1. Greeting someone in Rome
   It is considered very flattering to attempt a little Italian, so try 'buon giorno' (good day) or 'buona serra' (good evening) if you feel linguistically inclined. On formal occasions, shaking hands is a well-understood greeting and is quite sufficient. Don't address someone by their first name unless you know them well, however, as this could be seen as rude. We'd reccomend getting something like Getting by in Italian : A Quick Beginner's Course for Tourists and Business People or Italian: Pimsleur Basic to make the trip more enjoyable.
2. Tipping advice
   Expect to tip five to ten percent to waiters in restaurants, as well as a standard service charge. Taxi drivers should get between five and ten percent whereas chambermaids and bellboys should get up to 5000 ITL. Smaller tips to any other staff are sure to be appreciated, as tipping is widely practiced in Italy.
3. Roman dress code
   Italians take dressing very seriously, even men window-shop! Therefore, smart clothing should be worn especially in business settings where it is recommended that both men and women dress in suits. Outside business, casual clothing is fine, but stay tidy if you don't want to feel out of place. Italians dress up whenever possible, so wear a jacket and smart trousers to restaurants and theatres. Leave home the American running suits. Black is the color of choice. If you must wear jeans, make sure they are not ripped and dress them up as much as possible. Ditto for tennis shoes, however, our suggestion is that many brands such as Clarks, Rockport, Dansko, etc. make enough fashionable yet very foot-friendly shoes so that you don't have to visit the podiatrist upon your return from Rome!
4. Local Customs
   'La passeggiata' must be the most renowned and charming Italian social customs where each evening families and friends take an early evening stroll with the intention of 'seeing and being seen'. In Rome, the piazza cafés fill up rapidly as friends meet and catch up on news.
   Shops & restaurants vary on their days and hours of operation so always call ahead to verify that they are open.
5. Crossing the street
   If you should know anything about Roman traffic, the most important is to know that it almost never stops!! Limit crossing the streets to the zebra-striped cross walks. Basically, cars do not stop for you. If you look at the car before crossing, it is like an unspoken agreement that you have seen the car and will allow it to pass you. So you need to muster up some confidence, and proceed forward without looking. Daytime is easiest because you can wear big sunglasses that cover your eyes so you can cheat & look to be certain that no one will run you over!!! After you do this a couple of times, it becomes natural.

"Our nights spent in Italy were very much like
the grand restaurant scene in the movie, Big Night".

MANGIA!!!

When we think of Rome, many tasty meals and great wines come to mind. There are many things to be tried and do as many as you can. Here's a couple we've tried so far and heartily recommend you adding these to your "must try" lists!
• Penne all'arrabbiata--ask them for molto piccante & make sure you have enough acqua on the table!
• Tortellini in brodo--tortellini soup
• Carciofi alla guida--deep fried artichokes
• Fiori di zucca--fried zucchini blossoms
• Stracciatella--chicken broth with egg andd cheese stirred in just as it is served
• Baccala--dried salt cod dipped in butter, fried in olive oil

Do not shy away from the wine either. The Latium region is known more for its white wines.. Here is a list of wines that come from near regions of Rome:

• Frascati
  
• Greco di Tufo
  
• Castelli Romani
  
• Lambrusco
  
• Marino
  

Other things to keep in mind:
• Traditionally, Italians consider cappuccino a morning drink and, generally, after 11:30 am switch to espresso.
• Never let them see you put cheese on ANY SEAFOOD DISHES. You will be scolded!
• Plan on at least 1 hour for lunch if you sit down and eat. Give yourself up to 3 hours for dinner. A meal is like a journey-each course a separate road. They allow you plenty of time to take it all in and work up your appetite for the next course.
• Try to get into the spirit and order as many courses and vino as you can handle. They cook very lightly. Plus, how often do you get to Italy to have some of the most divine food in the world??

Here are some restaurants where we had wonderful, memorable dining experiences:

1. Ristorante L'Esquilino Via Cavour,87 Tel 06/48.17.836 Owned by a lovely lady named Marta. Inexpensive cafe near the Coliseum. Great pizza, eggplant, homemade mozzarella and pasta dishes.
2. Ristorante Nautilus Via dei Serviti,28 Tel 06/481.98.29 Owned by Marta's son, Marco. Upscale ristorante. Live music on some evenings. Seafood specialties. Located near Trevi Fountain.
3. Hostaria La Nuova Capannina Piazza delle Coppelle,8 Tel 06/880.39.21 Recommended by one of our local Italian eateries in Baltimore, MD. Friendly hostaria. Food was good and the service was warm. This is where we were introduced to "Limoncello" (a recipe will follow for this delightful lemon liqueur).
4. Ristorante Mario's Via del Moro,53 Tel 06/580.38.09 A very homey place. The servers make you feel like you're eating at your Italian aunt's. Located in Trastevere, a hotbed of great places to eat and drink.
5. Da Giggetto Via Portico d'Ottavia, 21/22 Tel 06/68.61.105 Located in the Jewish Ghetto, you must come here for Roman-Jewish style cooking. It's as historic as all of the sights that must be seen. Must order the carciofi alla guida, fiori di zucca (stuffed with mozzarella) & baccala.
6. Ristorante Pizzeria Pasquino Piazza Pasquino, 1 Tel 06/93.043 A wonderful find situated behind Piazza Navona. Some of the best pizza (a forno) we've ever had. Come to think of it, everything we've had has been wonderful.
7. Difronte a -Ristorante, Cafe e Pizzeria- Via della Croce, 38 Tel 06/678.0355 A very warm & funky place. Food is almost as good as the people are beautiful at this popular
   
   

Recipes

LIMONCELLO