Tre Archi, Rome

Another reasonable find near Piazza Navona - and when I was there in late January of 2005, it seemed to be a haven for single Italian businessmen eating dinner early (early for Italians, anyway) at 8 p.m. There were five of them and me. So, if you're looking for a restaurant where you'd feel comfortable eating alone, this is it. Small and cozy.

The bread basket came with sliced Italian bread, breadsticks AND a panino - my favorite. These small, tasty, crusty bread rolls are almost hollow inside, and after I leave Italy, I crave them for months. In fact, I'm craving one right now!

I ordered "carcioffi alla romana" Roman style artichokes (i.e. not fried like the traditional Jewish Roman cuisine). Very good - but an order of two was too much for one person. Then ravioli with ricotta and spinach and a tomato sauce - again, another good dish. Finally, the ricotta torta (cheese cake with chocolate chips) looked too good to pass up - it was! They warmed it in the oven and it was heavenly.

Total bill only 19.5 Euros, including un quarto (one quarter liter) of house red wine, a half bottle of aqua frizzante (fizzy water), and un espresso. Quite a good deal so close to Piazza Navona.

Favorite Dish: Ricotta Torta