if there were ever a reason to come to rome, this is it. and it's not the colosseum.

thursday night- the best food experience in rome yet, and definitely one of the best of my life.

there is a restaurant called le fate (the fairy) located on my street, trastevere, about a ten-minute walk towards the center of the city. the place, although it boasts half-off between 6 and 8 pm as well as a menu in english, is very subtle and understated in it's outside decor- just a few tall, wooden tables for two. i had heard incredible things, as well as seen postcards at school advertising their 20 euro (!) three-course cooking classes. and upon finding out that the restaurant my roommates and i had planned on going to was closed thursday, we decided to backtrack and try something else.

the restaurant is one room only, with a kitchen and bathrooms straight to the back. the setup is eclectic and decorative, but not overwhelmingly so. this combined with the friendly service (our waitress was from michigan; she moved to italy after she visited the restaurant and fell in love with the incredibly handsome and ingenious chef. how romantic can you possibly get?) rendered the atmosphere just about perfect. (i do have to admit that the jack johnson and beyonce playing over the sound system was a bit weird.)

the dinner began by my reading aloud to my friends the story of "le fate," which was on the inside cover of the menu and basically told of a joyous, charismatic fairy who goes around the world spreading the message of love. after this, i browsed the menu as a whole, after which i died and went to some taoist version of heaven in which the clouds are constituted of e.e. cummings poems and risotto, wine, and gelato are had in abundance with friends and family. i could tell immediately by the creativity and specialized dishes that this was a very, very special thing. my first order was the "le fate spritz," which was an aperetif with flavors of apple and lemon. it was light, refreshing, and perfectly sweet and bitter at the same time, and was an amber color, which led me to believe that it was perhaps dominated by a rum or whiskey-like alcohol. a perfect introduction. another favorite before-dinner drink was melissa's "french connection," which was basically a sweeter, more perfect version of a manhattan. glorious.

next, the bread and appetizers. the bread (which in italy never comes with butter and sometimes comes without oil as well- very different from the american assumption) was pillowy and moist, with a dark, fantastic crust and a touch of yeasty flavor. we also enjoyed an assortment of salami (some spicy, all salty, meaty and delicious) and a le fate specialty call "love and laziness." this consisted of mixed vegetables slightly cooked with a very light oil and basil. perfection. one of the incredible things about this chef is that is he lets the food speak for itself. it was as if he knew just the right amount of oil and spice needed to bring out the delicious, natural sweetness of the eggplant, onions,carrots, and zuchinni. wonderful for summer.

following this, we enjoyed a frascati wine (native to the region, like almost all of the wines served here) that was slightly tangy and very refreshing. as the bottle was passed around and we enjoyed each other's company and conversation (my laugh was definitely feeling free by this point.) and then, the bombshell was dropped: risotto with fresh blueberries, mushrooms, and pecorino. at this point i died a second time. it was hearty and warm, and i found myself in awe of this lovely man's ability to recognize that blueberries and mushrooms are THE perfect combination. the sweetness exploded in my mouth h so appropriately, and then followed up by a rich, smoky, subtle mushroom blanket. this was shared along with potatoes with "magic oil," which is indeed the perfect way to describe the dish. tastes of lemon, rosemary, parsley, and tiny pink peppercorns preceded that of the fruity oil, which led to the slight crust of the sliced potatoes, which led to the smooth, delicious inner meat. i could not have been happier.

and then, there was lamb. the special for the evening (a good way to order anywhere in this area,) which was accompanied by tiny and delicate roasted potatoes. this too was unbelievably flavorful. at first perfectly salty and oily, and then rich, deep, dark, and utterly fulfilling once through the light caramelization. this meat-and-starch heaven was contrasted with a small salad of spicy, peppery arugula and the sweetest cucumber i've ever had.

although we'd had enough food, we wanted to have a full experience, and so chose to do after-dinner drinks- "digestivo" in italian culture. these are usually various "amari," or bitters, to aid in the digestive process. le fate made their own varieties of these, combining incredible flavors to perfectly round out our gorgeous meal. i tried one infused with cinnamon and bay leaves- it was fragrant, spicy, and thick and i have since been haunted by its perfection. melissa tried a "montaccio," a grappa infused with fresh mint, which was incredibly present and refreshing.

the evening ended with the chef treating us to buttery, light shortbread cookies filled with nutella and dusted with powdered sugar, after which he came over to our table as we discussed scheduling a cooking class with him. although his schedule and ours did not coincide, he offered to teach us on sunday- his only day off- as long as he could sleep in. so, this sunday, i will have the opportunity to be with my four closest school friends in a tiny italian kitchen cooking an authentic, three-course meal. pictures, recipes, and more notes to you will surely evolve.

i love you all! make some pasta and share it with your fellow man.