A simple Roman lunch... Aò Restaurant

On a sweet little side street, just steps away from our hotel on our first leg in Rome, we found a  modern, funky, and very special wine bar/restaurant/jazz lounge. We stumbled across it first on our way back from hours of walking on our first day, and swore we'd have to return.

But we forgot the name, and thus found ourselves giddy with excitement when we bumped into it again whilst looking for a place to have lunch before catching our train to Florence.

Aò's owner is a charming gentleman who doted on us like absolute regulars, bringing us little nibbles and tastes of wine, such that we made a reservation for our dinner the following week, on our last night in Rome.

We started with a few delicious suppli (aka, arancini) -- deep fried balls of tomatoey risotto with a dab of fresh cheese in the center. These took the edge off our hunger so that when our pizza and lasagne arrived, we didn't fall upon them like the (slightly hungover) ravenous heathens we really were.

That pizza was the best we had the whole trip. Thin (but not Roman-style thin), cheesy, tomatoey, and with a crust that was subtly sweet. Oh, and it was something like €4.

That lasagne, though? I've never tasted anything like that, though Karen said that it was very similar to a dish her Roman friend's mother had made for her once. The noodles were very eggy and rich yellow; the sauce was obviously cream-based, but there was also a hint of tomato and some other kind of "warm brown spice" -- maybe nutmeg? The whole deal was topped with several melty slices of fresh mozzarella. We both couldn't get enough of this, and ended up fighting over the last bite (see? it's not just Colin who endures my foodie wrath). If you have a recipe for a lasagne which sounds similar, please do share it in the comments!

With our lunch, we drank a bottle of 2005 Antinoo Vini Bianco (€14) from the Lazio region. This Chardonnay/Viognier blend was absolutely perfect for the dishes, and for a warm Fall afternoon in Rome. With no oak, the acidity and character of the chardonnay came through nicely, and was "lifted" and made richer by the floral notes of the viognier.

We grabbed a slice of spinach pizza for the train, and dashed off to grab our bags at the hotel and make for Firenze. Now, enjoy some photos of our first day in Rome while you wait for the next installment.

Aò Restaurant
Via Belsiana,   57
00187 ROMA
Phone: 39 06 69200415

Tags: Food, Wine, Food & Drink, San Francisco, Rome, Pizza, Lasagna, Spanish Steps