Foodies, Rejoice! Taste of Roma Kicks off at the PDM
After months of hype, Rome's favorite restaurant festival is finally here! Taste of Roma kicks off today at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome's premier performing arts venue. This festival is a MUST for serious food lovers, especially of the gourmet variety. Let's face it, precious few of us can afford to dine at La Pergola or Imàgo every other weekend, but this festival gives us 99-percenters a chance to eat some of the very best food in the city. The highest echelons of haute cuisine come out for this event, so if fine dining is your passion, do not miss it.
The list of restaurants and chefs participating reads like a Who's Who of Rome's top tier restaurant scene: Alessandro Narducci of Acquolina, Kotaro Noda of Bistrot 64, Cristina Bowerman of Glass Hostaria, Angelo Troiani of Il Convivio Troiani, Daniele Usai of Il Tino, the great Francesco Apreda of Imàgo all'Hassler, triple Michelin-starred Heinz Beck of La Pergola-Hotel Rome Cavalieri, Fabio Ciervo of La Terrazza dell'Eden, Alba Esteve Ruiz of Marzapane Roma, Roy Caceres of Metamorfosi, Stefano Marzetti of Mirabelle Hotel Splendide Royal, Giulio Terrinoni of Per Me, Luigi Nastri of Stazione di Posta, Massimo Viglietti of Enoteca al Parlamento, and Adriano Baldassarre of Tordomatto, thirteen of which are pictured below.
The Chefs of Taste of Roma 2017
Here's how it works: buy your tickets online or at the door, and then pick up a sesterzi card, cleverly named after the ancient Roman coin. Top up the card with the sum of your choice, and use it to purchase dishes at any of the restaurants' stands. Most dishes will run you between €6–8, while signature dishes, which are dedicated to the theme of music to celebrate the PDM's 15th birthday, go for around €10. Keep in mind, these are some of the exact same dishes that are served in the above-mentioned gourmet restaurants at €30, €40, €50 a pop. I told you you didn't want to miss this.
Feast your eyes on a few of the delectable dishes from this year's festival:
The festival also includes live cooking shows, tastings, workshops, and interactive master classes.
Auditorium Parco della Musica, Giardini Pensili. Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30. Entrance fee: €16 (reduced price for kids). 21, 22 September, 7pm–12midnight. 23, 24 September, 12noon–5pm; 7pm–12midnight.
All images provided courtesy of Taste of Roma