Da Lucia

Hotel San Francesco, Roma, February 3, 2013—

OUR FIRST MEAL HERE in Rome this year was at a favorite trattoria, simple, honest, busy, fun; I decided to introduce a couple of friends visiting from Nice to it today for one of our last meals of this visit. We ducked in about 1:30 in the afternoon. It was crowded, of course, but there was a table in the very back room, where I don't think I've eaten before, and there I had a fine artichoke, cooked alla Romana this time rather than alla giudia: boiled with garlic and lemon, then marinated I think in oil, lemon, garlic and a little anchovy. Afterward, a very fine spaghetti alla Gricia, with particularly nice guanciale. How I am going to miss this simple Roman cooking soon!

Falanghina

•Trattoria da Lucia, Vicolo del Mattonato 2, Rome; 06 5803601