Food Wine Rome

by David Downie

Book Overview

Food Wine Rome is a tightly focused guidebook and traveler's companion to the culinary delights of Rome. For each neighborhood, listings are in three categories: 1) dining: restaurants , trattorie ,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1892145715
• ISBN13: 9781892145710
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Little Bookroom
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Don't go to Rome without this book if you are a foodie

I couldn't put this book down. Many things capture your attention including "33 Ways to Order Coffee", a tutorial on Lazio wines, and the detailed glossary. The whole city is covered so you could land in any part of the city and have Downie's well selected shops ready and waiting for you. Even if you are not planning a trip to Rome, consider getting this book. It is packed with curious information for any foodie.

Food Wine Rome and Murder in Paris

I've already reviewed Food Wine Italian Riviera, which I adored. This is a continuation of that review, in a way, and also a way to gripe about something. Read on. The copy of Food Wine Rome I'm holding as I write this looks like a box of chocolates. It's beautifully designed. Generally I don't give a fig about the looks of a guidebook, but this one is so gorgeous that I would buy it to give as a gift instead of chocolates. I am freshly back from Rome (and the Italian Riviera), where I put this little number to the test. All I can say is, though I tried to find things to disagree about with the author, who seems to know an awful lot more than most guidebook authors, I couldn't. That made me mad. But then I kind of got to know him, as I tried some of the weird and wonderful foods he loves: stuffed squid with peas, spring lamb in a kind of piquant vinegar sauce (at this wonderful trattoria, Da Gino, near the Pantheon), or classic oxtail stew (at a throwback, family-run place called Perilli, near what used to be the slaughterhouse, but is now a yuppie neighborhood). I had had some pretty amazing ice cream in Chiavari (near Genoa), and then I went to Settimo Gelo in Rome, at Downie's instigation, and although this parlor is way way out there behind the Vatican, I experienced the best, the lightest, the most sublime ice cream period. Yes, I did try San Crispino, everyone knows San Crispino and it's still excellent. I was renting an apartment so I went out and, as Downie suggests, bought freshly roasted coffee from three little places (Tazza d'Oro, Sant Eusachio or something like that--impossible, and a mom-and-pop place way way out in the east called Giovanni De Santis or something). This turned out to be the best coffee I have ever had. Ever. And I am an addict. So, what I am griping about is, why do we have all these second-rate guidebooks out there pushed by huge conglomerates, sending us to the same old places, when we can get this kind of book? I have to wonder. And yes, I did Google the author and found that he's more than college educated, speaks three languages, has written other kinds of books, and has just published a thriller called Paris City of Night, which I'm reading and will review, as mentioned elsewhere. I am also griping because I can't live part of the year in Rome and on the Italian Riviera (or in Paris).

food for the gods

An amazing guide to one of the finest cuisines in the world! Although I have traveled to Rome many times and consider myself a discriminating eater, this guide introduced me to many new eateries. The historical background is excellent. I am grateful to David Downie for having spared me from eating the thousands of calories he must have ingested to write this exacting compendium. Now I can make a beeline for the best of Rome's delicious food.

A Must!

Anyone considering a trip to Rome must include Mr Downie's book on their list of things to buy before traveling. This will ensure good meals ( and good fun) while in Rome whether you decide to dine at one of the very, numerous authentic Roman trattorias listed in the book or to try one of the more modern establishments which are also listed. You will have lots of options to choose from and Mr Downie has done all of the legwork for you. This book is not just for travelers but is also a must for those who live in Rome. I have inhabited the city for over 20 years and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about places I know, as well as, learning about some of Rome's treasures which I have yet to discover. You can learn where to have your morning coffee and learn 33 ways to order it! The book is very helpfully divided into different areas of Rome. Mr. Downie focuses on restaurants, shops, markets, bakeries, chocolate stores and much more which respect the wonderful Roman traditions which have been passed down through generations. His history is thorough and fun to read. You won't be disappointed with your purchase.

Best Guide to Food and Wine in Rome

As a Rome-based food and travel writer I am one of the harshest critics when it comes to guide books about Italy in general, and Rome in particular. So it is with great pleasure that I can heartily recommend Food Wine Rome to anyone looking for a guide book to great food in Rome. David Downie has managed to include the city's hidden secrets as well as reveal new details about it's much loved culinary history. This is the book to buy to discover out-of-the-way cookie factories, pasta stores and hole-in-the-wall trattorie. It makes a great gift for anyone traveling to Rome, or for those who just want to know more about Roman food.