No detouring from MY tour!

Italy is known for a wide variety of it's qualities. However, it's safe to say that the food is near the top of that list. Personally the awesome food was one of the things I was looking most forward to on a daily basis so it makes sense that my walking tour is focused on food. It's no secret that I l-o-v-e to eat. Rome is a pretty large and diverse place. There are a lot of places to eat with different scenery and their own qualities but the piazzas jump out at me as a top place to get fill of some good food and good people. You can observe the Italian culture at work in and around most of these places. I'm most intrigued by Piazza Navona and the Campo de Fiori probably because of all the people and variety of everything you can find in these places. The destinations I have chosen circle around the Piazza Navona and the Campo because I consider them to be two of the most awesome homegrown Italian places that we walk through all the time, but always for a purpose, never just to stop and smell the roses or relax.

We begin in the Campo de Fiori...

• "La Carobonara" was opened first in 1912 and provides a unique panorama of all of Campo de Fiori. They feature indoor and outdoor seating for a private, more ellegant dining experience or for some ultimate people watching.

Now we travel out of the Campo towards Corso Vittorio Emanuele II through the Piazza della Cancellerina. (Watch out crossing the C.V.E II! Those Italians and their Vespas..) Pass through the Piazza s. Pantaleo onto Via di Santa Maria dell'Anima where you can find all kinds of restaurants and cafe's, but they are pretty much your standard sit and eat places. None that really jumped out at me. So you take this street all the way to Largo Febo...

• "Ristorante Santa Lucia" is tucked back in a corner with a dining area just above Via di Santa Maria dell'Anima. They have an ellegent outdoor setting until winter and an impressive selection of some rather expensive food. The average cost of just the main course was 28 Euros with the most expensive being around 35 Euros. The dining square is up high enough that you can get a glimpse of Italy at work or leisure while enjoying the authentic Italian cuisine from a comfortable setting.

Now we take a right into Pazza Navona which to me embodies the essence and root of Italian culture. It was important a long time ago as a circus which was an important cultural center and now serves as the classic example of Italian culture. All the restaurants in the Piazza are worth while, but the ones I chose are all tied together by the Piazza and it's activities. Upon entering the Piazza on your left you will find...

• "Domiziano" which is at the head of the Piazza where you can clearly see everything going on all over the place. It would be a great place to just sit and talk or watch the hustle bustle of the people around the Piazza. Another reason I liked this place is because all the people I observed or talked to in this particular restaurant didn't speak much english if any at all. It really reminded me that I'm actually completely emersed in the heart of Italian culture because I'm so used to more or less being able to get my point across in english almost everywhere we go.

Now continue through the Piazza keeping on the left side.On your right you can see an innumerable amout of people selling various products or talents and all kinds of people from all walks of life gathering for whatever reason. All the hardcore classic Italian chitter chatter can be picked up on here. You know, the kind that even some Italians need a translator to understand because of the strong accents and Speedy Gonzalas pace of conversation. On the left near the center...

• "Don Chisciotte" has pretty much everything you could possibly want to eat without completely breaking the bank. It was by no means cheap in the eyes of a college student, but for those looking for a moderately priced meal with a variety of Italian cuisine, this is the place to go. Near the heart of the Piazza, it gives you a front row seat to the events taking place in the Piazza. Another plus to this particular restaurant was that the guy I was talking to pointed out the Alfredo as a favorite before I even got excited about it being on the menu. They weren't pushy or rude like a lot of people can be when they really want you to sit at their restaurant.

Now you keep heading straight out of the Piazza on the left side down Via della Cuccagna after taking in the sights and sounds of the heart of Piazza Navona, it's statues and inhabitants to find...

• "La Piccola Cuccagna dal 1950" which means "the small land of plenty". It was established in 1950 and features a menu for those looking to get a taste of a variety of Italian cuisine in one sitting without the entire meal for 18 Euro. Just outside the Piazza, there is a constant flow of people coming and going, chitting and chatting. It's also a little dark in this small Via at most points of the day, so the Piazza serves as almost a light at the end of the tunnel and can be viewed from the dining area of this "small and of plenty."

We now venture back across Corso Vittorio Emanuele II back into Campo de Fiori. In the far back right corner you will find my favorite of the tour and most odd for the area it's situated in...

• "The Drunken Ship" serves a variety of food from American cuisine to traditional cheese platters found only in Italy. You can experience the best of both worlds, as they really are two completely different worlds in my eyes. Not to mention a front row seat to the show we know as Campo de Fiori and a spicy night life after the market closes down. They convert from a casual dining experience to a hoppin' bar at night where you will discover their slogan is "Get Ship Faced." I'm sure you can imagine I find this utterly amusing.

This concludes my tour of "Eating Rad in Rome" with 5 unique restraunts all tied together by the Piazza Navona and Campo de Fiori and the people/activities that make them the cultural centers they have come to be. Not to mention some awwwwwesome food!!