Vicolo del Curato 13, Rome Near Castel Sant' Angelo
www.osterialestreghe.com
My last meal in Rome!
My feet are more then sore today plus I have developed a nasty blister. I was going to eat near my hotel today but I left my room at 8pm and since it was a warm night, the streets were bustling.
I remembered that during my long walk to the Trastevere last night I walked past a small Osteria which was right near the bridge to Castel Sant' Angelo. I picked up a brochure they had outside and stuffed it in my messenger bag (just in case). Well it came in handy.
The interior of Le Streghe is decorated with a combination of modern and traditional art on terra cotta colored walls. The room is lighted perfectly with sconces and the stone floor and wood beamed ceiling add to the atmosphere. Right now I am not going to brag about the service because it is a bit cold and the staff acts more like you are an annoyance rather then a guest. They aren't rude, they just are indifferent.
The menu at Le Streghe is typical Roman with all the pasta specialties, artichoke, fried zucchini flowers and the works. In addition to the menu pages of permanent dishes, there is a full handwritten page of specials from every category. Unfortunately the specials aren't translated into English and some are hard to figure out. The permanent menu is in English and Italian.
For my starter I got the deep fried artichoke (€5). As I described in an earlier post, the artichoke is opened up, crushed flat and then deep fried until the leaves are crisp. I thought the dish was very tastey but they cut off a little to much of the leaves. In my past experience, the crispy leaves were the best part!
For my pasta I once again ordered the spaghetti al cacio e pepe. I am sorry for being so unoriginal with all the choices on the menu but last time I had this dish I loved it and I wanted to have it one more time before I leave Rome. You know I will be trying to make this when I get home. I hear that Rachael Ray's recipe is pretty good.
My spaghetti with cheese and pepper was pretty good, but dude, I think you went a little heavy on the "pepe". My mouth is burning. I have to say the even though the dish was good, the cacio e pepe I had at Ditirambo was far superior. At Ditirambo, it was more creamy and they used tonnerelli (thick homemade spaghetti) which made it much richer.
Just to note, I am sitting right at the stairs which come up from the kitchen. All the salads and pasta dishes I see coming up the stairs look delicious. I have also noticed that they present their dishes beautifully here.
After my pasta I had a salad of arugula, parmigiano and pears (€7). I may have had a boring pasta, but the salad was amazing from the very first mouthful. Imagine the flavor of nutty arugula, with salty parmagiano and sweet pears. All this is dressed with tangy lemon juice and olive oil. Amazing. I think I am making this for company when I get home.
I don't think Le Streghe is too much of a secret judging the amount of people eating here. I'd say it is off the tourist path and well worth the walk to this neighborhood (I think this may be the area known as the Jewish Ghetto). It may also be a good lunch stop if you are going to, or returning from the Vatican.
The crowd here is on the sophisticated side so this may be a "non jeans night", although if you are wearing jeans it won't be an issue.
I would say this is one of my top 3 favorites of all the resaturants I've visited during this trip.
Total bill including 1 bottle of water and a split of Chianti €34 ($44).
Just to note, the desserts here look good and are beautifully served. I am passing and getting gelato at Giolitti instead. Tonight it's Baba al Rhum, nocciola and riso.
How's that for a last night in Rome?
Hi -- was looking for Le Streghe on the web to recommend it to a friend heading off to Rome tonight, when I found your blog post. I dined at Le Streghe several times this past March and found it to be the best food in Rome. I truly believe it deserves more than just the one Michelin star it has been awarded. The owners were lovely, friendly, and generous - although my one of my travel companions is extraordinarily fluent in Italian as well as a Renaissance Art Scholar so I'm sure that didn't hurt in the star treatment arena. Regardless, I highly recommend this fantastic restaurant to anyone who is looking for an authentic spot to dine with the locals!!
Posted by: Kristin | May 03, 2007 at 04:07 PM