Donatella Arpaia, Restaurateur, Eos, and Creator and Owner, Donatella Food Collection
One of my best dining experiences happened during a trip to Rome many years ago. I had heard and read about La Rosetta, one of the first restaurants in Rome to serve fish and seafood only. It is named after the street Via Rosetta and located a short walking distance from the Pantheon, near the Fontana di Trevi. The décor is seafood-themed with huge displays of fish on ice. While at La Rosetta the chef patron, Massimo Riccioli, prepared a Bucatini dish served with raw sea urchin, a favorite of mine. The sea urchin had melted from the heat of the pasta and it was truly transcendental. I was amazed by how creamy the texture was, you would have thought it was filled with butter. We paired our entrees with Fiano d'Avellino, a Neopolitan wine. That evening after dinner, we went for a barefoot walk around the Fontana di Trevi and had zabaglione and marsala flavored homemade gelato from Il Gelato di San Crispino, which is owned by brothers Pasquale and Giusseppe Alongi. They are masters in their craft and even insist you never order gelatos in cones since that will spoil the flavor.
Unforgettable Edibles, formerly known as "The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Our Turn!", will recount the memorable experiences of local chefs and gastrophiles where particular foods have left an indelible impression.