A friend who is now working in Italy & dates a Roman took us to the "real Roma." This place is about 20-30 minutes outside of the city center with no traffic. Her Roman boyfriend has been coming to this place since he was a kid. This is where all the locals are. This was our last Italian meal, and it was a great way to end the trip.
The porchetta was unreal, which you'd expect because Ariccia is the birthplace of porchetta. So flavorful.
We got so many other dishes as well: bruschetta with tomatoes that definitely were super fresh, mozzarella, arrosticini (sheep skewers), (coppiette) some sort of spicy jerky, horse meat (yes -- first time; not a fan, but worth trying), and amazing cacio e pepe.
We ordered a couple bottles of this fizzy red wine that they have. Didn't seem super alcoholic, but it was the perfect accompaniment to the meal. Everyone else was drinking it, so why not?
If you're able to get out to Ariccia, it's worth the trip. Parking might be tough depending on the time of day. We had to park about a 5-minute walk away. I recommend reservations, and they do accept credit card. read more