I am late in posting once again. Somehow I always seem to be a week late in posting to OWP. By now we are in Toscana and skipped our usual Friday pizza as it was my birthday yesterday and we indulged in a sumptuous late lunch near Montepulciano. As we finished lunch about 4:00PM, having pizza in the evening was contraindicated. So we retired to our lovely apartment at Agriturismo Poggio Etrusco to drink some fine Rosso Toscano provided by our hosts. I’ll write more about Poggio Etrusco on Good Day Rome so let’s get back to Our Weekly Pizza.

Rossini is one of our favorites and we go there often, so it is difficult to say something new about it. We do have a new waiter now that Stefano is gone. His name is Adrian and he has already endeared himself to us by ensuring “our” table is ready when we arrive, and that our preferred pizza wine, a Nero D’Avola by Cusimano, is already on the table.

Another interesting thing we notice at Rossini is the diverse clientele. Largely Italian, with a smattering of tourists from the nearby Hilton Garden Inn, and at that we seem to mostly encounter folks from eastern Europe. The Italian crowd runs from nonna e nonno out with the “kids” who are their middle-aged children, to large groups of adolescents and many twenty-something couples. The older folks tend to dine indoors and the younger ones outdoors where they can smoke. What is amazing is that this is the most expensive pizza restaurant we frequent and causes us to shake our heads when we dine there that we just spent Euro 50.00 (about $56.50 at current exchange rate) knowing we could cut our bill considerably by traveling an hour to Dar Poeta and spend say Euro 30.00. So where are these 15-to-30-year-olds getting the coin to dine out at one of the most expensive pizzerias in Roma? And at a time of massive unemployment among the age group? Clearly mamma e papa’ are funding these nights out. Or since they still live with the parents, if they are employed it is all disposable income.

As I have said before, at Rossini is not the best pizza in Rome (that honor is reserved, so far, for Da Remo, Dar Poeta and La Pratolina), but it is a great package for us: location, waitstaff, ambiance, selection. We did not have it this time, but the baci al cioccolato are to die for: balls of nutella gelato encased in a dark chocolate coating, served with panna and dribbles of fruit sauce. May have to stop there when we get home Monday, now that I think of it….

Sorry about the red tone to the pictures. Rossini has outdoor heaters that give everything a reddish tinge at this time of year.

Rossini is easy to access via the Tram #19 from Prati/Vatican area or the Tram #3 coming from the Coliseum or Ostiense. Details on their website.

Pizza Quality: 2  Excellent ingredients, thin Roman-style crust, although could use a few more seconds in the oven as the crust can lean to soggy in the middle. Nice options, some non-traditional and the only place that I know that serves a pizza especially for four people to share.

Service: 3  Efficient, friendly, bi-lingual with memory for regular customers. The staff is focused on making sure you are served promptly, but you are never rushed. Linger over coffee and wine and watch the parade of patrons. Our favorite wine is almost on the table before we are seated.

Ambiance: 3  From the pleasant and spacious indoor dining rooms to a generous outdoor space, Rossini is a delight. In winter they provide lap blankets even though the outdoor area is covered and has heaters.

Bonus: 1  Extra credit for great waitstaff and varied menu plus a decent wine list. No need to drink jug wine with your pizza.

Total Points: 9

Returnability: Go-to Place – fine if you are in the area (or in this case fancy a nice tram ride)