Ahhh, Rossini, you are good to come home to! I have not written about Taverna Rossini in over a year. I think we had come to take it for granted as it is close to home and the only secret to getting a table is to call 2 or 3 hours before you want to dine.

Ric’s pizza Romana with anchovies, capers, and olives. Very much a standard in Italy.

Rossini is a huge and varied restaurant that still manages to feel like a neighborhood place. The wait staff recognizes us regulars, it is a 15-minute walk from home which is just about perfect (not too close), they have a wonderful outdoor dining area and a robust menu. There are three distinct sections to Rossini: a coffee bar, a pizzeria/taverna, and a ristorante/pescheria where they serve up beautiful fish in an elegant atmosphere. It is all inter-connected and the whole menu available in any section. The owner, Filippo Corvisieri, has a brilliant concept, serving cornetto e caffè in the morning, sandwiches from the bar as well as complete lunches in the taverna, and pulling out the stops in the evening, where the pescheria becomes a bit more elegant and romantic. The non-stop, Noon-2:00AM service is extraordinary. Want pizza at 4:00PM? You can have it!

My pizza Napoli with anchovies. I have come to love the simplicity of Italian pizza and Napoli is my go-to.

Pizza is almost always our focus, and once again Rossini delivered, our first night back from our month in the Dolomites. We actually read the menu for a change and discovered a new treat:  eggplant “meat”balls. (They sound better in Italian: polpettine di melanzane.) This was our starter, as though we really needed one.

Our pizzas were good, as always. Is it the best pizza in Rome? No, I still reserve that for Dar Poeta, Da Remo and La Pratolina. Rossini is a package. Location, service, selection, ambiance. There is something for everyone here. And try to save room for dessert. The palle di cioccolato (not on the menu; you have to ask for them) are to die for.

Palle di cioccolato: Nutella gelato encased in hard, dark chocolate, dressed with chopped walnuts, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. One order has 2 palle, and is plenty to share.

Pizza Quality: 2 I cannot give this a 3, try as I might. It is good pizza, it is just not the very best I have ever had. But it is really good! 

Service: 3 The wait staff is like a well-oiled machine. They put up with my Italian, but we hear them speaking English to the tourists. In true Italian fashion, no one expects a tip. 

Ambiance: 3   The dining rooms are designed in such a way as to provide intimacy despite the size of the place. The outdoor area is open year ’round and is our favorite part of the restaurant. 

Bonus: 1 Extra credit for great fritti, great dolce, and the outdoor space.

Total Points: 9

Returnability: Go-to Place that borders on worth-a-trip-across-town. If you can hop on a Tram 19 or Tram 3, you will be dropped at the door. Why not go?

Sign of quality: a wood-fired oven.

Outdoors at Rossini on Friday night. It is packed by 9;00PM.