Rome 2011, A Brief Introduction

Rome is a city I've visited more often than any other outside of the U.S.– more often, in fact, than many cities in the U.S. In that time I feel I've come to understand the complexities of Rome fairly well, from the strata of historical layers that make up her facade to her uneasy position as capital of the Italian political state. I've seen the things you're supposed to see, the things you really ought to see and a few other, stranger things besides. And in all that time I've eaten... well. But rarely have I eaten excellently. This, I am certain, has only been my own fault.

In March of 2011 we traveled to Rome again and this time we made it our especial goal to eat bloody well. We succeeded. Despite the absolute worst weather I've ever encountered there, the usual logistics of group navigation and our less-than-adequate Italian, we managed to eat fantastically well, with an emphasis on cheapness and the focus on traditional, local Roman fare. Over the next few days we'll be sharing some of those meals, and recommending both general rules of thumb and specific places in which to get some outstanding, belly-lining, wallet-friendly grub in the Italian capital.