitalini (amazing!)  we suddenly found ourselves feeling very tired and very hungry. Thus we were attracted to a particular cafe for lunch by it's superior and mountainous sandwich display. For Mum it had to be the tramezzino of spinach and mozzarella, for me a mouthwatering mixture of some of the things I am most partial to - a panino overflowing with prosciutto, cheese and sundried tomatoes.

Happily refueled, we went in search of the Roman Forum, Colosseum and Arco di Constantino, all of which were absolutely awe-inspiring. As the light was fading, we took a detour to the metro via part of the Domus Aurea, Emperor Nero's old pad which once extravagant in scale and rich decor is now ruined and decaying so onward we went to the famous Spanish Steps which were invisible for the tourists. So onward again through decadent streets with hotels boasting uniformed doormen and shops where you are seated and brought clothes to try on (we are scared of entering such shops, sadly it makes me feel like an impostor) en route to the Trevi Fountain. Although sublimely beautiful it is again blighted by the sheer numbers of tourists and bothersome hawkers.We throw our pennies in backwards in the hope of returning one day and head off for Piazza Navona by way of the Pantheon. On reaching the Piazza we orbit the three fountains for a bit, guessing which spout of water represents which great river and them succumb to sharing a fat-drenched, sugar coated ciambella - badly good.

Unsurprisingly though this is only temporary sustenance and hunger strikes again fast. Unwilling to be drawn to the first restaurant we find, we bypass a 'touristy restaurant street' with waiters employed specifically to lure you in (read 'deter us') and spot the Macelleria Maxela Ristorante. It fills the criteria: Menu in Italian, casually stylish and within our price range providing we don't go for any of the big numbers like steak fiorentina.

We are greeted with a candle, good bread mysteriously wrapped in a brown paper bag and a surprise welcome treat of elegantly presented pork skewers with a homemade tomato sauce. Mum orders beef tagliata with caramelised pears and balsamic vinegar. as we've decided that one of us just HAS to have it. It more than lives up to expectations, the beef is done to still-pinkish perfection, the vinegar is of the deliciously thick matured variety and there are flowers of salt dotted around it which lift the other flavours occasionally without overpowering them. I plump for chicken with aubergine and prosciutto crudo which is again a beautiful combination, perfectly cooked and seasoned. The red Syrah wine of Lazio that we drink with it is also lovely and suits both dishes well. Our appetites our satisfied but we decide to share a pudding again nevertheless (when in Rome...) and go for the one we've never heard of before. We are presented with a plate of things that appear much like the ciambella we ate earlier but are intrigued to find that they are actually much more. Some of the soft, fried 'biscuits' contain a milky filling with hints of lemon and vanilla whilst others  bore Nutella providing a contrast of both texture and flavour. Delicious.

We left feeling warm at heart not just thanks to the fantastic food but also the great service from softly-spoken, smiling waiters. The occasional loud cleaving of meat from the in-house butcher doing  his thing in the background just added to the quirky character of the restaurant and was a reassuring demonstration of the quality of the meat being served.


#Ristorante Macelleria Maxela, http://www.maxela.it/ristorante_roma2.htm