Pizzeria da Baffetto seems to have earned prime real estate in all the Rome guidebooks for what is considered the best pizza in Rome, and with good reason. Often packed and very busy, the best time to come is before it opens at 7pm, and with an open mind around the less-than-gracious staff that seem well-versed in the rush that accompanies a famous pizza restaurant. Having said that, the flavors are distinct and the dough is tasty and crisp from a brick oven.

Da Baffetto is not a place to linger and chat but to eat and run. Locals know this, and tourists, whether they like it or not, quickly learn this fact.

It was our last day in Rome and we decided to explore Trastavere, Rome’s Jewish neighborhood composed of narrow and winding cobblestone streets. On our way home, we noticed a restaurant that was bursting with local diners and, upon seeing a plate of fried artichokes shuttled across the floor, decided to to the unthinkable. We waited over an hour for a table in an unknown restaurant in the middle of nowhere. Actually, that’s something we usually do and often with great reward. Lunch at Trattoria da Enzo remains one of our most memorable meals in Rome. Its warm and homey atmosphere coupled with authentic Roman cuisine is worth the wait and getting lost for a while.

Since Ada died in 2009, her son Sergio has been the sole waitstaff of this five-table hole in the wall called Alfredo e Ada (Via dei Bachi Nuovi 14, Tel 06 687 8842). Reservations are recommended because of the space constraints, but it is all worth the hassle. There is no menu, but nonna Lucia will serve you whatever she has made for the day along with a carafe of house wine. The food is authentic and homemade with no frills other than the flavors you can only find in an Italian grandmother’s kitchen. A great break from the large touristy joints in Rome.