Our meal at Cesare al Casaletto is something that made our trip to Rome undeniably unforgettable. Reservations are highly encouraged!
From our hotel, it was a 4-mile walk (the last mile of which is up a hill), but we didn't mind, as we wanted to build up our appetite; however, if you don't want to walk, you can easily take the #8 tram to the last stop on the line and Cesare will be less 100 meters away when you get off. The entrance is a bit hidden behind a gate and some shrubbery. As we opened the gate, we were met with a very cute outdoor garden area with a slew of tables.
The dining room isn't particularly large, with enough seating for approximately 50, but the seating was cozy in the best possible way. Most of the tables were set up for 4+ diners and as our 2+ hour meal went on, we were surrounded by a plethora of Italian families. No tourists in sight!
We ordered a 1/2 liter of the house white, which was a blend of Bombino/Malvasia/Trebbiano (€4 = $4.50). The incredibly well-priced white wine was light and refreshing, very drinkable.
Adam took one look at the menu and decided that he wanted an order of the fried calamari (€9 = $10) to start. I can't remember the last time I had such perfectly-fried calamari. The seafood was incredibly fresh and the batter was so light. A spritz of lemon was all that was needed to brighten up the dish. We gobbled this up quickly!
I had read online a number of great things about the fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies (€2.50 = $2.80 per piece). We chose to go with one piece each and, again, found the batter very light with the stuffing of mozzarella working well with the salinity from the anchovies.
There were also rave reviews online for the fried gnocchi in a pecorino cheese and black pepper sauce (€6.50 eur = $7.30), so we ordered a plate! However, once we ordered the rest of our food, our server mentioned that it might be too much food; thus, he suggested we order just a half portion of the gnocchi. Fine by us! While it wasn't on the menu, we were happy for the suggestion when we saw the size of the half portion. The gnocchi were freshly fried and a swipe through the pecorino cheese and black pepper sauce was heaven. Not a light dish by any stretch of the imagination, but very unique and something we couldn't stop eating.
If only we brought a couple of friends with us, because we read rave reviews of the polpette di bollito con pesto (fried meatballs made from boiled meats) and the polpette di melanzane (fried eggplant-balls with a spicy, smoky tomato sauce), which every other table ordered in addition to the other the dishes that we started with. But, knowing that it was time to move on to the primis and secondis, we knew it would be ridiculous for two people to have 5 appetizers. I mean, we've done it, but that day we just decided we shouldn't. Plus, none of the appetizers we had chosen, as well as the two we didn't, were particularly light. Knowing we would we moving on to more carbs and meat, we had to draw the line somewhere.
Anyways, I digress, Adam selected the Tonnarelli all'Amatriciana (€9 = $10) as his primi and what a winner it was! I still dream about this pasta. The sauce was rich and super complex, but the real star was the pasta itself. A unique, Lazio-native square-shaped pasta with a hole in the middle, the tonnarelli is made in-house and was a perfect vehicle for the sauce.
I had decided on one of the daily specials, the fish soup (€8 = $9), as another appetizer. However, our server kindly informed me that it was more of a primi since it had pasta in it. The fish soup was chock full of fish and had a very clean seafood broth. Compared to Adam's tonnarelli, which had very bold flavors, my soup tasted almost bland. On it's own, I really enjoyed the soup, but paired against the pasta, the clear winner was the pasta.
Another daily special we ordered was the Bucatini all Gricia (€10 = $11.25), which consisted of artichokes and bacon in a rich butter sauce. The pasta was again fantastic. Perfectly al dente pasta with bacon adding a level of smokiness and fresh artichokes contributing a lightness to the dish. While not as memorable as the tonnarelli, this was still an incredibly well executed dish.
We decided we should try one of the secondis and opted for the oxtail in tomato sauce (€11 = $12.30). We were very pleased on this choice, as the meat was flavorful and tender to the point of falling off the bone. The tomato sauce had a delicate balance of sweet, savory and sour that made me want to pick up the plate and lick it clean.
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