Slowing Down in Rome

At the suggestion of our good friends, the Zondlers, we dined at Spirito DiVino last night. This is a small family-operated restaurant.  It is situated in a 1,000 year old building, reached by a long trek through narrow, winding streets.  After being warmly greeted by Francesco, the son and lone waiter, we were invited to select our table.  He then brought us a glass of champagne to welcome us.  The menu emphasized their link to the “Slow Food Movement”, of which we are members in San Diego.  The philosophy of the Slow Food movement is to use food grown locally, enjoyed at a leisurely pace.  There were no salads on the menu at this time of year because they are not in season.  There was no fish on the menu on Monday because the fishermen are off today.   The menu stated very clearly that only  “THE CHEF” is involved in preparing your food.  The Chef is the mother.

Gary and I each started our dinner with a fall soup selection.  I ordered the pumpkin, potato and leek soup, which was served with toasted almonds sprinkled over the top.

I will definitely work to create my own version of this soup when I get home.  Francesco would have shared the recipe, but it was actually a quite busy night for him as the lone waiter and wine steward.

For our next course we shared a pasta course, prepared perfectly with a bolognese sauce.

Our main course selections included a goulash for Gary and a roasted pork dish for me.  The recipe for the pork dish was actually said to be a favorite of Julius Ceasar.

After declining dessert, we were treated to a small serving of Creme Brulee, probably some of the best we have ever tasted.  We finished the evening with a visit to the wine cellar, which was 20 or more feet below ground and had the smell of a true wine cellar.  The wine Francesco selected for our dinner was wine produced from grapes grown on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna.  When in Rome, you should SLOW DOWN enough to enjoy a dinner at Spirito DiVino.