Oh my God, Florence

If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all.

I had a lot of trouble writing this post because I left Florence with so many stories and so much to say. I ended up with 5 and a half pages worth of raw material based off a very long series of notes in my phone. It took me a long time to decide what to leave in and take out and also how to tell it. If the final post is a tasty sausage, then this mind-numbing process of cutting, rewriting, condensing, and rearranging is the ugly process of grinding up all the nasty bits of the animal no one really wants to know about. Anyone who tells you writing is always easy and fun is either a bad writer or a liar.
          I originally wasn't planning on going to Florence, but my classmates who had visited absolutely raved about it, so I decided to check it out as a part of my trip to Bologna to see a baseball game. My day and a half in Florence can be summed up with the phrase "Oh my God, Florence." Why? Because, depending on how it's said, it can express either awe or frustration, both of which I felt a lot.

         The trip began when I realized I had bought a ticket to Florence's Rifredi station and not the main Santa Maria Novella one. The Rifredi station is small, run down, and in the middle of nowhere; 3 miles from the center of town. It was a 30 minute bus ride to get anywhere close to town. I walked through town and headed across the river to my hostel. As I walked down the street, I felt like I was in slightly cleaner version of Rome. I was a little disappointed because I expected it to be more different, but I obviously hadn't seen the main area of town yet, so I wasn't going to pass judgment.

          I walked past a gelato place called La Carraia with tons of "Best of" stickers in the window and absolutely no line. I hadn't had lunch yet, but I decided I need to do this. This was probably the best gelato I've ever had. I had Tiramisu and chocolate cookie flavor and it blew me away in both taste and texture. It was so light and creamy and flavorful. It more than made up for my day to that point.

          I then checked in to my hostel, which took a lot longer than I wanted, and went to get lunch at a place called Sandwichic that TripAdvisor rated the #1 restaurant in Florence. TripAdvisor was right. I ordered a sandwich with mortadella, caramelized onions, and cream cheese. I swear to you all, this was the best sandwich I’ve ever had. One bite and I was in heaven. This sandwich was able to reverse all the negative emotions I had from being tired and really hungry. If you’re ever in Florence, you NEED to go to Sandwichic. I cannot recommend it enough. This was the sandwich to end all sandwiches, in my eyes. 

           I then began to wander around town a bit and did some sightseeing and souvenir shopping. I eventually made my way to the town's big Cathedral and its famous dome. I was a bit of a bad traveller and hadn't researched the sights that well, assuming I'd just wander, so I didn't really know it existed. Imagine having no prior knowledge and casually turning a corner and seeing this:

Needless to say, I was stopped in my tracks. The Cathedral di Santa Maria del Fiore was one of the most amazingly beautiful buildings I've ever seen. Even coming off the immense high from Sandwichic, it amazed me. I spent the next 30 minutes slowly walking around this enormous building and taking in the art. The designs were so intricate, detailed, and colorful. It was unlike anything I've ever seen. This is the moment I finally started to feel Florence. I was like, "Yes, baby! THIS is art. THIS is Florence!" Sadly, by the time I got there, the Cathedral was closing for the day, so I didn't get a chance to go in, but my day had still been made.

I mean, just look at this thing. HOLY CRAP, MAN.

          Unfortunately, walking around the Cathedral was the high point of my day. My time in Florence was plagued by minor annoyances and bad luck, and my day went downhill from here.
           It had been raining on and off all day. I forgot to bring my umbrella, so vendors on the street would single me out and try to sell me one, but I kept stubbornly ignoring them and walking past with an attitude of “I’m a strong, independent tourist who don’t need no umbrella." It never rained hard for more than about 15 minutes and I didn't feel like it had gotten bad enough to spend my money on one, especially since I thought I had one back in Rome.

           You know how the old saying goes, right? "Pride comes before a fall." After seeing a couple cool churches, I crossed the river and headed towards Piazza Michelangelo. I took this picture while crossing the river: 

See that gray mist off in the distance? That should've been my warning. 
         I walked along a beautiful green parkway for a while, but couldn't find the entrance, so I decided to turn back and try again tomorrow because it was getting dark and I was hungry and tired.

"Mostly cloudy" my ass

I am perfectly ok with the
events that are unfolding

         It then started to rain. Since I was on a parkway and not in the city, there was no cover anywhere nearby. I found refuge under a tree, thinking I’d just wait out the worst of it, since it provided just enough cover to make it worthwhile. The rain only got harder. I got drenched to say the least. I finally decided the only way to get out of this was to leave and try to find some shelter. Thankfully, there was a bus station not too far away. I waited it out and eventually made it back to my hostel. 
          I dropped my stuff off and decided to go out for pizza. I was so tired and done with being wet that caved in and bought an umbrella from my hostel. It was really ugly, but I was beyond the point of caring.

           I got some pretty good pizza at a place called Gusta Pizza my classmates had recommended and returned to the hostel. I did some writing, showered, and got ready for a good night’s sleep, something I hadn't had in a few days. I came back from the shower and put the key in the door to unlock it and this happened:

Who does this even happen to?? This was the point I decided someone or something in Florence had it out for me. I can accept getting caught in the rain or arriving at the wrong train station, but this is too ridiculous to happen by chance. I told the manager and he said it wouldn't be a problem if the other half of the key wasn't in the door. It was. Of course it was. He explained that as long as the key was stuck in the door, it could only be opened from the inside. Since it was 1:20 AM, everybody was asleep. I was locked out. The manager offered another room, but a girl who was also locked out had an early train to catch, so we had to get into the room. We resorted to knocking. The manager insisted he do it because he was really concerned about waking up too many people. After a minute or two, a bleary-eyed guy with messy blond hair and pajama pants came and opened the door for us and went immediately back to his bed, even before we could thank or apologize to him. I felt so bad for the manager the whole time. He had this look of extreme guilt on his face and no one should have to deal with a crazy situation like this at 1 in the morning while trying to keep all the guests happy. When I checked out, he and I shared a glance of apologetic recognition.

The inside of SS Annunziando

         I got on the road by late morning and pumped myself up for the city. The rain was gone, it was beautiful and sunny, and I was going to go straight to the National Gallery and see some famous art and it was going to be great. Public museums are free in Italy on the first Sunday of the month, so I had intentionally put off the museums for the second day so I could see these masterpieces for free.
         Unfortunately, it was May 1st: Worker's Day, meaning all the public museums, including the National Gallery, were closed. "It'll be open tomorrow," they kept saying, but today was my last day in Florence. Just my luck.
          Though I was discouraged, I wandered around the neighborhood found one of my favorite churches in Italy, SS Annunziando, and a cool market to explore, so it wasn't all bad. 

         I resisted temptation to go back to Sandwichic and decided to try lunch at a place called Il Bufalo Trippone. It was incredible. It wasn't quite as good as Sandwichic, but definitely in the same league. The sandwich I had had salami, cheese, and dried tomato sauce. It was one of those meals where you take one bite and you nod your head and say "yep" several times because it's that much on point. I don’t know how Florence manages to make sandwiches so incredibly simple yet insanely delicious. I didn’t think this level of delicious was possible with only a few ingredients. I'd go back to Florence for a week if all I did was eat sandwiches and gelato.

            I then got in a big line outside the Cathedral to go up in the bell tower, which someone had recommended I do. I waited about an hour and as soon as I got in, I decided to cut the crap and head straight for the top. The bell tower has no elevator, so you have to take the stairs. A LOT of stairs. And you’re climbing up staircases that are dark, steep, and barely wide enough to fit two people. Often times, one person would have to stand to the side while another went the opposite direction. I'm glad I'm not claustrophobic and I'm also glad I'm in reasonably good shape because both those things would've otherwise made the climb up the bell tower absolute hell. 

           The climb was more than worth it though. I can’t stress how gorgeous the views were. You can see all of Florence and the surrounding countryside, especially on a clear day like it was when I was there. You also get a pretty much uninterrupted 360 degree view. The countryside was especially beautiful. It looked like something out of a postcard. I made my way around the tower 2-3 times just taking in the scenery and appreciating the beauty of the city. This was far and away the best thing I did in Florence. If you ever go, you need to do this regardless of how big of a line there is.

Actual city or Windows XP background with a city in front? You decide

          I came down exhilarated and since the ticket I bought got me into both the tower and the Cathedral, I was excited to go inside. I got in a line for it, but when I showed the security lady my ticket, she turned me away, saying it was closed. I didn't know enough Italian to argue with her or figure out how you could get in, so I decided to more or less call it a day. I got some more gelato, headed back to my hostel, and rested for a few minutes before catching a train back to Rome.

        Florence's final vengeance came after I returned to Rome. It started to rain when I was out exploring. Remember that umbrella I bought at the hostel? This is what happened to it in about 45 minutes on its second day of use. I call it "Degradation of an Umbrella in Three Parts," a comment on the fragility of the human condition:

This was the worst excuse for an umbrella I've ever seen in my entire life. Calling it a cheap, worthless piece of crap would be giving it far too much credit. I expect umbrellas to flip inside out when there's a decent amount of wind, but this thing legitimately flipped in a slight breeze and broke in the process. I could blame this on Rome because I was in Rome, but since I bought the umbrella in Florence, it was definitely Florence's fault.

         After getting home and and shaking off the exhaustion and frustration, I was left with mixed feelings about the city. On one hand, it's gorgeous, has some of the best art and architecture you'll find anywhere and has wine, sandwiches, and gelato worth dying for. On the other hand, the city is extremely touristy. Walking through Florence, I found myself wondering if anybody actually lived there. In Rome, Naples, and Bologna, if you leave the main streets, you find a residential neighborhood. with a local cafe, people's laundry would be drying on the railings, and you'd see people come and leave their homes in cars or on bikes. Florence wasn't like this. Even when I got off the beaten path a little, it seemed like the "residential" neighborhoods were mostly made up of hostels or student residences. The Italians in the town seemed like either visitors or workers and I got the sense none of them lived in town. I felt like for a city that has such a massive cultural heritage that it didn't seem to have much, if any, local culture. 

          This may not matter to some people, but it does to me. When I travel, I like seeing the sights and eating the food, but what I love is being in a place and feeling its history and culture flow through me by doing things that I can't anywhere else and trying to have an "authentic" experience (for example, when I was in Bologna, I made sure to get authentic Bolognese sauce). I didn't feel like I could do this in Florence. While I'll associate the amazing restaurants with Florence, the food and experiences didn't seem like they were part of the town's culture or heritage. The sights are beautiful and the food is incredible, but it felt like there was little to nothing beneath the surface. Looks dazzle, but I'm not going to fall in love unless there's something more there.
           Having said that, I'm glad I went to Florence. It was a beautiful, historic city and the food was great. If given the chance, I think I'd go back to Florence for a day to eat and to see the sights I missed, but I don't think I would go out of my way to visit. However, just because I didn't fall in love with it shouldn't discourage anyone from visiting. I know several people who did and loved everything about it, and even I think it's worth going just to see the sights and say you did.

Baseball in Bologna

It's a little known fact is that this song is actually about Bologna's infield defense (I've also been on a Rolling Stones binge the last week or so).

I have two religions: actual religion (which I touch on here) and baseball. I follow one. I'm a slave to the other.

Like many of life's best experiences, this one started by following through with a crazy idea. I knew, thanks to the World Baseball Classic, that Italy has somewhat of a baseball program going, so I looked into it when I got to Rome for study abroad. Unfortunately, all the teams were based in Northern and Central Italy, with the closest to me being about 200 miles away. Fortunately, I'm really committed, so I booked a train trip to Bologna to see a game between Bologna and San Marino. (I also added a leg in Florence to make myself feel like this was more than a single purpose trip).

The stadium, named Gianni Falchi after an Italian baseball writer, was located about 3 miles from the center of town; a 30 minute bus ride away. I had to double check the sign to make sure I was in the right place when I got there. The station looked like just another stop along a residential street. There didn't seem to be anything that resembled a stadium nearby. There was a park down the street Google Maps led me towards, but that was it. No huge parking lot or bustling metro station. I probably would've walked right by it had I not known it was there.

As I approached the park, I saw a small, unassuming concrete building with the words, "Stadio Baseball" on it, so I knew I was in the right place. This was the ticketing office. There was no assigned seating, so you bought a ticket for a section instead. I bought a ticket for lower level, though I planned to move around a bit to get different angles of the stadium. I apologize in advance for the subpar picture quality later in the post. The only camera I had was my phone.

The outside of the stadium

I arrived about 7:30, half an hour before game time, since I wanted to make sure to got a seat. When I got there, I was one of about 30 people max, most of whom were huddled around the grandstand eating food. I was a bit worried. What if the entire crowd was here and I came all this way for a really boring experience?

Gianni Falchi is the smallest baseball stadium I've ever seen above the high school level. Two levels of seats wrapped around home plate between the two dugouts, and then there was a single set of bleachers on the side of either dugout down the line. The inner seats and those beyond the dugouts were your typical metal bleachers. They're not very comfortable, but bleachers like that are pretty common at non-professional games. The upper level of seats was made out of big concrete steps except for a single section behind home plate on the upper level with traditional stadium seats, but I don't know what you'd have to do to sit there. I spent a majority of the game in the upper concrete seats because I thought they were more comfortable, warmer, and had a better view.

There was only one place to get food. It was removed from the seating area and was part of an eating terrace down the third base line. There were several tables and a patio with picnic tables that overlooked left field. The grandstand had the traditional fare: hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, candy, and beer, plus a couple local specialties like paninos with porchetta. I couldn't bring myself to order a hot dog in Italy even though it's tradition, so I got a panino with porchetta.

My Panino <3

When you order, you go off to the side and the worker puts the semi-cooked meat on the grill with vegetables of your choice. I love my Dodger Dogs, but if given the choice between a Dodger Dog and a porchetta panino, I'd pick the panino almost every time. It wasn't even the best sandwich I had in Italy (go to a place called Sandwichic in Florence), but it was so much fresher and tastier than anything you can get at a baseball stadium of any level in the US. Satisfied, I wandered back to the bleachers to watch the beginning of the game.

Though it wasn't the first game of the season, both teams were introduced as if it were opening day, with the players and coaches lining up along the baselines when their names were read. The Italian national anthem was played and the players took off their caps and faced the flag and then dispersed into their dugouts.

Like in soccer, there was advertisements all over both teams' uniforms. Even their naming rights could be bought out, as neither team had a name like "Eagles" or "Pirates." Bologna went either by UnipolSai or Fortitudo B.C. (I'm still not sure which is the official name) and San Marino went by T&A. Bologna wore yellow uniforms and San Marino wore blue.

Play Ball!

-Top of the 1st: Bologna's starter was a lefty with a big black, Matt Shoemaker-esque beard named Mattew Zielinski. In his delivery, he would turn a bit and then throw it short arm style roughly over the shoulder. I remembered how much I missed the cracking sound of a wood bat hitting a ball. It was the first time I'd heard it live since September.

-Bottom of the 1st: San Marino's starter was an average-looking righty named Carlos Quevado. I was eating when they announced the lineups, so I didn't hear them. Bologna's #3 hitter was announced and I swore I heard "Ronny Cedeño." No, that couldn't be right. The former utility infielder for the Cubs and Pirates? Nah, it couldn't be. I went to get a program between inning, and OH MY GOD, IT IS HIM. They even take out a whole page to do a feature on him, because apparently his coming to play in Italy is a big deal. This was his third game with the team, apparently, and he was so far 1 for 8. He was DH-ing. Of all the things I expected to find at the game, a former major leaguer was not one of them. This was probably the most excited anyone has ever been after learning Ronny Cedeño is in the lineup. After looking at the rosters, I also found out that former Indians and Padres pitcher Justin Germano plays for San Marino, though I didn't see him pitch.

Ronny Cedeño

-Bottom of the 2nd: With runners at the corners and one out, a grounder was hit to the right side and San Marino tried to turn two. The lead runner beat the throw to second, but they got the out at first. I don't think I've ever seen that happen before. He was scored on a base hit through the hole on the left side. Infielder Francesco Fuzzi then lined it just fair down the right field line and scored another. 3-0. At this point, Quevado was clearly rattled. He walked the next two batters and loaded the bases for Ronny Cedeño, but he hit into a force out at second to end the inning.

By the time the game got going, the crowd had filled in. It wasn't packed by any means, but I'm guessing there were probably about 150-200 people in attendance. I was surprised at how invested the crowd was too. The team's fanbase is obviously small, but it seems very loyal. Most of the crowd seemed to know what was going on and was paying attention to the game, and they cheered accordingly when something happened in the game. This is more than can be said about a lot of US crowds, who start drunken chants of "Let's Go Dodgers" in the second inning when the other team is batting. It felt like most of the people there were there because they loved the game and not just because a friend or coworker invited them or because they were looking for something to do on a Friday night.
        A majority of them were older and middle aged men. Other than me, children in families, and two groups of teenagers, there really wasn't anybody who looked younger than 35 in the crowd. It makes sense because the older generation was probably around when the American GI's brought the game to the country after World War 2. Therefore, the younger Bolognans didn't grow up with it. It made me worried that baseball in Italy might die with the older generation.

Home run shot!

-Top of the 4th: San Marino's Mario Chiarini clearly didn't like the umpire's strike zone and complained after a pitch pretty high in the zone was called a strike. He turned to the ump and motioned with his hands like,"what the hell?" and said a few things, but didn't get tossed. After grumbling, he got back into the batter's box and rocketed a line drive home run to straight away left on the next pitch. 3-1. This threw Zielinski out of his groove. The next batter hit a long fly ball that was caught at the warning track. The batter after that ripped a double in the gap in left center. He reached third after the third baseman misplayed a grounder and had a tough hop eat him up. With runners at the corners, Luca Pulzetti struck out after a great at bat, but the ball got away from the catcher, everybody was safe, and a run scored. 3-2.

-Bottom of the 5th: Catcher Marval Osman launched a home run to right center. 4-2 Bologna. It had gotten dark, there was a slight breeze, and the temperature was dropping rapidly, so I decided to warm myself up by getting a coffee and walking around a bit.

Mattew Zielinski

-Top of the 6th: After 5 innings, Zielinski was taken out of the game and replaced by righty Brent Buffa. After a one out double, the runner moved to third on a grounder, but rounded third and was caught. As the shortstop threw the ball to the third baseman, the runner decided to break for home. The third baseman's throw hit the runner. The defense couldn't recover in time and he came home safely. 4-3 Bologna.

Carlos Quevado

Defense seemed to be the biggest competitive difference between the minors and the Italian League. The players all ran, hit, and pitched like I'd expect from college or low level minor league players, but the defense was poor. The fielders didn't play their positions very well, there were a lot of misplayed balls, and were poorly positioned if there was a defensive play being set up. At times, if you told me I was watching a minor league game, I would've totally believed you. Other times, especially when watching the defense, it was clear why these guys aren't playing in the US.

-Bottom of the 6th: Bologna hit back to back doubles to add an insurance run and knock Quevado out of the game. 5-3. It was really interesting to see home fans cheer Quevado as he walked off, even though he played for the opposing team. The crowd seemed a lot friendlier than those in the US that either ignore or boo the opposing pitcher.

-7th Inning Stretch: This was honestly kind of a letdown. I and about 10 other people stood up and they played a country version of "take me out to the ballgame" over the PA, but nobody sang. I guess that's to be expected because the song isn't in Italian, but I was still disappointed.

Proof that I'm not kidding

-Bottom of the 8th: I actually missed this half inning. I needed my phone because I had no idea when to get off the bus and how to get to my hostel from there without it, and the battery had dipped to below 10%. I didn't want to leave early, so I went on a desperate search for an outlet. It's a baseball stadium, so it's not crawling with outlets to begin with, but the minimalism of Gianni Falchi made it worse. The only outlet I could find was on the face of a control panel in the bathroom. Have you ever been so desperate that you're willing to stand in a public bathroom with your phone plugged in 5 feet up on a wall on a control panel you're pretty sure you shouldn't be using? I have. While I was here, Bologna scored one more. I heard a lot of cheering, but I couldn't tell what happened. 6-3.

-Top of the 9th: With my phone now at acceptable battery levels, I decided to watch the final inning, assuming the game would be over soon with Bologna's comfortable 3-run lead. Little did I know I was about to witness the most epic defensive meltdown I've ever seen. Bologna brought in a big, hard-throwing righty named Scott Patterson, who, according to Baseball Reference, appeared in 4 major league games with the Yankees and Padres in 2008. The inning began with a single that fell just in front of the Bologna center fielder. The next batter hit a pop fly to short left center. The shortstop moved under the ball as it came down, but he dropped it, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. A wild pitch moved them to second and third and one was scored a sharp single to left. 6-4. The next batter looped a fly ball the opposite way down the left field line that landed for a double and scored another. 6-5. With first base open, the next batter was intentionally walked and Patterson was taken out. Despite the rough outing, the crowd cheered for him as he walked off the field.

Not directly relevant, but this was taken in the 9th

          Bologna's new pitcher Filippo Crepaldi (there's an Italian name for you) battled back from 3-1 and struck out the first batter he faced. The next batter hit a fly ball to left and the runner at third tagged up and scored the tying run, just narrowly missing a tag from the catcher. 6-6. With first and second and two outs, Crepaldi threw back to second and got the lead runner caught in a rundown. The infielders went through the motions, but nobody was covering the bag at second and the runner was able to get back safely, as the defense threw away a gift out. The stadium was upset. The next batter hit a routine ground ball up the middle. It was snagged by the second baseman and flipped to the shortstop, but the flip pulled him off the bag.
           The crowd was livid. There was a lot of shouting and it was probably the loudest I heard the stadium. Interestingly, this was the only negativity I saw from the crowd the whole game, but it was totally justified considering the inexcusable level of defensive play.
           Crepaldi finally got a second out, but the bases were still loaded. Next, a grounder was hit to short, but the shortstop took too much time, everyone was safe, and the go-ahead run scored from third. 7-6 San Marino. They finally got out of the inning after that. The inning and the game could have ended many times, but the infield defense kept giving it away. The RBI single was the hardest hit ball of the inning. Everything else was either misplayed or a stroke of bad luck.

Ronny Cedeño digging in.

-Bottom of the 9th: The inning started with Ronny Cedeño, who was hit on the shoulder after falling behind in the count. He didn't look very good at the plate the whole game. He ended up 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and a hit by pitch. He swung at everything and wasn't working the count at all. The two pitch he was able to put in play were weak ground balls.
          The next batter reached on a 4 pitch walk and the runners were moved up on a sac bunt. An intentional walk then loaded the bases to create a force out. The next batter hit a ground ball to first, which was taken to the bag for the out, but they couldn't turn two at second, so the tying run scored. 7-7. With 2 outs and the winning run 90 feet away, San Marino once again decided to intentionally walk the batter with first base open. I didn't understand why the teams kept doing this. Not that this isn't a legitimate strategy--it is--but not one that seems like it should be used almost automatically like it seems to be in Italy. Anyway, it didn't matter because Francesco Fuzzi came up to bat and struck out on 3 pitches to send the game to extra innings.

By this time, I was freezing cold (it wasn't that freezing, but I'm from LA. Give me a break), it was almost midnight, I didn't want to have another phone charging session in the bathroom, and I had a 9 AM train to Florence to catch the next morning, so I decided to leave. According to the team's Facebook page, the final score was 12-9 San Marino in 10 innings. I missed a lot unfortunately, but it was the right decision.

The score when I left. It goes runs/errors/hits instead of the traditional runs/hits/errors.
Yes, Bologna had 6 errors. They had restarted the line score because it was the 10th.

I was a little skeptical at first, but going to an Italian League Baseball game was an awesome experience. Despite the small scale and lack of national interest in the sport, the crowd had a lot of energy. It also was just a fun, exciting game, and at the end of the day, it's baseball, and in my book, it's really hard to go wrong with baseball, especially when it's part of such a unique experience. Let's just hope Bologna plays better defense next time.

Where to Eat in Rome

Rome is a great food city. If you're planning on visiting, I'm going to assume you know this. A good meal isn't hard to find, but some places are definitely better than others. Three things I used to find good restaurants were:

1. TripAdvisor: For those of you familiar with Yelp, it works in the same way, but in Italy. If you go on their site and search "restaurants near Rome," it'll give you a pretty good list of recommendations. That's how I found a lot of these places.
2. Watch for Stickers: If you see a restaurant with a lot of stickers in the window, that's an excellent sign. The more the better, I've found. Be sure to look not only for Tripadvisor stickers (make sure they say "recommended" or "certificate of excellence" and not just "review us") but also for any with dates on them, like "Roma 2014" or something like that. These are usually signs of good places to eat.
3. Who is there/When?: When you walk by a restaurant, do you see mostly tourists or a bunch of locals? If you see a lot of locals eating there, that's a good sign. This is especially true if you see the restaurant packed at like 2 PM or 6 PM, times that are less busy than the respective lunch and dinner rushes. A restaurant being busy or having a line all the time is a double-edged sword. It means you have to wait a bit, but it's also the sign of a great restaurant that's probably worth waiting for. This is a great way to find good restaurants anywhere, not just in Rome.

While it's hard to go wrong with food in Rome, here's a few of the places I tried and would recommend going. Keep in mind that these places are takeout restaurants or street food. If you're looking for a fancy, upscale meal with friendly waiters in a place that oozes luxury, this list isn't for you. I travel on a budget and I'm also a firm believer in the fact that you can get as good if not better food from downscale local places than any fancy 5-star restaurant. At all of these places, you can get amazing food for €8-9 or less.

The Essentials--Places I'd consider can't-misses and worth going out of your way for:

One of Biscottificio Innocenti's owners and their cookies

Biscottificio Innocenti, Via della Luce, 21 (Trastevere): Holy shit, these cookies. The bakery is tucked away on a side street. If you can find the street, the bakery shouldn't be too hard to find--not because it's obvious, but because you can smell the delicious sugary smell from a good distance. The bakery is a family business that's been going for 4 generations, so they know how to bake cookies. Every single cookie I tried was incredible. They somehow manage to give them all a perfect texture. Not too chewy, but not too crunchy either. I can only describe it as "just right" and every one is a heavenly sensation in your mouth. I recommend getting the assorted cookies. It's a little more expensive, but for €6 (300 g) you get a pretty full bag, and it's a great way to try all the types of cookies they have. A majority of them are sugar cookies, but a good number have chocolate, nuts, coconut, or raisins. It took a good deal of restraint to not eat the entire bag in one sitting. This place is definitely a must visit if you're in Rome.

Da Simo's sandwich with chicken, pork, lamb, and chicory

Da Simo... pane e vino, Via di Parione, 34 (near Piazza Navona): This is one of the places in Rome I'm going to miss the most. They have the best sandwiches I had in the city. Whenever I needed my meat fix, I went here. The workers are all extremely friendly and speak pretty good English, and they knew me by name by the last couple times I visited. The sandwiches are a little more expensive than other places in Rome (€4.50 for half, €6 for full), but you get what you pay for. They're big, they have a lot of meat, they're insanely delicious. I've had the one with chicken, pork, and lamb, the one with boiled beef, onions, and chicory, and one with meatball and artichoke and they've all been crazy good. They also have a nice selection of beers in the fridge, though I never really took advantage of that because I usually had class right after I ate lunch. The seating area is subpar (all outside and on cheap tables), and they do tend to take their time, especially when they're busy, but the sandwiches are more than worth it.

Gelateria Frigidarium, Via del Governo Vecchio, 112 (between Piazza Navona & Castel Sant'Angelo): Hands down the best gelato in Rome. I've had some very good gelato in Rome, but this place is consistently head-over-heels better than any other place I've been (the only better gelato I've had anywhere was in Florence). There is usually a bit of a line, but don't be intimidated. It moves quickly and the gelato is totally worth the wait. €2 gets you a small cup (2 flavors) and then you have the option to dip it in white or dark chocolate. Frigidarium, the namesake flavor, is the best in my opinion. It's yellow with a chocolate swirl and cookies sticking up out of it and it tastes like a buttery chocolate cookie. Other flavors I really liked were the dark chocolate (fondente) (which is especially good if you combine it with the caffé flavor) and cannolo (cannoli). You won't go wrong with any flavor though. I've made a point to try at least one new flavor every time I went and everything I had there was amazing.

Trapizzino's coda alla vaccinaria (oxtail)

Trapizzino Testaccio, Via Giovanni Branca, 88 (Testaccio neighborhood)- A trapizzino is basically a pocket made out of pizza dough and filled with a variety of things. I've had the chicken cacciatore and the oxtail (coda alla vaccinanara) and they've both been amazing, though I think I liked the ox tail more. I think the concept of a trapizzino is unique to this restaurant, which has two branches in Rome, though I've only visited the Testaccio location. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but around lunch, there's usually a line or a crowd of people around it, which is always a great sign. Just be warned that since it's street food, seating is limited.

Other favorites: A tier below "can't miss," but also incredibly good.

Bar Amore's cappuccino

Bar Amore, 41 Via dei Banchi Nuovi (between Piazza Navona & Castel Sant'Angelo)- I went here probably more than any other restaurant in Rome, for three reasons: 1). It's right next to the UC study center, 2). It's delicious, 3). It's a great value. This place is really easy to miss. The only thing that makes it place stick out from the street is a thin sign that says "snack bar," that you probably wouldn't pay attention to unless you knew it was there. There's usually a line when you go in, and there's two areas of the restaurant: one where you can order a panino or a pastry, and then the coffee bar. Their cappuccinos are truly some of the best I had in Rome. I didn't drink a cappuccino the last day I was in Rome because I wanted my last cappuccino in Italy to be from Bar Amore. Their paninis are also great. They have several different types of meat and vegetables to choose from as fillings, and the portions are also pretty big for Italy. It's a great place to get coffee and/or lunch.

Suppli'

I Suppli', Via di S. Francesco a Ripa, 137 (Trastevere)- Suppli', for those who don't know, is a fried rice ball filled with meat sauce and cheese. Yes, it's as good as it sounds, maybe even better. I about cried the first time I had suppli' because of just how good it was. I Suppli' is easy to miss. I walked past it a good 2-3 times without ever noticing it, but just look for a mob of people eating rice balls outside, and that should help you find it. They also have pasta and pizza, which I didn't try, but the suppli' is the main attraction, and at €1.20 a piece, it's a great deal. They're kinda small, but they're definitely filling.

Pasta e Vino's Fettuccine Carbonara

Pasta e Vino Come na vorta, 
Vicolo Del Cinque 40 (Trastevere)- Really good pasta place. They have some of the tastiest and richest carbonara (a Roman specialty made with cheese, pork cheek, cream, black pepper, and eggs) in Rome. They seem to have perfected "al dente," as the pasta consistency is perfect. This is probably due to how fresh it is. You can see the pasta being made right in front of you. The restaurant has a window in front of a cutting board where you can watch the owner knead the dough and then cut it into pasta-shaped strips and prepare it to be cooked. It's a little more expensive than some of the other pasta take away places in town, but not overpriced by any means (€6-7.5 per plate). Just be sure to plan ahead if you decide to go. Seating availability is limited and this place also likes to take its time making your food.

Fettuccine with Pesto

Pasta Imperiale, Via dei Coronari, 160, (Pretty close to Castel Sant'Angelo): I'm sad because I only got to visit this place once, on my last night in Rome. The pasta I had, though, was excellent--truly some of the best I had in Rome. I had the pesto and it was absolutely fantastic. I'm not sure if I've ever had such fresh, tasty, and cheesy pesto. I really regret not finding this place sooner. You can also get it in a combo meal, which is €8-9 and includes pasta, a piece of tiramisu and a bottle of water. The restaurant has a couple small tables, but not much. I didn't get to eat my food there at all, so I can't comment too much on it.

Cappuccino & mini cannoli 

Sicilia e Duci, Viale di Trastevere, 69 (Trastevere): This was a place I found on accident when I was walking somewhere and impulsively decided to get coffee. They have pretty good coffee and excellent Sicilian pastries. This was my favorite place to get a cannoli in Rome. They have mini cannolis that are delicious, only €1, and not so big and filling as in other places. They also have freddo, which is one of the only ways to get iced coffee in Rome. Like many cafés, they also have actual food, which I didn't try, but can only assume is delicious based off the quality of the other stuff they had. It's a great place for a mid-afternoon snack and coffee.

Solopasta's spaghetti carbonara & wine

Solopasta, Via della Vetrina, 1 (Between Piazza Navona & Castel Sant'Angelo)- Really good pasta place. I've had the carbonara and ragu' before and they're both excellent. The best part about this place is the deal you get: €5 gets you a big plate of delicious pasta AND a drink, which is pretty much unbeatable. They have Peroni, the standard Italian beer, red and white wine, and water to choose from. Just don't go if you're in a hurry. The place is small and it can take them a little time to get your order out, but it's worth it for the food and the value.

Honorable mentions: Pompi (Via Albalonga, 7, near the Spanish Steps), Il Pastaio di Roma (Via dei Coronari, 102/103, down the street from Pasta Imperiale), Caffe' Lungara 1940 (Via della Lungara, 14, Northern Trastevere)

Now go to Rome and eat like motherf'ing royalty.