Restaurant Review: La Taverna del West

So yesterday, I wrote about the beauty of eating regional Italian food. This, of course, was promptly after I ate at a non Italian restaurant with a friend of mine.
Three nights ago, after a long day of work, Endira and I decided to get the easiest, most convenient food available right by my train stop.  We decided to try La Taverna del West   Another friend had mentioned it had Mexican food and at the time, it seemed like a good idea. It is literally right under the train station near Basilica San Paolo (so not in center).

Cutte and yet, I just had to laugh...

Teepees in a restaurant... Yes, I wanted to sit there lol

The exterior and interior were decorated in a way that can only be descrived as stereotypically Old
Western, Texas, at the peak of cowboy and indian films.  I really enjoyed the decoration, certainly not for its accuracy, but because of the sense of fun. I really wanted to sit under one of the teepees.  We didn't simply because those were the tables for 4 or more.

The menu was an interesting compilation of traditional American food i.e. hamburgers, potato skins, onion rings etc, plus pizza, pasta and quite randomly Mexican.  Maybe because Texas and Mexico are close to one another?  I think they were trying to appeal to a diverse group of people, traditionalists and younger people alike.

Endira and I probably should have ordered hamburgers like all of the Italians but we weren't quite in the mood. Instead, we ordered a liter of beer (Carlsberg), potato skins and 2 burritos del sol.  The beer was quite refreshing and the first I've ordered since being back in Italy.  I usually drink wine so it was a nice change of pace.
The potato skins I rather enjoyed. They were served with sour cream (which is usually hard to find

in Italy) and guacamole which was quite good but strange to see served with potato skins. I think that the guacamole was probably not fresh avocado but a frozen or a premade mix. The cheese was delicious and melted perfectly while the potato was cooked well.  However, out of the 4 halves of potato only one had bacon on it. It had a lot of bacon on it, which was quite tasty... The rest of the potato would have benefitted from the moisture and flavor it provided.
The burritos were pretty good but nothing like a traditional burrito.

It didn't quite look like a burrito...

They were covered in melted cheese which reminded me more of enchiladas but I liked it with the cheese. It added to the overall flavor which was on the bland, heavy side.  The inside of the burrito on the menu was listed as chicken and an herbed tomato sauce.  I saw no traces of tomato on the inside but did find bits of unidentifiable vegetable that Endira thought was pepper and I thought might be zucchini... If it was pepper, it was severely overcooked. If it was zucchini, it was still slightly overcooked and I would wonder what it was doing in a burrito.  The chicken itself was juicy, and based on the consistency of the filling, I would guess also fried. There were also beans inside the burrito, not refried or black but some kind of red bean that I rather liked. It was served with a great salsa, guacamole, sour cream and plain lettuce. I covered my burrito with the extras and ate it all up. For a "Mexican burrito" it was rather bland, I would've preferred some kick of spice but I was hungry. The only thing I didn't eat was the yellow rice. It was undercooked and bland. It had a whiff of some random spice that I couldn't identify, but completely lacked salt.
I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon. The food was okay but not great, and Endira did wind up with a stomach ache afterwards.  The food wasn't super authentic but maybe the hamburgers would be better.
However, it was guick and close to the train with a very friendly and helpful staff.  I will say, I was hungry and the food arrived quickly.
If you've been living abroad for more than a few months I would say give it a shot, because in a pinch it will cover a strong craving.
If you're just visiting for a short time as a tourist there are far better options. Definitely go for some of the Roman specialties.
In this post you'll find some suggestions of foods to look for on Roman menus.  If you're in center I highly suggest trying Cul de Sac and also keep an eye out as I write other reviews of restaurants here in Rome.

Foreign Food and Roman Specialties

Normally when I'm in Italy I don't eat much food that isn't Italian. I go out with my girls and we have Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Mexican food in the days before I leave so I can minimize the cravings once I'm here.  In the US, on a regular basis I eat foods from around the world. One of the nice things about NJ is that I've grown up with such a fantastic exposure to foods from different cultures.
I love food and I love trying all sorts of flavor combinations.
When in Italy, however, I generally stick to Italian food. There are a couple of distinct reasons for this. The first reason is simple. There are a majority of Italian restaurants. The kind of variety that exists in the North East specifically NYC and my area of North Bergen, does not exist around the globe. I hazard that it doesn't exist all over the United States either. Certain areas have a larger influx of immigrants and therefore have a larger availability of different cultural cuisine. Italy is no different in that sense.  Certain cities in Italy do have more availability of different types of food. For example Rome and even Florence have more Chinese, Japanese and Mexican available than in other parts of the country. They have larger populations of immigrants and tourists passing through and therefore have more availability of different foods. Rome is surprisingly filled with a lot of options for foreign food. That being said, there is still a majority of Italian restaurants even here.  Italians, I have found, tend to eat more Italian food. It is a deep part of their culture, unlike when you talk about food in the USA, which has less tradition and therefore more variety.  
Another reason that I don't often eat foreign foods while in Italy is because what does exist here does not taste like what we find in the US. It has been Italianized, just as most food in the states has been Americanized.  Because I grew up in New Jersey I like most of the Americanized versions better. Also, because many of my friends are of different nationalities I was fortunate enough to be able to try homemade Korean, Chinese, Japanese and various other cuisines.  Homemade is very different than what you find in any restaurant.
The other reason that I don't often eat foreign food in Italy is simply because I love trying new kinds of Italian food. there are countless regional specialties that we as Americans have never tried. We don't even know that they exist.
Most of the Italian food in the states has been Americanized and also comes from certain southern regions. We know some specific dishes from Naples, Sicily and Rome, but they are versions of those original dishes.  However, those are only 3 of 20 regions. each region has it's own speciaties and the majority have not made it stateside.
For example, Lazio, the region where Rome is located, has a ton of specialties that I didn't even know existed. All I had heard about was Spaghetti alla Carbona.  Who could forget the creamy egg based sauce rich with bacon? In Rome, they don't use bacon (bacon as we know it does not quite exist in Italy) but pancetta (pig's belly) or guanciale (pig's cheek).  Both are similar to bacon but are perhaps a little leaner.  However, there are lots of plates we rarely, if ever, see in the states

• Spaghetti al "Cacio e Pepe" - one of the most simple yet delicious dishes made with Pecorino "cacio", pepper and either olive oil or lard
• Bucatini alla Matriciana - this spaghetti like pasta has a hole through the middle and is served with a red sauce made with lard, bacon, onions, tomatoes, wine and Pecorino cheese 
• Tonnarelli alla Gricia - tonnarelli are a thicker kind of spaghetti and really compliment the hardiness of some of the Italian sauces, alla gricia is like the matriciana except it has no tomato base 
• Gnocchi alla Romana - these gnocchi are much larger than what we are used to in the states and are baked with butter, cheese and nutmeg
• Carciofi alla Giudia - fried artichokes, soft and tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, you can eat the entire thing and you should!!
• Carciofi alla Romana - baked with mint and garlic
• Suppli - are fried and breaded balls of rice in Bolognese sauce filled with mozzarella cheese (they have a Sicilian counterpart called arancini)
• Fiori di Zucca - deep fried Zucchini flower filled with mozzarella and anchovies, they are literally bursting with flavor
• Cicoria - 
• Porchetta - suckling pig roasted with laurel herb, garlic and black pepper, delicious on sandwiches and often found in markets
• Veal Saltimbocca (veal scallopine with ham and sage) - saltimbocca literally means "jump in your mouth" which is what should happen if it's prepared well, it is thinly sliced veal topped with ham and sage cooked in whit wine, butter and seasonings.
• Coda alla Vaccinara (Roman Oxtail Stew) - oxtail stew is one of the traditional preparations of sweetmeats in Rome, the offals are slowly cooked with vegetables, red wine, garlic and spices

I haven't tried all of it yet, but I'm certainly going to.  I have lots of time here in Rome, so I'm going to make the most of it, and my stomach will love me for it. Then, when I get a bit homesick or long for exotic flavors I'll try some of the foreign cuisine available to me here, or I'll just wait till I'm back stateside for Christmas.  

Recipe: Pesto Chicken and Potatoes with a light String Bean Salad

Since being in Italy I have cooked a few times.  Soon I will start cooking more. Before I was just trying to settle in and get used to my new life.
That being said, the few things I have managed to cook have come out really well.
My first week here I tested out a new recipe on Endira because she's awesome and will eat my experimentations (it generally works out for both of us because we split the groceries, I get company and she gets yummy home cooked food).
On my first weekend when I was still crashing at her place I made Pesto Chicken and potatoes with a light string bean salad. It was quite delicious and everything very tender. I will complain a bit about the string beans, but only because they were a particular Italian type and had a slightly different and tougher texture. Still they were good and fresh.

The finished product or "why Endira let's me cook" :) 

Ingredients:
4 or 5 chicken legs (fresh or fully defrosted)
4 medium sized potatoes
1/2 a large onion
1 lb string beans (enough for 3 medium servings
salt and pepper to taste
Pesto sauce (normally I would make my own but this time I cheated and got a ready made at the store)
oregano
Oil and vinegar
Red pepper flakes
1-2 cups water

Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into a round baking tin.  Cut your potatoes into small chunks and toss into the olive oil. Dice your onion and mix into the potatoes.  Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.  Don't overdo it on the salt, because the pesto from the chicken should have enough salt already.
Slather each chicken leg with 1 to 2 teaspoons of pesto. Make sure each drumstick is covered completely and lay on top of the potatoes.  Sprinkle with a little more red pepper flakes if you want some extra kick.
Cover the potatoes entirely with water and place in oven uncovered.  They should bake like this for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Check on the chicken every twenty minutes or so.  I didn't turn the chicken so one side got very crispy (without burning) and the inside retained a lot of moisture.
As for the string beans, bring a pot of water with a little salt to boil after cleaning the green beans. Boil for about 10 minutes but keep an eye on them, because they're start to loose their vibrant green if they cook for too long. Drain and immediately put into the fridge or into a cold bath of water so they stop cooking.  In a bowl dress with olive oil, a small amount of vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper.  I like to serve the string beans cool, but they're good warm as well.
Serve all together on the plate when the potatoes are fork tender!

In other productive news... goodbye vamps

Since I have so much energy I decided to run over to the local market and bought myself towels, sheets, and blankets for my apartment.  Very economical and time efficient since I've been in the area since before 9am. This market is great because it has a bit of everything, food, clothes, household supplies and technology. It's only here in Acilia on the main street on Tuesdays and Fridays so I may have to go visit every week for the bargains.
There's something about an open air market that just makes me smile. It's the colors, the influx of people, the fresh air.

I love the fresh fruit and colors.

Just look at those reds!!

Look at that bread... yumm...

after I ate a ton of grapes :D

I also bought a kilo of grapes, a bunch of onions and the largest fresh mass of garlic I've ever seen (the lovely vendor was a small Italian woman who insisted that I would use the whole thing... I'm going to be gifting garlic to those of my friends with vampire issues lol). I spent more than I had anticipated... mostly because of the mass of garlic.  I spent €7 on everything and the lady gifted me some hot peppers so I can make "Aglio e Olio con pepperoncino" a pasta with olive oil, garlic and red pepper. I wouldn't have spend as much except for that garlic. But I'm curious because it's red garlic not the traditional white. I'll let you know if it tastes different.

My booty ahahahaha

Seriously... I have a ridiculous quantity of garlic now lol 

Goodbye vamps

What happens when I wake up too early....

Soo today there is a strike in Rome, and in a good portion of the rest of Italy too.  What does this mean, you might ask... Well, it means that public transportions will be down for most of the day.  It happens once every few months or so and is utterly efficient.

Cracked out on lack of sleep with my clementines

What it means is that I woke up at 7:15 to run and get the train by 8 (the last one should be at 8:30 but I know my luck, and I'd miss it). It means that I ran out of my house like a looney bin without my jacket even though it's kind of chilly out.  It means that I'm in Acilia where I work 3 hours before I actually have to be here.
Last night, I made myself lunch so on the bright side, I have lunch with me.
On the other hand, I forgot breakfast...
I don't generally eat breakfast, but with my hour commute, a cookie would have been very welcome.  Instead, I'm eating my clementines that I had left at work!  Thank goodness for clementines!
And as soon as the others get here I will go in search of a much needed capuccino and a cornetto... or something equally yummy... Although I should probably skip the coffee until my natural hyperness wears off... Speed walking with my ipod to the station means that I'm still really hyper.  If you keep moving you don't get tired or hungry...
Although, I only ate 2 of the clementines so far, I'm thinking the other 2 are necessary!

And now, I'll walk over to the market and see what's going on there!

Apple Picking Fun

Okay, so I wanted to post this before I left for Rome...
However, things got hectic with packing and hanging out with friends and saying goodbyes... I started writing and never had a chance to finish writing.  So I'm writing this post from Rome, but it's about Jersey Apple Picking and fall.

I am always excited for fall.
Autumn is my favorite season because it means crisp air, leaves that change color, sweet apples, pumpkins and freshly baked pies, their sweet odor floating on the breeze...
It's the season where you can break out the cardigans and boots but that for the most part is still warm enough for short sleeves or shorts. It's light layers not bundling up.

Hello Apples!!

Most importantly it's a time for apple picking at apple orchards.

If you've never been apple picking you have not lived! Every year I try to go at least once because it's generally a nice relaxing outing meant to happen with family and friends.

I was so excited that some of my best friends humored my whims and went apple picking with me the week before I left. It was quite an adventure and just an amazing day overall.

Every apple picking adventure starts with picking a farm. If you want to pick your own, rather than buying apples at a market, I recommend either asking for recommendations from friends or going online.  None of my friends or family regularly go apple picking anymore so I usually use my internet.  I found Pick Your Own to research my farms in the tri state area (although I think you may be able you use it regionally as well). The site is also great because it has wonderful information about the farms and different varieties of apples available and what the apples are best used for. It is also wonderful because it tells you all of the other fruits and vegetables that can be picked at various farms.

I found a couple of great options on that site. My top choices were Alstede Farms, Riamede Farm, Stony Hill Gardens and Sun High Orchard. I really wanted a large farm that would have lots of apples still on their trees. And if some of the trees were large enough to be climbed, even better. ;)  I thought Alstede looked like a very child friendly place and it often has special events to pull you in and to discount the price. There is an entry fee unless they're having special events.  Both Riamede and Stony Hill also looked great but we ultimately decided to go to Sun High Orchard after calling the farms to find out pricing.  Riamede, Stony Hill and Sun High were all free entry and I believe had the option of hay rides but only Sun High had apples that were only $1.79 lb ($0.20 less a lb).  I think pricing changes pretty often, so it's never a bad idea to call and check.

Sorting our apples and making trades

We spent all day picking apples and running goofing off.  Sadly, there was no tree climbing, unfortunately none of the trees were big enough and it was prohibited. We had fun anyway picking each other up to reach the tallest branches with the best apples.
The Sun High Orchard had so many different kinds of apples that it was almost impossible to decide which to pick for ourselves.  They had baking apples and eating apples, ones that were sweeter, some more tart, others crisp. Oh my goodness, we had so much fun going from section to section choosing apples. Then we sat and sorted and traded until we finally chose about a bag of apples each. The apples were great, but it may be getting late in the season so go!!! And while you're at it get a pumpkin!  And then make pies and cakes and other awesome goodies.

My apples that made it home... I ate some on the way :D 

Next time I go to Sun High I'm definitely going to get a pumpkin too and maybe one of their honeys since almost everything in the small store is locally grown.  I would also suggest trying their apple cider donuts and their apple cider because both were delicious.  Oh, and their pastries look delicious too. I tried a bite of the apple crumble and it was crisp and sweet with just enough crumble to apple ratio.  

Next time pumpkins!