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Eat Here: La Pergola

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[This is the first of 3 consecutive articles vis-à-vis Michelin-starred restaurants]

Italy…

  • The people…ahh.

  • The land…ahh.

  • The wine…ahh.

  • The food…ahhhhhhh!

La Pergola

La Pergola

Welcome to Italy…it has all that the heart could desire. And as you’ve gathered from the ahhs, above…the food has a special place in our hearts…and stomachs.

There are many, many nice restaurants in Italy, and we’ve been to a good number. However, La Pergola has provided fond memories for the past 10 years.

 

Email Transcript between Signore Burkett (me) and the Maître d’ of La Pergola

Me - August 10, 2012: Dear sirs, I would like to make a reservation for dinner for the evening of September 29, 2012 at 7:00pm.

Maitre d’ response: Signore Burkett, you must understand that for one to make a reservation at La Pergola, one must do this at least four months in advance. We are so sorry.

Maitre d’ - August 12, 2012: Signore Burkett, we are pleased to let you know that a cancellation has occurred at La Pergola for the night of September 29, 2012, this being a most uncommon occurrence, for which we are most confused. Should you still desire to dine with us, please reply with your intentions. And, please provide us your social-security number so that we may kindly check your credit score.

Me: Yes. Sure. Of course. Thank you. We will see you at 7:00pm on September 29th.

Maitre d’ - August 18, 2012: Signore Burkett, based on your credit score, please be sure that your credit card has sufficient funds for your visit to La Pergola.

 

I may have embellished a bit in jest on that email exchange, but you do get the gist…we were negated, and then affirmed. And, the Maître d’ didn’t say most of that, of course…though we probably had to provide a credit card number to guarantee our reservation…not uncommon.

La Pergola

So, where exactly is La Pergola? Good question. It is in Rome. To be exact, it sits on a hill less than a mile due north of the Vatican. It is located in the Waldorf-Astoria Cavalieri Hotel. As seen in this aerial photo, it is the roof-top terrace within the green box, atop the hotel.

I will present La Pergola to you along a timeline of our evening. The evening began at 7:00pm and ended at 10:00pm. This is typical of nice restaurants…particularly in Europe.

What you will see is not typical of most restaurants in Italy. La Pergola is in the rarified atmosphere of Michelin 3-starred restaurants in Italy, of which there are only 11 in the entire country. Expect slow. Expect numerous, and thus smaller, portions. Expect outstanding service. Expect outstanding taste, texture and presentation. And, when Il Conto (the bill) comes, expect it to be a bit larger than normal…but you did check your credit card balance, as suggested, right. You get the picture.

Next week we’ll look at how Michelin rates restaurants…and then we’ll look at some ways for garnering a star or two, or three.

7:00 - The Terrace

We arrived promptly at 7:00pm and we were taken to the terrace for cocktails and light appetizers. The view was outstanding.

Here you can see some of those exquisite grounds of the Cavalieri.

Why those three folks are swimming laps and not dining at La Pergola, I have no idea. Well, maybe I do have an idea…maybe they didn’t write for a reservation early enough!

I mentioned the setting overlooking the Vatican…and here you see the dome of St Peter’s in the early evening.

As we are certainly dressed for the occasion, it’s time for a couple of couple photos. And no, I’m not tickling Ellen…eight-years later, I don’t seem to remember what has amused her. And, Debbie and Scott look really nice.

7:15 - First Toast

As we sat on the terrace, we had our first toast…prosecco for the ladies, a martini for Scott, and a Negroni for myself.

Light appetizers were served whilst we sat enjoying the view from the terrace. Very tasty, indeed. And note the plating, including the special holder for those round crackers. This sort of accessory seems to be a feature, or requirement, for garnering 3 stars.

As our table is ready, it’s time for us to go inside.

7:45 - This is Us

We are, from left to right, Ellen, me (Signore Burkett), Scott, and Debbie Kennedy.

The Burketts and the Kennedys

7:50 - The Menu

There is this really neat thing about menus in the nicer restaurants of Italy…at least I think it’s neat…but I guess I’m not part of this modern, non-chivalrous era…and more likely I’m part of the problem. The point of this photo is to show you that (using the dessert menu as an example), while the men’s menu has prices, the lady’s menu above it, does not.

Am I some sort of an old-fashioned pig for thinking that this is, in some way, charming? For thinking that there is a significant and wonderful difference between women and men? For thinking that it’s fun to celebrate that difference in small ways? If so, then ‘oink oink!’ (which I will not bother to translate in this setting…ladies are, after all, reading this article, too).

Not that you can read it all that well, but here is the dinner menu…obviously belonging to one of us gentlemen at the table.

8:00 - Amuse Bouche

I thought it was something about an amusing bush, but the waiter said, ‘No signore, it is a small complimentary appetizer offered at some of the finest restaurants’. OK, now we know. I really can’t remember what it was…but it was surely very tasty…and not a bit amusing…and quite the plating, right?

Now is a good time to show you how our table was decorated with a couple of vases of flowers, and a couple of great friends. And, don’t miss those fabulous wine glasses…very light, classy and made for enjoying a heady red wine.

8:15 - Appetizers

I wish I could remember what we were eating, as it looks really good.

8:40 - Entrées

While we are awaiting those entrées, Debbie does a fabulous job of showing us how to hold one of the beautiful wine glasses…and note that this one is different that what you had seen above…a tulip shape…thus a burgundy, perhaps?

Once again, I have failed to document each item that arrived at our table…my bad. But here is what I did manage to photograph before getting down to serous business.

9:15 - Look at Ellen Because She Looks Absolutely Radiant

9:23 - A Pre-Dessert Dessert

Was this a palate cleanser? I believe it was! Palate cleansers are designed to remove any lingering flavors from the mouth so that the next course may be enjoyed…and as the next course was dessert, this was very important.

9:25 - Our Just Desserts

Funny thing about the desserts. Debbie, Scott, and I each had our individual, yummy and scrumptious, desserts. Ellen saw something on her menu (the one without prices, remember?) that said ‘Grand Dessert’, and as everything so far had been grand, and wanting it to stay that way, that’s what she ordered. We lost track of how many plates came her way, but we think it was nine, perhaps…really, nine. It’s one of those little things that make for great memories…’Remember that time in Rome when Ellen got those nine desserts?!’

That third dessert from the left? There was enough foam on Debbie’s plate to put out a fire!

Scott’s dessert was very cool, so it gets special attention…an iced sphere of pomegranate with gianduia cream poured over…and an itsy-bitsy cannelloni filled with a salty pine-seed Chantilly.

9:40 - More Wine?

We do appreciate…and desire…a nice dessert wine, and this one was nice, indeed.

9:57 - A Post-Dessert Dessert

So, this is one of those restaurants that gives you a sweet, parting gift. It is often a chocolate truffle that you can eat whilst back at your hotel. But, this one had to be enjoyed right on the spot.

10:00 - Blow Out the Candles, the Party’s Over…

That’s right. The candles have burned down and its time to go. But, that’s ok, we have a busy day in Rome tomorrow…lots to see and do…and eat…and drink.

 

7:45pm, April 20, 2015 - Amsterdam - A Short Diversion

I know, I know, it’s not polite to talk about The Netherlands amongst people who want to talk and read about Italy. But, I have to share this fine-dining experience with you.

We were eating at Johannes in Amsterdam one fine evening in April, 2015…the flowers are at their peak then, so go!

Anyway, we had our first of several courses as seen here. A cute little pedestal thingie upon which were three most tasty treats.

Noticing that we had consumed course number one, our waitress came by to ask if we were ready for course number two.

‘Of course!’ we said.

She began turning over our course-number-one pedestal thingies and what was embedded up under the pedestal…course number two, of course!

Amazing.

That’s it folks. A fabulous meal with friends that we will remember for the rest of our years. We’ve most definitely talked about it over the past eight years.

Would we go back? Under one condition…we want you to be with us…and I just happen to have a couple of new credit cards to try out!

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Your Vatican Visit - Part 2

In last week’s exciting and informative article (well, I hope you read it, at least), we learned a bit about the Vatican City in general, and St Peter’s Basilica in particular.

Today, you get your ticket to the Vatican Museums.

The Vatican Museums

In this image, you can see the Vatican Museums, almost in their entirety. The art museum is to the left of that small dome in the distance, while the Sistine Chapel is under the roof at the extreme bottom right of the photo. In between those two are the vast Vatican Museums. What do you need to come away with in looking at this photo? The Vatican Museums are huge! There are three floors and two, long galleries that are a quarter-of-a-mile each…that’s about a mile-and-a-half of walking! So, don’t try to see it all…I’ll tell you below how to best view the tens-of-thousands of artifacts.

The Vatican Museums — from Wikipedia

To see where the Vatican Museums fit within the whole of Vatican City, see the map included in last week’s article, here.

How to See the Museum’s Sights

I’ll cut to the chase and give you the answer on how to visit the Vatican Museum and St Peter’s Basilica: hire a guide.

On our first visit to the Vatican Museums in 2000, due to time constraints and not knowing about the whole guide thingie, we got off an overnight train to Rome, stored our luggage at the station, taxied to the Vatican Museum entrance, lined up two hours ahead of opening time (we were 8th in line), and then we raced non-stop to the Sistine Chapel all the way down at the end of the museum. The Sistine Chapel is all we saw (and we were happy with that). Next up was a very long walk back to the museum entrance, then around the Vatican City to Vatican Square and the entrance of St Peter’s. Phew! That was a lot of walking. The next time we went, because we set aside more time for our visit, we used a guide and had a much more leisurely and enjoyable time…including the use of the special door from the Sistine Chapel to St Peter’s. So, that’s the secret…hire a guide.

With a licensed guide, you can skip the line into the Vatican Museums, which we’ve seen snaking around for blocks on end, because on average, 20,000 people visit the Vatican Museums every day. With a licensed guide, you get priority access to the museums, at a time of your choosing. And of course, an added benefit is that you will have someone with you that knows what’s what, and where the secret doors are located.

How Long Does it Take?

A very long gallery filled with marble heads…and bodies, too

How much time do you want to spend exploring the Vatican Museum? Weeks? There’s plenty to see and a week wouldn’t be unreasonable. There are over 70,000 items and 54 galleries. However, I imagine your eyes would glaze over before even one day was over. A day? My feet hurt just thinking about it. How serious are you about spending a whole lot of time looking at marble heads, like those in this photo? I didn’t think so.

Do you like paintings? They got ‘em. Tapestries? Ditto. Marble heads? Well, you know they have those, right? Frescos? Un-huh. Collections? They abound…like hundreds of meteorites collected in Antarctica by Vatican scientist…go figure.

So, how do you narrow down all of this to fit your interest? Use your guides’ knowledge. And, how do you fit all of this into your Rome explorations, including your important visit to St Peter’s Basilica? Tell your guide how much time you have available so they can tailor your visit to fit it into your day’s itinerary. Finally, tell your guide ahead of time exactly what time you would like to start your explorations.

Finding Your Guide

So, where do you find these guides? You Google for them. Here are a few recent findings…but before you look at these offerings, be sure to look carefully at what they offer. For instance, is it just a timed, special entrance to the museums, and then you are on your own? Do they parla Inglese? Will they also be taking you on to St Peter’s Basilica? You get the picture, right?

Rick Steves - And then there’s Rick Steves’ suggestions…and his suggestions are based on his personal experiences. As he points out, there is a big difference with getting a guide from an international company like those above, and getting a private guide who works independently. So, give Rick Steves’ recommendations a look…and hope that he keeps that list up to date.

A Few Museum Photos

Even the staircases have art at the Vatican Museums!

Expect a lot of variety in the paintings of the museums.

There is even a very large, and very old, tapestry modeled on DaVinci’s ‘Last Supper’.

I think that this next one is a lot of fun. These little winged putti seem to be having a bit of fun as they march along a wall in the museum. That poor guy second-from-left is missing his face, or is that a pillowcase over his head. What’s that about? But, not to worry, his friends are guiding him, and there’s an extra face laying (or is it lying?) on the floor to the right.

This next one is really cool! Look at the sculptural relief…or is that a painting? Can’t be a painting, can it? Yep, it is, and it is an excellent representation of Trompe-l'œil. What’s that you ask? It’s an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion of three dimensionality. In other words, those shadows are very carefully calculated to create a three-dimension look.

Here’s a modern interpretation of Trompe-l'œil. It’s just chalk art on a concrete walkway, but it’s the perspective that makes it work. Looking from any other angle just won’t reveal the ‘look’.

 

And, let’s not forget painted ceilings. Not sure what that elevated scene is about, but she seems to be in complete control of the situation. You go, girl!

The Sistine Chapel

Speaking of painted ceilings, now to the penultimate…the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo didn’t really want to take on this project, as he was working on a marble tomb at the time…and he considered himself a sculptor, not a painter. But, we can be glad he acquiesced and took on the job for Pope Julius.

And, we can also be glad that the ceiling underwent a complete restoration at the end of the last century…before that, it was covered with the soot of five centuries of candle use.

First, here is what you would have seen if you had been there in around…let’s say 1970. It was a rather mono-chromatic, obliterated, mess.

From Wikipedia

Now, let’s see the difference that 20 years of restoration makes.

It’s an astounding change, isn’t it? Wow! And here is a bit of detail as we see the God-Man attempt at connection.

OK, here’s the deal. They ask that you take no photos. They also tell you to be quiet…and not in a very nice way. You hear a loud ‘SHHHH!!!’ intermixed with ‘No Photos!’ whilst you gawk at the amazing ceiling.

The fact that they keep shushing the crowd is indicative that no one pays much attention. Treat the request for ‘no photos’ the same way. Go ahead and shoot away. Just don’t use flash. I think the whole ‘no photo’ thingie has to do with selling the books with photos in the gift shop. And, as we haven’t been in the Sistine Chapel for 8 years, they may have completely given up on the ‘no photos’ thing with the advent of cellphone photography.

That’s it for the Vatican sights that we are allowed to see…the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica. If you have not already seen these amazing sights, I hope that you are able to do so whenever we can begin to travel once more.

Ciao for now…and please stay safe,

Steve

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Your Vatican Visit - Part 1

“St Peter’s Basilica is the world’s largest church in the world’s smallest country.”

The Vatican is a must see…don’t go to Rome without seeing it. And, how best to see it? That’s a good question. Read on for the answer.

The Vatican

“The Vatican” is composed of four entities, as follows:

  • Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome…we can’t roam around there

  • Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope…we can’t go there, unless invited

  • St. Peter's Basilica…yes, we can, and should, go there

  • Vatican Museum…definitely go there

As mere mortals, we can’t just wander around the Vatican City. However, we can visit the Vatican Museum and St Peter’s Basilica…so, that’s what we will look forward to seeing.

When visiting the Vatican, it is recommended that you first visit the Vatican Museums, and then head to the Basilica. There is good reason for doing this, and that reason will be revealed in next weeks Part 2 installment. Also, I’m reversing the visitation order by giving you St Peter’s Basilica today, before we visit the museums, next week. I know, I know, you are anxious to learn the mysteries of Vatican visitation, but you’ll have to wait for next week’s installment to have them revealed to you. So, in the meantime, I give you the…

Vatican City Layout

Before visiting the Basilica, let’s look at the layout of Vatican City, and where the Basilica and the museums lay within.

In this map of Vatican City, I have outlined the Vatican Museums in blue. The museum complex is huge, with many artifacts that will be revealed next week. In the red, you see St Peter’s Basilica, fronted by St Peter’s Square. The square is a gathering place for the faithful to see the Pope when he makes an appearance, as well as a place to gather for many other Vatican-related events…it’s a beautiful venue. The areas shown in green are the parks of Vatican City…you can look from several vantage points, but, please don’t touch.

Though it is referred to as ‘Vatican City’, it is actually a country unto itself.

St Peter’s Basilica

Just a small bit of history today, but mainly photos of the interior of he Basilica.

Is it actually a cathedral? No, it isn’t. A cathedral must be the seat of a bishop…and this isn’t. Though the Pope is the Bishop of Rome, his cathedral is actually the Cathedral of Saint John Lateran.

The Basilica was consecrated on November 18, 1626. However, understand that it was a work in progress for 120 years. The Basilica is huge, at 720 by 490 feet, and with a height of about 450 feet. It’s the largest church on Earth…and maybe the whole Universe? We’ll never know! But, we know that St Peter’s Basilica is the world’s largest church in the world’s smallest country.

Because it took so long to construct the church, there were at least 8 architects involved over the years. Donato Bramante is credited with the plan, while Michelangelo was the chief executer of that plan.

You might remember that Christ said, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church”. After his own crucifixion (upside down at his own request, by the way), Peter was buried where the current church sits today…that’s why the Basilica was located there.

OK, let’s move on to see what St Peter’s Basilica looks like…here is the exterior, taken on a dark and stormy day whilst in Rome in 2012. One almost expects to hear dramatic organ music and to see lightening descending to strike the dome.

St Peter’s Basilica

The stone work of the exterior is very…stone like.

And who provides the security for the Basilica…why the Swiss Guards do, that’s who.

Swiss Guards of the Vatican

Nice looking guys, right? Wouldn’t they look a bit more formidable with black outfits, weapons (other than a spear thingie) strapped on, and Kevlar vests? I think we might have seen someone dressed like this in a Cirque du Soleil show. Though I jest, they are a proud and capable group of dedicated Vatican guards.

When you enter through the massive doors, you are struck by the sheer magnitude of the Basilica’s size.

From Wikipedia

The baldacchino can be seen way down there…under the dome. Here is a closer view of the baldacchino.

To give you an idea of the size of the Basilica, the top of the baldacchino is 95 feet.

 

And speaking of domes, here is a view of the 136’ diameter main dome, with the baldacchino below.

Just inside and to the right as you enter the Basilica through the massive front doors, you find the magnificent Pieta. I wrote about the Pieta in September of 2015. You can see that article here.

Here are various photos that I have taken of the interior of St Peter’s Basilica.

See that female (yes?) figure with the bow in the bottom-left of the last photo above. In this detail photo below, you can see that these figures adorning the support for this small dome are mosaics. Don’t ask…I have no idea what the head under foot represents, or how it got there.

I will leave you with one, final dome (there are many within the Basilica)…not the main one, but an impressive one, none the less.

That’s it for our short visit to St Peter’s Basilica…well, almost. I need to share a humorous (maybe, maybe not?) anecdote…and a warning…about entering St Peter’s.

 

We visited St Peter’s in 2000, when the church was celebrating one of the recurring Diamond Jubilees (25-year anniversaries). The men in our group neglected to wear long pants (I have not taken shorts to Italy, since). We were stopped at the giant doors with, “Hey, you can’t go in like that…what do you think this is? A tourist site?”. Well, at 10,000,000 visitors a year…yes, that’s what I thought it was. There is a standing tradition of passing down, at the cost of $10, a pair of simple nylon pants with elastic waist…one size fits all. After coming out of the Basilica, there is absolutely no problem in holding them up and selling them to get your $10 back. So, be prepared to wear long pants, or to have $10 ready for temporary ownership of nylon pants. While we were waiting, two girls from Germany were stopped because of their shorts, so they stepped to the side of the massive doors, stripped down to bra and panties, reached into their backpacks, and then dressed in something more appropriate. Was that strip show less offensive than bare knees?

 

As I stated at the beginning, don’t go to Rome without seeing St Peter’s Basilica…it is a worthy, inspiring stop on your journey. You too will stand in awe at the magnitude of this beautiful structure. And, don’t forget that next week, you will understand how best to visit the Vatican Museums in Part 2.

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Transforming l’Uomo della Pizza

“The l’uomo della pizza (pizza man) was standing out front contemplating…who knows what? Which adds just a bit of mystery to the photo, don’t you think?”

I’d have to say that Rome by night is a good bit more enjoyable than Rome by day. The summer heat, traffic and general hub-bub of the day are gone.

It’s as if the setting sun acts as a catalyst to transform the streets, piazze and campi of each neighborhood into something that is far more charming, more romantic, and of course, more temperate.

It was during a late evening stroll to the Trevi Fountain that we came across this scene at a neighborhood pizzeria.

The l’uomo della pizza (pizza man) was standing out front contemplating…who knows what? Which adds just a bit of mystery to the photo, don’t you think?

Upon spying him standing there, I quickly dropped to one knee to take this photo, as I visualized him being the dominate object of the image, and the lower camera angle seems to make him a bit larger than life. 

Because I was kneeling down, with the camera aimed slightly up, there was a good bit of distortion as the vertical lines of the buildings converged. So here is the image after I eliminated the vertical distortion. 

You can see that a bit of the photo has been lost due to the correction, but as I was shooting wide angle, there was plenty with which to work.

I am now ready to do a bit of cropping and adjustment to color balance and lighting.

In the version above, you will note that the interior of the pizzeria is well lit, while our pizza man is in shadow – as are the tables and patrons. After a bit of work, we can see below that the building exterior, table, patrons and the pizza man have been illuminated, while the interior has been darkened a bit. 

Additionally, I really liked the texture of the paving stones and the shadows that our pizza man was casting, so I emphasized those aspects, too.

Finally, a bit of cropping to get right down into the subject of the photo resulted in the version you see just above.

That was a good bit of cropping of the original image wasn’t it? Yet, there is still a lot of detail in the photo. My camera gives me the ability to do significant cropping without a lot of loss of resolution. The Nikon D800 is a 36mp camera – this camera has a huge sensor, whereas the vast majority of other cameras are in the 10-12mp range. That gives me a lot of room to isolate objects in the image.

For my final version, I found the two patrons on the right and the Hostaria store to be distracting. I was able to crop out the store, but the two patrons had to be removed through magic – even Harry Potter would be jealous.

In cropping, it was important to the composition that our pizza man is off-center a bit to the left. Since he was looking to our right, we need to give him some room to gaze.

So, here is the final photo, which can be found on my website in the Rome gallery.

I like the feel of this late evening shot -- colorful cloths on the street-side tables, two patrons studying the menu to select just the right ingredients for their pizza, and our l’oumo della pizza contemplating…what?...use your imagination.

If you would like to speculate upon that which he contemplates, use the comment box, below.

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Stumbling-Block Holocaust Memorials

Though today’s article will probably be my shortest, it is perhaps the greatest of significance.

“These stumbling blocks are a type of monument created by German artist Gunter Demnig beginning in 1992 to commemorate victims of Nazi oppression.”

I was overwhelmed by the stolperstein (stumbling block) plaques that we found embedded in some of the cobblestone streets of Rome.

These plaques were placed outside the former residences of Jews who were taken away to concentration camps by the Germans. Yes, the Jews of Italy suffered the same fate as others in Europe.

This original snapshot shows two such plaques.

In this transformed version, you are able to read the inscriptions. 

Here is what these two plaques say:

“Here lived Angelo Tagliacozzo. Born 1916. Arrested August 8, 1944. Deported to Auschwitz. Died February 20, 1945 at Dachau”
“Here lived Angelo Limentani. Born 1920. Arrested May 8, 1944. Deported to Auschwitz. Murdered”

These stumbling blocks are a type of monument created by German artist Gunter Demnig beginning in 1992 to commemorate victims of Nazi oppression. Stolpersteins are small, cobblestone-sized memorials for individual victims of Nazism. They commemorate individuals who were taken by the Nazis to prisons, euthanasia facilities, sterilization clinics, concentration camps, and extermination camps.

Why the term ‘stumbling block’? Before the Holocaust, it used to be the custom in Germany for non-Jews to say, on stumbling over a protruding stone, "There must be a Jew buried here." There’s an historical irony here that’s hard for me to get my head around.

Do you know that there are people who to this day deny the existence of the holocaust?

May God bless those who suffered the Nazi’s atrocities.

 

Ciao for now,

Steve

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