Al Gallinaccio — Restaurant in Rome

When Katie Parla tells you to go eat someplace, you go. Unless of course it's 9:30pm, 95 degrees and that place has a line 75 people deep (I see you Il Piccolo Buco).

We live in NYC. We don't go to Times Square. We braved the equivalent of it to find this place, and I'm sure it's a great place. But in no way was this happening. Luckily, around the corner nearby, we spied some locals sitting at what looked like a quiet spot with a menu in Italian. Bingo!

They were able to seat us and we ordered a bottle of water and wine almost immediately. Yes, there were some tourists there, but they seamlessly integrated with the locals, all enjoying themselves, taking their time and savoring their food. We ordered a pizza bianca and pasta (cacio e pepe because when in Rome). They were outstanding. The pizza was crusty, salty, with fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced fresh cherry tomato and basil. The pasta was fresh and while usually cacio e pepe is made with dried pasta, this was excellent.

The service was welcoming. The waiter spoke to us in Italian and English and he spoke to others in Spanish and French. He said that true language is kindness. He's right. The owner/manager (not sure which) came over when it was time to close out and chatted with us for another 15-20 minutes, mostly in Italian. We spoke of the area where my family lives in Italy and how he loves to ski there. It was a truly memorable night.

Maybe Katie Parla will add this place to her list for good pizza and pasta in a very touristy area of Rome. But if she doesn't, it might mean that you can still snag a table there while everyone else waits in line at that...

I went with a friend and honestly the food was better than I was thinking before going. I had pasta with tomato sauce, felt homemade, like really simple but deep taste, portion was fine, not too big not too small, I almost thought I will not finish but then I did. My friend had pizza, crust thin, small char on the edge, that kind of burn taste but good burn you know, cheese melted nice, not heavy in stomach. The place inside was cozy, people talking, not silence but not too loud also, more like local vibe than tourist trap. Prices... well not cheap but for center of Rome and good food, I guess fair, we left happy. Staff friendly, explained dishes, didn’t rush us, that I liked a lot. I think I would go again just for another pizza, they looked nice on other tables too.

Ah and the waiter had some blue shirt, maybe random but I remember it cause it was a bit wrinkled and I was like, he looks rushed but still he smiled. I repeat again the pasta sauce tasted homemade, like my grandma style but of course different. I keep saying the same but...

We decided to stop here on a whim. So glad we did! This place is simple Italian cooking at its best. We shared an eggplant parmigiano appetizer that was excellent. In America the eggplant is fried, but the way the chef roasted it in the oven first then again with sauce and mozzarella was so much better. Then we had the cacio e pepe pasta (a traditional Roman dish), which we've been meaning to try while here. Again, it was perfect! So simple: just parmigiano and black pepper. A delicious balance of flavors. The last course we had was lamb with a side of Roman artichoke. Both, again, were seasoned simply and cooked well. The waiter was attentive and friendly but gave us space. We would definitely go back. Also, lots of negative reviews mentioned the charge for bread, however the service charge in Rome is standard and usually doesn’t include bread (which is also...