Conosco I Miei Polli

The first few days in Rome was spent in a group far too large wandering around the Roman neighborhood of Trastevere. We walked through Piazza Santa Maria and Piazza Saint Trilussa, weaving in and out of the streets looking for spots to grab drinks or food. Instead of taking a right and heading towards Santa Maria, the boys on our trip, Devon and Alex, decided to take a left and stumbled upon Cafe Negresco, a small cafe tucked into the seams of Trastevere.

The next day they told us about the place, even though we didn’t yet know what its actual name was, and we headed there after class to do some Italian homework and relax. We all enjoyed the vibe and friendly owners, Nino and Claudio, and agreed that this would become a place we hung out at often.

One Sunday afternoon I was walking around Rome and Trastevere with two of my friends and we decided to go to that cafe we like (we still didn’t know what it was called). We sat down and looked at the drinks menu and realized they had a really good deal on mojitos. So we ordered some drinks, told the rest of the group to come, and enjoyed the crystal blue skies of a perfectly crisp Roman afternoon. As our friends arrived we continued to relax and drink mojitos, and by the time the night was over we had a new cohort of Italian friends and a tradition. Anytime we want to go out in the city to experience some nightlife, mojito bar would become the first stop.

Now, three months later, Claudio and Nino are some of our favorite faces in Rome, and we spend three or four nights a week at their cafe talking, laughing, and enjoying their great mojitos. The drinks themselves are laden with fresh mint and limes. They are sweetened with turbinado sugar and simple syrup, but aren’t so sweet the white rum is masked. They are strong and have an alcoholic bite (I would not advise drinking more than 2) but they are delicious nonetheless.

While Cafe Negresco may not be the most beautiful or famous cafe in Rome, it is by far my favorite. Between Claudio and Nino and their friendliness and warmth and the great friendships I have solidified there, I will never forget Cafe Negresco and hope that even when my time in Rome is finished, my friends tradition of drinking mojitos and laughing together will continue.

As I sit inside the campus dining room one month away from leaving Rome (my favorite place in the world), I can’t help but think back to when I first arrived and am overcome with an expanse of emotions. It seems funny to me now that I ever had doubts about the program I chose or the trips I would take because now, as I sit here, I am certain that coming to Rome and immersing myself as completely as possible into Italian and European culture has been the most gratifying and enriching experience of my life.

I remember walking off the plane and looking for the exit sign. “Uscito means exit” my roommate told me. I laughed exclaimed “Uscito” in my best and most likely most offensive Italian accent and realized that I was about to live with an Italian women and had no real way of communicating with her. I was overwhelmed by the prospect but chose to ignore the feeling of terror that consumed the pit of my stomach.

After we found the “uscito” we hopped on a bus that took us to Rome, but my first views of the city made me nervous. In my head I had always envisioned Rome to be an ancient but metropolitan city, bustling tourists running past vespas, buildings older than Christ remaining on every corner, aromas of pizza and pasta to waft through the air with the delicate ease of a fall breeze (which it is for the most part). Well, when we first drove into the city, we had to drive through the outskirts first and then through a primarily residential area called Monte Verde, where I would later find out I was living.

I looked at the outskirts and saw mostly grafiti and unkempt buildings, and a small voice in the back of my head started yelling “You made a mistake.” However, after we turned a corner and hit the apex of the hill the neighborhood Monte Verde is located on, we drove past the most breathtaking view and as I exhaled a sigh of relief my stresses faded far from the top of the hill and I knew Rome was a city I could fall in love with.

The first few days were overwhelming. We ate lots of pizza quickly in between information sessions, attempted to figure out what the Roman night life scene was, and chose to drink espresso instead of sleep. Despite the early stresses, our group of 11 began to form early bonds. One evening before we left for dinner, we all sat on a terrace at our university and enjoyed the view while sipping our first few drops of Italian wine. We chatted about life and school and mutual friends and were excited at the prospect of having this experience to share. It was a beautiful time that I will always cherish, the time when our group first started becoming friends.

Then, once the first few days were done, we moved in with our host families. My host mom Federica was the sweetest old Italian grandmother, and I knew she was going to be delightful to have for the semester. Meeting her and knowing I could feel comfortable despite the massive language barrier was very assuring, and I was excited to get to learn a lot of Italian.

After we met our host families and the info sessions were over, the real experience began. We went all over the city, exploring ancient monuments, visiting world famous churches, getting to know some local hangouts, and enjoying the company of new friends. I was overwhelmed by everything but could not have been falling in love harder.

Now as I sit here and think about leaving within a month my heart aches. It’s interesting to think how far I’ve come since my first few ignorant impressions and I feel like I now understand so much more about the world. I understand different perspectives better and know how to leave behind a life and establish something greater for myself than I ever could have possibly imagined. Rome, you have my heart.

When I chose to go to Prague, I was excited to see gothic architecture, some beautiful castles and churches, and walk along the Charles Bridge. I was unsure of the food culture, so I took to the internet to find what the people of Praha eat. Immediately, I came across trdelnik on instagram and learned that the snack is a churro-looking street food stuffed with ice cream, nutella, appel strudel, or savory items. After passing the images around, my friends decided that we would be idiots not to sample it while we were in Prague so we began looking for it.

After we stepped out of our hostel for the first time, we made it to Old Town Square where we encountered lots of street food. As we walked past the food kiosks, we passed large hunks of ham or Czech prosciutto on rotisseries and could smell potatoes and cabbage cooking in large pots. However, the best smells came from the trdelnik stands, where there were large cylinders spinning in a chamber with dough draped around it. The doughs were coated with cinnamon and sugar and the aroma was heavenly.

However beautiful the treats were, my first encounter with the snack was not what I had envisioned. I ordered a trdelnik with swirled chocolate and vanilla soft serve and raspberry sauce, and was honestly disappointed. The dough was cold from the ice cream and was more hard than chewy, indicating to me that I had not been served a fresh batch. The cinnamon and sugar was tasty and soft serve is always good, so I obviously finished it; I knew that I could do better.

So, the next night, we were at the food stands near the Opera House, and we all decided to try some more. This time, I ordered the apple strudel trdelnik, and was much more satisfied. This time the dough was fresh, although still not hot, and the apples were delicious.

While trdelnik is definitely a yummy treat, it is far from the best thing I have eaten while in Europe. However, it is definitely one of the best looking things I have eaten, possibly ever in my life. So, is it a bit of hype on instagram? Yes. But, if you go to Prague and don’t at least try it once, you will have missed out greatly.

Growing up, I have always been obsessed with chicken cutlets. They are thin, crispy, juicy, and golden brown, and I could never get enough. So, when the possibility to go to Vienna arose, I knew I couldn’t refuse, and embarked on a three day long tour fueled by Wiener schnitzel. However, after sampling the tafelspitz, an authentic Viennese dish of boiled beef and carrots served with a sweet and spicy apple and horseradish chutney, the tour morphed into a magical beefy tour as well.

The first stop on my schnitzel tour was Salzamt, a 1980s eatery tucked between the city center and the river. When I first walked in, I was overcome with the aroma of cigarette smoke which hung to the walls of the restaurant like the thirty year old wall paper. It was narrow and long, and the waiters were dressed in white ties and shirts that seemed of another generation. It was a local hangout, with older men and women downing beers with the ease of breathing and chomping into some seriously good looking schnitzel.

I ordered the Wiener schnitzel, and my friend ordered the tafelspitz, and as we patiently awaited our meals we listened to people conversing animatedly in German and enjoyed our time feeling like locals. When our food arrived we were struck with the mouth watering aroma that came from the broth that the beef had been boiled in. The schnitzel was large, perfectly golden brown, and had pockets that formed between the breading and the veal. It was served with acidic cole slaw and potatoes soaked in vinegar and onions that perfectly cut the fatty heaviness of the fried meat.

The tafelspitz was surprisingly delicious. The beef was tender and juicy, and the horseradish chutney was so good, we began smearing it on all of the foods our other friends had ordered (pierogis, roast chicken, and a viennese styled meatloaf) and it tasted fabulous on all of them. When we left the smoky, curtained lined interior Salzamt we were all blown away by the food and knew we were onto something good when we chose to come to Vienna.

After a long day in art museums, the next day we chose to eat at a famous (and slightly touristy) restaurant in the city center called Figlmuller. A place world famous for absolutely ginormous schnitzel. We sat down in the cozy, railway car styled restaurant and feasted on some delicious rye bread and pretzel rolls. Then, we placed our orders: 5 Wiener Schnitzel’s and for me the tafelspitz.

The schnitzel arrived first, five ginormous pieces of veal, a quarter inch thick, golden brown, and three inches bigger than the plate on all sides. Then came my tafelspitz in a large pot with sides of potato salad and the magical horseradish sauce.

The schnitzels here, while moist and crispy, were lacking the depth of flavor had by Salzamt and seemed to be made at a higher volume. The tafelspitz on the other hand was the best of the trip. The meat was thick and juicy and the chutney was perfectly sweet and hot. It also came with perfectly cooked carrots and a broth so good I drank it from the pot and put it on some schnitzel. Figlmuller was a delightful restaurant and we all left satisfied and ready for our final night of Viennese delicacies.

For our third and final meal in Vienna, we headed downtown, across the street from famous jazz bar Porgy and Bess, to a tavern called Puerstner. The inside of the restaurant was large and the walls were covered with texadermied animals and hunting tools. We ordered our usual plates of shcnitzel and tafelspitz and dug in.

Here the schnitzel was well seasoned and moist, but was a bit too greasy and heavy for my liking. The tafelspitz was good, the beef was thin and the we decided that the chutney was on the sweet side, but still delicious. While we enjoyed the meals and the ambiance, we were all a bit schnitzeled out by the end of the meal, and were excited to hit our next stop on fall break: Prague.

So, after eating all of that schnitzel and tafelspitz, I would say the best schnitzel I had was the first night at Salzamt; if you are in the market for tafelspitz head to Figlmuller. No matter what you do when in Vienna, try the local food, get out of the touristy areas and sit at a restaurant with good friends. You can linger long into the night, and most often, the most memorable meals are enjoyed and shared with those you love.

Italy is famous for diverse terrains and even diverse pizzas. Upon arriving in Rome, I quickly learned that not only is the pizza diverse in Italy, but there are different styles in Rome as well. Here are the three types of Pizza in Rome.

The most popular and notable pizza in Rome is the traditional Roman style. It is paper thin, cooked with open fire in a brick oven, and topped with cheese and toppings, or classically with sauce and cheese. This style can be found at pizzerias, trattorias, and restaurants. This pizza is the most popular for many reasons: it is big, filling, cheap, and is perfect for a relaxing dinner with friends.

The next style is found at a “Forno” or a bread or panino shop. These pizzas are purchased by the slice and are a thicker, crispy, square slice that is cut in half and folded over on itself like a sandwich. The best of the best of this style have golden brown crispy crusts, and heaps of toppings (my favorite is zucchini and prosciutto, but mushrooms, zucchini flower, salami, and soft cheese are equally delicious). These slices are popular at lunch time and are perfect food to eat while on the go and only cost between 2 and 5 euros a slice.

The final, and least popular, style of pizza found in Rome is sold at take away restaurants that also have porchetta and panino. The crust is doughy, and looks more like a flatbread than a traditional pizza. It is not crispy and is light on sauce and cheese. However, this style pizza is still a great snack in the afternoon.

Rome is a diverse place for pizza lovers, but it is only the beginning for pizza in Italy.  From the thick, bready crusts of Tuscan pizza, to the thin and robust Napolitano pizza, in Italy there is always more pizza to sample.