M.I.A and Settembrini Café

I have been missing in action for the past month. Between a 2 week work trip, and a 2 week visit home, I have not had time to post.

I paid a visit to Settembrini café last weekend by accident. We thought we had booked at the restaurant but the lady who took the reservation failed to mention that. She also failed to remember that we booked for 4 plus a baby who needed his stroller to fit by the table or have a high chair provided. When we arrived, the waiter looked at us in horror when we placed the stroller by the table since it blocked the space they had to move around in. He looked at us in horror again when we asked for a high chair. He suggested we put the baby in our lap. Hmmm, it was obvious the guy has no idea what having a baby means. Anyway, other than that service was slow and inefficient, the menu was boring, and very limited, while the food was just acceptable.

I look forward to going back to the restaurant since the location is nice and the interior looked very cozy and perfect for a romantic dinner on a cold night, but I will not be going back to the café.
( By the way, the café used to be Giolitti).

Metamorfosi

I've been craving a dining experience lately, not just a restaurant where you are served good food. I wanted a new place, different menu, different atmosphere. So, off we went to Metamorfosi in Parioli in search of this dining experience, and all in all it was what I wanted. We went with the classic tasting menu of 5 courses for 70 euros, and added the wine tasting that went along with it for 30 euros. The tasting menu went like this:
amuse bouche        
raw red shrimp with avocado, wild oyster cream  (Gamberi rossi e avocado Crema di ostriche selvatiche)
65 degree egg with pancetta, parmesan foam  served with pasta chips  (Uovo 65° carbonara)
risotto with snail  and parsley (Risotto bianco  Lumache e prezzemolo)
almond crusted lamb  (Agnello croccante alle mandorle Melanzane e crema gelata al “gin-epro)
banana with armagnac in white chocolate foam  (Cioccolato, banane caramellate e Armagnac)

Like I said this was accompanied with the wine tasting that went something like this: prosecco for the first two courses, chardonnay for the risotto, artiginal beer for the lamb, and a sweet wine for dessert. I was a bit disappointed with the wine tasting since I had the idea that each course would be accompanied with a different wine, so that I would end up trying 5 different wines. Secondly, I do not like beer, and was not even asked if I wanted beer with my lamb or if I preferred a red wine (yes please)! Third, I found the dessert wine a little too strong for my dessert since the dessert was very delicate in taste.
The food on the other hand was quite good. I loved the red shrimp and avocado, liked the egg dish, which is a deconstructed carbonara, but found it to be a little too heavy. The risotto with snail was good, since I love the texture that snail adds, taste was good. Loved the lamb, although at this point I was starting to feel too full due to the heavier egg and risotto dishes, that I did not enjoy it as much as I would have liked, and obviously the beer just brought things down further. It was however the most succulent lamb I have ever tasted, cooked perfectly, with the most perfect almond crust, served with an eggplant strip and a sorbet of juniper berry. Finally the dessert....I am the kind of person who thinks there is always room for dessert. Strangely enough this time I did not have a major sweet craving after my meal, and am not a fan of white chocolate. I was very surprised that this dessert was the right amount of sweet, did not have a strong white chocolate taste but a rather creamy foam instead that was heavenly, and then the banana and armagnac.
All in all, a lovely dining experience, friendly staff, even friendlier chef who came out to greet the diners and ask how everything went. The mood in this restaurant is relaxed, dim lighting, pretty silent but not in a stuffy way, in a relaxing way.

Mandaloun (Lebanese Restaurant)

It has been a while since my last post. I have had no inspiration to blog. BUT, I have been meaning to write a review of a new Lebanese restaurant that I visited recently. 
Mandaloun is part of an International chain, which in this case is a good thing. I am not a fan of Arabic restaurants in Rome, mainly because they are just not that good. Mandaloun however is pretty authentic Lebanese cuisine. You have all sorts of typical mezze, hot and cold, the ones that I liked most : hummus, baba ganoush, warak enab (stuffed vine leaves), kebbe, fatayer. The mixed grill of minced lamb kofta, meat kebab, and chicken kebab were good too. The mixed mezze and grill menu costs 29 euro a person and is for minimum of 2. 
Ambience - the interior is very bright and classic in style. No oriental decor, except for a few lamps here and there. There is no natural light since it is under street level. There are a few outdoor tables which is nice. 
Service is good, although our waitress was a little slow, and waited far too long to come get our order.
All in all, pretty good experience, will definitely be going back soon.


Update: I have been back to Mandaloun several times and have to also recommend the felafel, and also the roast lamb which came with a nice sauce and some spiced riced.


Mandaloun
Via di Porta Pinciana, 16/B
Roma
06 6482 4507

Sheraton Diana Majestic

Stayed here recently on a trip to Milan. The first pic is of the gardens where breakfast is served when the weather is nice, and drinks can be enjoyed at night. The pictures do not do the hotel justice. I have to say it was a nice hotel, clean and spacious room and bathroom, and very comfy bed. Although this is not the most modern hotel, the lobby and bar area are quite modern while the rooms have been recently refurbished, though classic but clean in style. Decent buffet breakfast served in gardens, but costs 27 euros if not included in room price! This hotel is about a 20 minute walk from the Duomo. 

NHOW

Stayed at this very hip and happening hotel while on a trip to Milan. The room was comfortable and the place was surprisingly quiet. It is a huge hotel, even though it doesn't feel like it. The location (Navigli) is a plus since it is quite trendy with many bars and restaurants around. Good breakfast buffet.

Holy chocolate orgasm !!

I had the most amazing pistachio ice cream last night at this Milan chocolate hot spot! This place is dessert heaven, all things chocolate. If its ice cream you're after, you pick your flavors, and before they scoop it on the cone they run the cone under the chocolate fountain of your choice (dark or white) and then top it off with the ice cream. What you are left with is an amazing chocolaty cone to devour, after the ice cream is gone. I am already planning a repeat trip before I go back home to Rome!!!!

www.cioccolatitaliani.it 

Can a girl just rant....

Picking up from a previous post about celebrities making their post baby bod reveal, well it has happened, Victoria Beckham has come out of her 2 month hiding and she is back to her size ZERO!!!! I can only imagine what her diet has been like, grape for breakfast, an almond for lunch, and a strawberry for dinner??

Anyhow, I have just about had it with the craziness going on in my palazzo. First it was the noisy family that moved in upstairs, walking around in heels, bouncing balls at all hours of the day. Last night as I was floating off to sleep, I hear major banging on the door a floor below us. Strange, who would be rude enough to do this at 12.30 am? I then hear the elevator, and I assume it's over but no, she went outside and started yelling out the persons name, once, twice, thrice, each time a little louder and longer. I thought to myself this just can't be f***ing happening. So I go to the living room, open the window and start reminding the weird signora (since she was about 50)  that it is 12.30am, some of us have kids, and if she is worried about this person who is not answering CALL THE POLICE.

I've had it with the noisiness of this city. I am not sure if it is the area where I live or what, but I am starting to look for a new place because between AMA and their 4am street cleaning (that goes on for 45 mins), crazy neighbors, and traffic noise, I am turning in to a sleep deprived nasty person.

Any noise horror stories out there to make me feel better? Do share.