Let’s go back in time.  Ever seen the video  “ti do di me” of  Marco Conidi? For those of  you who already visited RetRome and know something about our design concept it won’t be difficult to find images of RetRome in this video of Marco Conidi.  See for yourself.

Roman Marco Conidi, born in 1969, started off  his career splitting time between rugby and music. In the end music won. His debut album,  “August ’66″, is full of autobiographical stories and observations from daily life. Just listen his opening track “”Quanti come noi / How much like us” and you will understand why. In 2006, Marco organized a series of charity events that culminated in several shows and his 2007 album “Miracoli non se ne fanno / Miracles are not made”. The single “ti do di me / I’ll give you me” came from this album. The proceeds of his charity project were donated to senior resident centers in the city of Rome. On 26 July the same year, he performed at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome for the celebration of 80 years AS Roma singing “Never Alone”, a love song dedicated to Rome. In 2009 he won the  Prize Lunezia at San Remo Festival.

He currently works with the group AesseRoma Artists, which includes artists such as: Elio Germano, Luca Barbarossa, Francesco Montanari, Alessandro Roja, Vinicio Marchioni, Roberto Angelini, Pino Marino, Roberto Infascelli, Diego Bianchi. In light of this collaboration, Marco made his debut  in 2010 as an actor participating in the second series of the highly acclaimed television drama Romanzo Criminale (very much the mood of Rome in the seventies)  in the role of Botola.

Take a look at the latest publication about RetRome : Zeitreise in die Fifties (time travel back into the fifties), in the Austrian magazine Für Mich. See for yourself…

If you are one of those people who really don’t like Mondays and wonder how to get through dreadfully boring Monday evenings the Scandinavian-style Tree Bar in the up-and-coming Flaminio is just the place for you. About 10 minutes away from Piazza del Popolo and very well linked by either bus or tram, the Tree Bar is located in the gardens between Viale Tiziano and Via Flaminia, near the the Flaminio Stadium.

Situated under the leafy trees of the park this former kiosk, but now eco-friendly glass and wood structure, became a favorite hangout for creative types, but on the whole has a very diverse clientele. We saw people in their twenties and thirties, with or without children, mixing with people from all ages. One thing they all had in common, everyone seems to enjoy the “take it easy” atmosphere of the place. The Tree Bar, with its mountain cabin interior and its 50’s styled Scandinavian lights and furniture, looks a bit the odd one out in Rome. Featuring an indoor space and outside seating the Tree Bar is open from morning until the wee hours.

We came for the Tree Bar’s hip, aperitivo happy hour. From the wine list I choose a very tasty pinot grigio 2010 from the Collio area. We also could not resist the fabulous finger food buffet. We had to pay 5 Euros extra for the buffet, however it was worth our while. The simple, warm pasta dish was delicious and we also ate our share of the specialties, from salads to salumi to rare cheeses. The modern, groovy jazz and funky music of the live (especially on Mondays) dj set provided the right background for this fun locale. If all Mondays could end like this, you don’t have to tell me why I Do Like Mondays at the Tree Bar.

Tree Bar
Via Flaminia, 226
Parioli & Flaminio 00196 Roma
Tel. 00 39 06 3265 2754

Don’t expect gourmet dining or the remote appearance of finesse, there is nothing fancy or pretentious about Luzzi, but it is fun, cheap and has authentic Roman food, all just within a 5 minutes walk from the Colosseum. Another advantage is that fact that is practically round the corner of the RetRome Colosseum B&B and apartments.

Lunch or dinner, you can always pay a visit to trattoria Luzzi and do as the Romans do: eat, drink, be merry and loud, don’t mind the amplified mix of clattering plates, glasses and people’s voices. Loyal locals, tourists and workers pack this place and there is a reason for this: the menu’s are cheap, under 6 Euros for most pizzas and pastas, and the food tasty. Some dishes are pretty good, like the octopus griliata, the antipasti; the wood oven pizzas are crisp; the pastas made after traditional Roman recipes; the steak is impressive and people tell me they have a very good tiramisu too. The Luzzi wine list offers little choice, but the house wine, both white and red, is quite drinkable.

Be aware though, on a busy night and most are, you have to queue. Tables are often crammed and are shared family style, you just sit where you can, yet it all adds to the bustling atmosphere. This is not the place for a romantic diner, or for slow food lovers, but if you want decent food in a lively Roman ambience Luzzi is the place to be. You have the choice to eat inside in the winter (although the outside tables are used all year round) and outside in the summer, but get there early, as the place fills up fast.

Trattoria and Pizzeria Luzzi
Via di San Giovanni in Laterano 88
00184 Roma, Italy
+39 (0)6 709 6332 ‎
Open for daily lunch and dinner (except Wednesdays)

It is one of my great pleasures, especially in the morning, the ritual of the café. I love to drink my coffee reading the daily newspapers, meet my friends, surf the net, rest, relax and enjoy observing the people surrounding me. I even make up stories about their lives or professions and try to guess if they are happy with what they are doing. Today I am in for some nostalgia, I had to visit the Campo di Fiori, one of my favorite areas of the city.

Adjoining the Campo di Fiori market square you will find Via del Pellegrino, a winding street of full of restaurants, bars and local designers. I was looking for a place with an attitude for my daily café ritual until a cardboard girl doing acrobatics hanging on a rope from the ceiling caught my eye. This I have not seen before in Rome. I stepped back to look at the name on the window ” Barnum Café”, which reminded me of Barnum and Bailey circus I saw once traveling in the States. Later I found out that it was truly the Barnum from “Barnum and Bailey” that served as an inspiration for the name.

The vibe of the Barnum Café resembles more a London hangout than a typical Roman one. Its bare white walls form a perfect backdrop for art, it seems to be as much an art space as a café, and in the meantime, while your eyes wander, you can listen to music, drink, eat, sip your coffee and catch up with waiting messages and emails (free wi-fi). 

Café by day, bar by night (after 7 p.m. the cafe becomes a bar, serving cocktails and wine), the Barnum Café is a unique place with a friendly staff additionally capable of creating art in your coffee cup.

Barnum Café
Via del Pellegrino 87
00186 Rome
Tel. 06 6476 0483
Web: www.barnumcafe.com‎

If you fancy organic, locally sourced Roman food with a seasonal twist and care for vintage furniture as well, then you should not miss Urbana 47, a restaurant, café and vintage store all in one. You can find Urbana 47 steps away from the Colosseum in the trendy Monti district or simply travel with Metro B and get off at Cavour.

Urbana 47 is a total concept, designed by its owner Angelo Belli. Angelo Belli started off with Magiordomus, a home-delivery business selling newspapers and food. His love for food provided the engine to find the best ingredients in Rome and the region of Lazio. He began looking for local vegetable and meat farmers, diary, as well as wine and oil producers. The next logical step was to open a restaurant, Urbana 47, his first. But, Urbana 47 is not only about food alone. Practically everything is for sale, from the ingredients used in the well prepared dishes, to the vintage furniture, light fixtures, packages, the top olive-oils; all can be wrapped or packed up and carried home. Mr. Belli’s idea was to create a place where he could combine his passion for food with his love for vintage design, a place that is Roman, yet modern, a place for locals and food-loving travelers alike. 

The best time to go? We went to the lunch buffet (12:30 to 3pm). Yet, don’t expect the usual buffet settings. There is a buffet table, however, not all is what it seems. You choose whatever dish you want. Each dish is then placed on color plate and you pay according to the color of the plate. The chosen dish is then served at your table. But, it must be said, the traditionally prepared food with the fresh ingredients was simply delicious.

Urbana 47 is open every day. Early evening aperitivo hour starts from 6 pm to 9 pm, followed by a Dinner a la carte (7.30 pm to midnight). Treat yourself once to the – brunch by weight- buffet on Sunday’s (12.30 to 3.30 pm), very popular with the locals.

Urbana 47
Via Urbana, 47
00184 Roma
+39 06 4788 4006
http://www.urbana47.it/

RetRome added a new townhouse to her portfolio: The Trastevere Mansion. This gorgeous 160 sqm mansion spreads over the 4 floors of an 18th century building with on top it’s best feature, a fabulous roof terrace of 35 sqm overlooking the Domes, churches, ancient monuments and roof tops of Trastevere.  Read more…

If you are willing to take the bus or tram and go the extra mile, you will find some out of the tourist box treasures in the area of Pigneto, of which bar Necci dal 1924 is probably the oldest. Attracted by the lure of the capital city Enrico Necci transformed an existing ostaria into a bar latteria and in 1924 bar Necci was born.
From the early days Bar Necci has always been favorite of bohemian types, film directors and literati. To name just a few: Pier Paolo Pasolini once rented a room above the bar and used it as film location for ‘Accattone’, while Roberto Rossellini filmed ‘Roma, Città Aperta’ in the area.

In 2007 London-born chef Benjamin Hirst, together with his Italian business partner Massimo Innocenti, took over the reins of the kitchen and management and restyled Bar Necci into the casual, fun place it is today. Inside there are beautiful photographs which take you back to the la Dolce Vita atmosphere of the fifties. The idea was to create an all-day bar where people can come whenever they want. When you look at the customers it shows. You can find locals playing cards or reading newspapers next to bohemian types sipping coffee or typing on their laptops using the Wi-Fi network.

While sipping my own cappuccino at one of the outdoor tables I am told that chef Ben bakes its own cornetti, bread and pizza and works mainly with organic products from the area of Lazio and central Italy. The menu changes daily and prices are reasonable.

Bar Necci is a great place for a delicious lunch, outdoor aperitivo or late dinner during the summer months or … just enjoy a coffee in the relaxing atmosphere of the garden. You will find Necci in a residential backstreet of Via del Pigneto. Coming from northern part of the street just cross the small pedestrian bridge over the railway tracks, go straight and enter Via Fanfulla da Lodi, the second street on the left. Don’t be put off by the construction work of Rome’s new Metro Line C or the not postcard pretty environment, the area is well worth the visit.

Via Fanfulla da Lodi, 68
00176 Rome, Italy
+39.06.97601552
Open 08:00 – 01:00 daily

http://www.necci1924.com 

Trattoria Ditta Trinchetti is not only a modern Osteria with a retro flavor. It is also a great place for tasting local and regional products following the principle from farm to the table. Products are selected for their freshness and quality and are purchased directly from small farms. Ditta Trinchetti also sells regional products on the spot for those who want to take some traditional flavors home.

Go to Ditta Trinchetti and let them take you on a little journey through the flavors of Italian food, or as one person working there said: “Savor your imagination, eat with your mouth and nose. Just smell and taste the flavors and the freshness”. Soups, cheeses from all regions of Italy, cold cuts from Norcia and Alto Adige, bagels and oil from Puglia, homemade cakes, house wines and spirits to suit all tastes and aromas, like the old classic Spuma and Gassosa Paoletti, there is a lot to enjoy in this a-typical place in Trastevere.

Address: Via della Lungaretta, 76 – Trastevere – 00153 Roma
Telephone: 06.58.33.11.89
Web: www.dittatrinchetti.it

“The sun’s had enough and the simmering sky, Has the heave and the hue of a woman on fire”. These songlines of the Elbow song “Forget Myself “ were more than apt to describe my feeling looking at the Roman sun sinking behind the Colosseum. It was aperitivo hour and I was sipping a badly made mojito. It must have shown, because my neighbour asked: “Mojito sbagliato, lady?”, which means something along the lines of “wrong mojito” in Italian. I had to laugh, and said “God is in the details”, which made him smile. When Mies Van Der Rohe, a German architect, famously said “God is in the details”, he was right. You have to focus to make a good cocktail mix and the mojito is no exception.

I asked him what he was drinking. A “Negroni”. He paused for a moment and pointed at his drink. “Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, on ice, with a little orange peel. The Negroni is so simple that even the worst bartender can’t mess it up “.

“You know the origin of the Negroni?” I nodded my head, no. “The Negroni was reportedly invented by Count Camillo Negroni (around 1920), when he asked the bartender at Caffè Casoni in Florence to add gin instead of soda to his favorite cocktail, the Americano. The bartender also added an orange peel (rather than the typical lemon peel of the Americano) to signify that it was a different drink. There are different varariations on the classic Negroni. Like the Negroski, where the gin is replaced by vodka, or the Sparkling Negroni, with champagne and some drops of orange juice”.

“Did you ever try the Negroni sbagliato, the wrong or mistaken Negroni? I think you will like it”. He went to the bar and came back with a glass similar to his, only lighter in color. “Try this”. To my suprise it was a most refreshing cocktail. This was certainly an aperitivo for me. “The Negroni sbagliato was created in Bar Basso in Milan in the sixties by a bartender who mistakenly replaced the gin with dry sparkling wine. It not only changes the alcohol content, but the flavour also becomes lighter, bubblier. It is a perfect summer drink and the Italians, especially the Milanese, love it”.

“Are you from Milano?” “No, I am from Florence, but I have lived as long as I can remember in Rome”. He hesitated: “although I still feel like a Fiorentino”. He gave me a sly wink with his eye. “You can call me a Roman sbagliato “.

Ingredients:

ice
1 / 3 of sparkling brut wine
1 / 3 of Martini Rosso
1 / 3 of Campari
half a slice of orange or orange peel

Preparation:

Fill an old-fashioned glass with 4-5 ice cubes. Add the vermouth and Campari, then top it off with the sparkling wine. Mix well with a special stick and decorate with half a slice of orange or orange peel.

“Facciamoci un aperitivo” or “Fare l’aperitivo”, whatever way you want to call the ritual of the aperitif before a meal, fact is that the aperitivo has a near cult status in Roman urban life.

An aperitivo is in its simplest sense is a pre-dinner drink, meant to “open” the palate and to stimulate an appetite, but it is also a casual way to meet up with colleagues, friends or even blind dates. Often used as the perfect way to start winding down your day, it gives you time to socialize or relax, while feasting on finger food, hors-d’oeuvres or a small buffet consisting of pastas, salads, meats and cheeses. Drinks during aperitivo time are generally discounted, although often have a supplement added to them to compensate for the refreshments being offered alongside. A good rule of thumb for evening aperitivo is from 6 till 9 p.m.

In the coming weeks we’ll take a look at the Roman aperitivo culture, follow us on the RetRome blog and twitter.

The exhibition, the unrepeatable 60’s, in Museo Fondazione Roma, Palazzo Cipolla pays tribute to a unique artistic era, the period that starts in the late fifties until the beginning of the seventies. On show are 170 art works that illustrate the cultural interaction and vibe between Rome and Milan in the 1960′s as two poles of opposing and complementary creativity.

Both Milan and Rome were at the creative epicenter of new experiments and research, linking the visual arts with other areas of culture, such as literature, theater, journalism, photography, news, design and fashion.
While in Rome the artists became the driving force of the national art scene, Milan had a more international perspective being at the forefront of the International avant-garde art movement. Special homage is paid to Studio Marconi, one of the leading innovation centers of the day. Studio Marconi opened her doors in 1965 in Milan and became soon one of the favorite meeting places of cultural and artistic personalities in those years.

At the end of the exhibition there is a special section where the audio-visual media screen will help the visitor through the projection of images, videos, unreleased footage and interviews. Like this the visitor can catch a glimpse the effervescent climate of the 60’s, an era we long for, every once and while.

GLI IRRIPETIBILI ANNI ’60, Un dialogo tra Roma e Milano.
From the 10th of May until 31st July (it will then move to Palazzo Reale in Milan, from 7th September to 20th November).

Fondazione Roma Museo – Via del Corso, 320 – Roma
Web: www.fondazioneromamuseo.it

In summer Rome can feel like an oven (though no reason not to visit of course), so a recipe for a nice fresh cocktail seems to be the right thing to do.
For those who are not familiar with Crodino: Crodino is a bitter is made from herbal extracts and fruits and is produced in nothern Piedmont since 1964. Crodino can serve as a refreshment, its primary use however is as an aperitif before a meal, or can be served on the rocks with a slice of orange.

Let’s create our own momento crodino:

* a cold bottle of Prosecco
* 2 or 3 bottles of Crodino
* ice
* mint

Well, you will probably understand what to do when you see the ingredients above. But, let’s be thorough:

• Pour half a bottle of Crodino into a glass, add a bit of ice and fill it up with Prosecco.
• Top it off with a bit of mint etc.
• Crodino can be found in some supermarkets or in liquor stores.
• It is a non-alcoholic bittersweet drink, which is often used at aperitivo here in Italy.

Salute!

Readers who have been with us for longer (or who have searched on this page a bit) know her sound already and know that we are fans… Caro Emerald. Back It Up is another great song with a beautiful video clip. Somehow it brings back memories of Cuba, the Caribean and the old days.

 

 
Caro Emerald – Back It Up

The song became widely known after the legendary performance by Jude Law and Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley and is a classic in the Italian repertoire. In respons to a an earlier music blog post about Caro Emerald, Stephanie C. remarked that Caro would be a great option to use in her holiday recap video. Which led us to think that we should list this new version of We No Speak Americano by Yolanda Be Cool as well. Might suite you better for the video of the late hours…

Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP – We No Speak Americano