Me with the Viniegras at Ristorante Lo Zodiaco, Rome, Italy - Christmas Day 2019
Just as most of you know through my past posts, I spent three weeks of my holiday vacation last December, which includes Christmas and New Year's in Europe on a dream trip that took me almost 3 weeks. Since I still wanted to celebrate Christmas with family, and one of my favorite cousins, Carmina, was assigned to Rome for a special project by her company, I asked her if I can spend Christmas with her. She has always been supportive of my dreams and aside from saying yes, she also brought her parents to Rome to celebrate the holidays with her!
That night of Christmas Day, we celebrated it with a delicious and romantic Italian Dinner at a special place called Monte Mario that has an amazing view of Rome since it's situated on top of the mountain. Ate Min chose this place, Ristorante Lo Zodiaco because of the amazing food and spectacular night view of the whole city. This bar and restaurant serves traditional Italian food and drinks which will color your night with vibrant flavors!
Here are some of the dishes we ordered as we celebrate the birth of Jesus with delicious food and happy smiles.
Spaghetti Cacio, Pepe, e Menta (€12)
I ordered this dish as recommended by Ate Carmina (Filipino 101 - Ate means big sister or a Filipino term added to the beginning of a name if you are talking about an older lady. Kuya is the male counterpart). Cacio e Pepe is one of the traditional roman pasta flavors simply made with pepper and different cheeses. Sounds very simple but it's the way they make it that makes it very special. Asking me about it's taste? Rich and very flavorful! I am devoted to cheese as one of the best things on earth ever been made and this one is a perfect match for me!
Spaghetti alla Carbonara Tartufati (€12)
This one was what my Aunt, Mama Vicky's ordered for herself. Carbonara is another one of the roman basics which is also famous in the Philippines. Although the Filipino version is very saucy and is actually close to Pasta Alfredo as compared to this authentic Carbonara which is not cream based but actually flavored with cheese and eggs. This was a little bit salty to my taste but of course, the cheese makes it golden!
Risotto ai Fruitti di Mare (€25)
This one was a special dish that was offered to us by the server lady which was not on their menu. It is a very colorful and flavorful seafood dish that can either be served over pasta or risotto. Ate Carmina opted for the Risotto since almost all our dishes are pasta. Not much of a fan of seafood, still I tried to taste the broth which was very flavorful, perfect for seafood lovers.
Bistecca di Manzo (gr. 300) alla Griglia (€25)
Papa Bogie, my uncle, wanted a beef dish so he opted for this sizzling grilled beef steak. It was a big slab of meat, seasoned and cooked perfectly. It looks very pretty with the colors of the sides it was served with but my camera phone was poor in low lighting conditions hahaha
Full Window View of Rome inside Ristorante Lo Zodiaco
We had an amazing meal inside the Lo Zodiaco with an amazing view of Rome. It was a very chilly evening outside since it was winter plus the fact that Monte Mario is a mountain and the restaurant is situated near its peak so make sure to bring a jacket, especially if you wish to do sightseeing outside the restaurant. I think it was 5 degrees Celsius, but of course, inside the restaurant it is heated and very cozy.
Special thanks to my cousin Ate Carmina for this hearty dinner, for my amazing Roman Holiday, and for always being a supportive sister especially to my dreams of circling the globe! I'll never forget these memories.
Photo Taken from Ristorante Lo Zodiaco Website
Never Stop Tasting Authentic Food!
Steve
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This post is part of
Our World Tuesday that features different versions of their everydays around the world. Visit Our World Tuesday and go on a virtual tour of different places and the stories behind them.
http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/
