Dinner at Da Bucatino

Marcello and I enjoyed a wonderful meal at Da Bucatino last night, probably the best meal in Rome yet. We started with carciofi alla Romana, the artichoke smashed flat on a plate — tender, beautiful, delicious. We split a pici con pancetta pecorino e carciofi and grilled swordfish, and a carafe of unsurprisingly mediocre red house wine. After paying the bill, our waitress, who reminded me of my aunts in their somewhat younger days, brought us limoncellos on the house. The place was packed with Italians — fun, lively atmosphere. Bill came to 56€, which I thought was a fantastic value.