Hey Reader,

I’m back with another Italy Diaries. If you’re new here, this series started back in 2023 when I went to culinary school in Italy. And ever since then, I’ve been fully obsessed. The food, the people, the culture...Italy is pure magic!

This past September, I made my way back to Italy and got to experience a whole different side of Rome.

When you visit Rome for the first time, you usually hit all the classics. The Colosseum, sunset at the Spanish Steps, tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain, standing in awe inside the Sistine Chapel. And truly, those are all incredible and absolutely worth seeing.

But this time, I fell in love with a quieter side of Rome.

There’s something about sitting at an outdoor café with a cappuccino and a maritozzo, a classic Roman breakfast made with a brioche bun and fresh whipped cream, just watching the city move around you, that feels so Italy. Slow, intentional, and unrushed.

One of the biggest things to embrace when traveling in Italy is the slowness of life.

Taking your time, relaxing, and enjoying what’s around you. And that can be hard in a city like Rome where there are so many must see spots.

My biggest tip for visiting Rome is to pick one main thing to do or see each day. Really, just one! That gives you space to actually enjoy it without rushing from place to place.

One of my favorite ways to really learn a city is by hiring a local guide.

They show you neighborhoods, restaurants, and history that you simply wouldn’t find on your own. While private tours can be more expensive than exploring solo or joining a large group, I’ve never once regretted the experience.

While we were in Rome this time, we did a food tour with Paola, who introduced us to some truly delicious spots around the city. We tried several classic Roman dishes that you absolutely have to add to your list.

Our first stop was Supplì Roma. These are the arancini of Rome, fried risotto balls made with a tomato based risotto and stuffed with mozzarella. They are so good!! In Italy, you’ll often start a meal with something fried before pizza, which makes supplì the perfect appetizer.

Pecorino, a sheep’s milk cheese, is the cheese of Rome. It’s used in classic pasta dishes like carbonara, cacio e pepe, and amatriciana (known as the Roman trinity), along with variations like gricia.

During the tour, we sampled pecorino at different ages, and it was wild how much bolder the flavor becomes after aging 12 to 24 months.

However, one of my favorite bites of the tour was a porchetta sandwich. Porchetta is slow roasted pork, and it somehow manages to be both incredibly juicy and packed with flavor.

Whether or not you go on a food tour in Rome, with Paola or with Katie Parla who is another great option, there are a few other non-negotiable dishes you should try.

Trapizzino, which are pizza pockets filled with various toppings, pizza al taglio or pizza by the slice, and fiori di zucca (fried zucchini blossoms).

Food in Italy is very seasonal, so depending on when you visit, you’ll find different local specialties based on what’s in season.

If you’re into the food scene, Trastevere, Monti, Prati, and Testaccio are neighborhoods you should carve out time to explore. Not only are they great for restaurants, but they’re also full of beautiful architecture, small shops, and local markets that you're sure to run into.

If there's only one "rule" you remember when visiting Rome, remember that some of the best moments happened when you weren’t following a plan at all!

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