We were wandering through the kaleidoscopic market Near Piazza Curo and noticed that we were hungry in the midst of all these raw ingredients. I looked up. I saw a sign. No, not THAT sort of sign, one that said, Trattoria Aldo with the little crossed knife & fork and an arrow pointing to the left. The buildings on the block were grimy and peeling, and I said (with hope) that they might be nicer inside.
And as we walked through the door, we were transformed into another world. Okay, maybe a world that ceased to exist in 1974, but one that was cleaner and more appetizing than the one outside.
We were greeted by bread and the obligatory "opt-out" antipasto (which was terrific) and a menu that had a lot of things on it that the restaurant didn't have that day.
No matter, bring us what you've got, which happened to be a creditable and curiously authentic penne Bolognaise (for the kid), a plate of simple and beautiful spaghetti in garlic & olive oil (aglio et olio) and some magnificent, flame-grilled sardines as well as an unidentified steak fish (possibly mackerel), also simply grilled in olive oil, lemon and parsley.
Plastic tablecloths, three times as many staff as necessary, childish watercolor of a clown on the wall -- like being in somebody's rec room for dinner -- a really good, honest dinner that ended with a receipt that had our total on it, next to the word, "dinner." read more