For years, Enoteca al Parlamento Achilli, a local little wine shop, was our secret place, hidden behind an unassuming exterior.

 

We come here for an afternoon or early dinner glass of wine and their unbelievably fabulous little snacks, finger foods of sheer delight for both the eyes and mouth.

 

Then, the place focused on a new chef, and suddenly it earned a Michelin Star.  Now, we had to go for a real dinner, in the intimate room in the back.

We went with a tasting menu, and it was neither too much, nor too little. Really some delicious and interesting food, with an emphasis on texture, balance of acid and savory, and some very nice seasonal vegetables. The meal started off with a mushroom foam that contained foie gras, with toasted rice on top.

We moved on to puntarelle (a traditional, bitter Roman green that I love) with tomato and anchovy broth.

Next was a terrific “Carbonara” (but without the pasta!) made of scrambled egg, pecorino, croutons, and guanciale.

There was also a deconstructed Vignarola.

We also had a cod with mussel broth and agretti (a vegetable I look forward to having more of), ox tail with carrot marmalade, and a “cacio e pepe” ravioli with a savory yet slightly bitter consommè.

The finish was a “Caprese” dessert of mozzarella gelato with tomatoes.  Light and refreshing.

Our server, Laura, was excellent. She helped us select a terrifically suited bottle of wine from the wine shop, which was served with no markup. And, the chef graciously came out to talk with us at the end. A lovely evening!

Note: I apologize that this post is long overdue.  We went in May 2016; since the menu changes seasonally, the things we had may or may not be on the current menu.  But whatever is on the menu, expect something delicious!  And, they also have added a nice mid-price “bistro” menu in the wine shop.