This was probably the highlight of our dining experiences in Rome. We had made arrangements thru BonAppetour. BonAppetour lets you discover amazing food experiences and events. They offer everything from food tours, cooking classes, bar crawls, dinner parties, and much more. This was our first time using BonAppetour, and we were so pleased. We will definitely try them again in other cities around the world.
We read thru the listings on their website for Rome and chose Alessandro, who was offering a truly Roman feast overlooking the Vatican City. Alessandro is a personal chef and sommelier. It was very easy to make these arrangements with him online. He was extremely responsive to our every question. We knew we were in for a real treat, and he did not disappoint us. He really paid attention to our requests and prepared a dinner for us that perfectly suited our tastes.
He gave us wonderful directions to his home. (We were able to take a bus from our apartment to his home.) We were warmly greeted by Alessandro, who we will now call Tony, because we are friends forever. It was a lovely evening so we dined al fresco on a delightful, covered patio. He even had a heater in the event it got cold.
Since it was just the two of us and Tony, we sat for a while and got to know each other. We were thrilled to learn how he became a chef and sommelier. He offered us a white wine called Trebbiano from the Sant'Andreas Winery (about 1-1/2 hours south of Rome), which he explained was one of his favorites and he was so surprised to learn that we had visited that same winery three days previously. Tony is the consummate chef - he is really into making his guests have a wonderful food experience. He makes everything and uses the freshest, local, seasonal ingredients available.
Our dinner started with bruschetta (a crunchy bread with tomatoes) - a perfect start. This was followed by a delicious risotto with artichokes. Artichokes were in season, and this risotto was light and full of flavor. What made this dinner even more special was that Tony dined with us. We were delighted when Tony's girlfriend joined us - we really enjoyed the stimulating conversations. Our main course was delicately prepared chicken slices in an orange sauce accompanied by a fennel salad with oranges. The dessert for us was a banana cake with strawberries - a terrific finish to a perfect meal. Everything was beautifully prepared and presented. Ah, but we were not finished. Their final act of kindness was to present us with Limoncello made from the lemon trees growing right next to where we were seated.
If you come to Rome and want to have a unique dining experience, book an evening with Alessandro. You will not be disappointed. We had a great time! read more