Armando al Pantheon — back after all these years.
One of our all-time favorites in Rome, and nearly impossible to book since Stanley Tucci’s visit. But we walked in with our photo gourmet card, they recognized us immediately, and said “come back in a little while — we’ll find you a table.”
And they did. A beautiful lunch, exactly as we remembered it from before COVID.
We started with mozzarella di bufala on crushed Piennolo tomatoes with toasted breadcrumbs, Senise pepper, and basil — lovely and simple. Then the bottoncino di pane with coratella d’abbacchio — lamb heart, liver, and lungs over cicoria ripassata. Old Roman peasant food at its best, and genuinely unique.
I followed with trippa alla romana — tripe in tomato with pecorino, pepper, and mint. Absolutely amazing. Lori had the abbacchio alla scottadito, grilled lamb chops with lemon, and the roasted potatoes were like candy.
The pasta was spaghetti alla gricia — guanciale, pecorino, black pepper. No egg, no cream. Just right.
Wines: the Vernaccia di San Gimignano and the house red, both wonderful. They finished us off with limoncello and a crumb cake dessert that Lori loved.
A memorable lunch, and we’re already planning the next one. If you’re ever in Rome and can get a table — do it
