The Rossi Family has been quietly building a respectable restaurant empire in the heart of Rome since the 40’s. Just outside of the Colosseum sit two of its signature brand restaurants, each adorned in frescos, traditional décor, and a sense of intimacy. Ristoro della Salute is wedged between a throng of restaurants all clamoring for the attention of foodies and tourists alike. But it is the candidness of Salute’s host that charms us and convinces us to eat there.
“You have to be careful about some of these restaurants,” She intimates. “While some may have lower prices on their menu, they don’t tell you about their table charge.” The infamous table charge is the hidden fee restaurants will charge tourists for sitting at their tables to eat. And with that, we’re ushered into a large eating hall with sloping ceilings, tiled floors, and frescoes on every turn.
Ristoro della Salute is one of the Rossi family signature restaurants in Rome. Photo by Akil Wingate.
We understand with almost severe quickness that fooding is a serious engagement here in Rome. A family of six, spanning 3 generations sits across from us, nibbling through swallows of lasagna and mixed salads, bruschetta crumbs everywhere.
For our part we’re a party of three bent on whipping through tastes of authentic pasta and pizza. But first up a double ristretto opens up the senses and the palette. Even by Paris standards of short coffees, the Italians render a traditional coffee in almost minimal drops. You get a very small dosage. Why? Talk about potent. A strong brew will certainly drop kick you in the brain and get you super charged quickly.
Spaghetti con carne rendered in the popular trattoria. Photo by Akil Wingate.
Our meal consists of spaghetti con carne, lasagna, and a Margherita pizza. The margarita is served on a wafer thin crust that’s been seared to perfection in a wood oven. A trinity of cheeses (mozzarella, provolone and gorgonzola) compliment locally raised tomatoes and a sauce rendered with gentle splashes of wine. It crunches in the mouth, crackling soundly through each bite.
Spaghetti is tender with its pasta noodles made fresh in house. The sauce is creamy, slathered throughout the dish copiously and each succulent morsel of meatball is conjured from ample cuts of beef raised in the hills not too far from the city center.
The Rossi family makes lasagna fresh in house. Photo by Akil Wingate.
The lasagna is layered to perfection, equally teeming with nuanced morsels of beef, cheeses, and sauce.
We’ve opted for a sweet, full-bodied wine called vino liquoroso. It comes in various incarnations depending on the label. But in general it is perfect for the kind of sun-blaring t-shirt weather Rome is currently experiencing. Mixed with the slate of cheeses and succulent bites of meat, it pairs effortlessly.
A wafer-thin Margherita pizza. Photo by Akil Wingate.
And finally dessert: Gelato, a pistachio, and a stracciatella combo nothing short of heaven. The Italians have a sublime ability to simply whip up food in all its manifestations like their lives depended on it. And they hold their own quite formidably when thrown in with the bevy of Michelin chefs that come from France and Spain.
For your money, Salut gets five stars. Food gets three. Ambiance gets three. Worth your time.
