When in Rome

I am currently in Rome, working at our 2012 MIT Europe Energy Conference.  The conference has been pretty miserable, but the time in Rome has not.  This is how I've occupied myself:

  

Spike and I went to a restaurant when we visited Rome called L'Orso 80, which had the most amazing antipasto.  Of course I had to go back.  You can only see about 10 of the 15 small plates they serve full of amazingly wonderful food.  Roasted zucchini, fresh mozzarella, marinated mushrooms, celery salad with parmesan, beans with tomatoes, roasted cauliflower, olives..... sigh.  It was just as wonderful as I remember.

 

Caprese salad.... of course.  They served it with "special" olive oil, which was really delicious. 

 

Spaghetti with clams.  Spike and I always make it at home, but nothing quite compares to this dish.

 

Gnocchi..... also known as little pillows of amazingness.

 

The St. Regis, the hotel where I am staying and where the conference is being held, specializes in a Mediterranean Bloody Mary.  Since I specialize in drinking bloody mary's, they made me one.  It has basil muddled with olive oil and it was quite fabulous.  The scent of fresh basil with every sip was really amazing.

I've been trying to eat gelato every day I've been here.  So far I've had coffee with chocolate chip, coffee with crema, and this flavor pictured, lemon and chocolate.  It was recommended to me and though I was nervous to try it, it was delicious.  Maybe I'll have to get it again tonight...