Ah, Rome. Where to start? You can talk about the history, the architecture, the fashion and art.
All of this, Rome has in abundance. As a history nerd, I had the time of my life wandering around the archaeological ruins of the Forum where life centred in the days of the Emperors.
From channelling my inner Maximus Decimus Meridius at the Colosseum to gawping at the sheer size of St Paul's Basilica, I've honestly never been anywhere like it.
But one thing will always stand out to me more than the opulence and grandeur you can find just walking to the shops. And that's the food. Obviously.
Rome, like literally all of Italy, stands out for its cuisine. They're responsible for household staples the world over to the point where it's almost reductive to highlight the variety of pastas and pizzas you can pick up in every supermarket on the planet.
But no matter how good the carbonara or Fiorentinas on your local high street, they just fall flat compared to the ristorantes, osterias and trattorias of Roma.
While others will be able to do a deeper dive into individual restaurants, this series of reviews will highlight just a few dishes you need to try on your Roman holiday.
This week, we look into the wonderful, yet odd, world of Roman pizza. So let's get going.
As a warning, if you're heading to Rome thinking you'll get the kind of pizza you're familiar with, you may be disappointed. While you can find a classic pizza in Rome, it pales in comparison to those available in Naples. Look out for my review of that beehive of a city coming (hopefully) soon.
No, the 'pizza' in Rome is a thing unto itself. For one thing, it's crunchier and is often bought by the slice to take away, allowing you to refuel while diving back into your city adventure.
The texture, a bit similar to focaccia, comes from the addition of olive oil (missing from your typical Neapolitan fair). This allows the chef to roll the dough out much thinner meaning a sturdier base than its more traditional sibling.
It's this quirk that has led to the almost ludicrous variety of toppings found on Roman pizzas. You'll see everything from a plain old cheese and tomato to potato, pesto and even deep-fried courgette flowers.
We ate at two of these restaurants over the course of our trip. The first, MAMI on Via della Pace, was a bit of a miss, to be honest. The cold, almost stodgy pesto and potato pizza did little for me. We also tried the Roman staple of deep-fried courgette flowers with mozzarella and anchovies, invented by the Jews of Ancient Rome using cheap, easily accessible and often discarded ingredients. That was a highlight. The pizza, less so.
The second, Bona on Via di Tor Millina, was much better. To the point that we went back twice. They really take advantage of the heftier base, piling it high with cured meats, aubergines, cheese, plump cooked tomatoes and anything else they can think of.
Neither are sit down and relax kinds of places. You're there for a quick bite, not a restaurant experience. But if you're looking for something different with a serious quirk factor, you could go for far worse than trying this oddity of Roman cuisine.
Pizza in Rome is not what you expect. Much like the rest of the city. It has a quirkiness all of its own.
Like the city, it’s fast-paced, always on the move and varied beyond anything you could have imagined.
While you might be left wondering when you’ll be able to get a ‘real’ pizza, do not miss out on this quintessentially Roman experience.
Look out for Part II: The Four Pastas, coming soon.