Eleonora Baldwin (1967)

The bejeweled resident Signoras of the Pantheon neighborhood don’t flock to this historic butcher shop only for the exquisite meat cuts, artfully exhibited on the charming turn of the century white marble counter, no. It’s actually for the gorgeous men behind it.

The window display alone should be a warning sign: beware, beauty inside.

The fourth generation of Polzella heirs manning the Angelo Feroci macelleria – effortlessly handling cleavers and mallets — are drop-dead gorgeous. And so are their prime cuts of Dutch veal, Danish beef, and the lamb, game and poultry sourced from the Lazio countryside.

I am so distracted by the good-looking butchers, that I often walk in with no shopping list in mind, but simply to gaze as their expert hands carve perfect Fiorentina steaks, or eavesdrop as they elegantly instruct awe-struck clients on how to properly bake their rosemary and pork fat-wrapped filet mignons.

The meat cuts and dishes at Angelo Feroci’s butcher shop are not sold at bargain prices, to the contrary. But the superb choice of sirloins, crown lamb roasts, rolled pork, ribs and round steaks, meatloafs and meatballs galore, plus the myriad prepared dishes that just need brief and easy cooking, like ground chicken-stuffed zucchini, vegetarian burgers, or eggplant and veal kebabs — all sold with a smile and a good cooking tip — are worth every penny.

Next time you’re in the area and crave a great ossobuco, or wish to grill a juicy steak, be sure to stop by. And get free eye candy too.

“Fa caldo!” There’s one sure way to beat the heat in Rome, and no, it’s not soaking your feet in the Trevi Fountain.

Grattachecca is the quintessential Roman street-food staple, made of shaved ice, juice and fruit chunks. The name derives from the method used in making the refreshing treat. A large block of ice (usually 3 ft long) called checca in slang, is hand-grated (the verb grattare, means ‘to scratch’) with a special toothed implement attached to a box on the end for collecting the shaved ice. Tall serving cups are filled with the shaved ice, and then strewn with fruit juices or syrups, and studded with chunks of fresh fruit, according to the flavor of choice.

There are many grattachecca kiosks around Rome, but only a handful still make it by manually shaving the ice. Popular grattachecca haunts include Sora Mirella’s Trastevere kiosk and Sora Maria in Prati, both offering mixed fruit options. But my all-time preferred is the lemoncocco – in which the ice is mixed with Amalfi lemon juice, topped with actual chunks of milky coconut.

My favorite “lemoncocco” can be enjoyed at the kiosk in Piazza Buenos Aires, at the corner of Viale Liegi. You can’t miss it, the line snaking around it waiting for service is self-advertising. There’s always a crowd milling about, sitting on scooters, and slurping on the slushy dessert: a true sign of summer in the Eternal City.

Grattachecca kiosks stay open as late as 02:00, providing sweltering Romans with a little evening respite.

There’s a place in the heart of hip and over-hyped Testaccio, that is just a gem of a restaurant.

Alessandro’s reign is in the kitchen, while Claudio mans the floor, serving tables, recording reservations and dispensing shy smiles.

Friends Alessandro and Claudio go way back. They met during their internship at centrally located posh Hotel De Russie, and between shifts they’d dream of opening a place of their own. Then each went on with their lives, traveling and working abroad until the almost simultaneous deaths of respective fathers forced the two to return back to Rome.

It was therefore inevitable that the two “amici” (friends) would team up, opening the charming and infromal osteria. The cuisine is inspired by Roman classics, which are wonderfully re-interpreted by Alessandro’s whim and creativity.

I celebrate all my birthdays here and have never been disappointed by the fabulous seasonal menus. Don’t miss the pasta alla gricia, which Alessandro enhances with wonderful fresh artichokes and crisp guanciale. Another crowdpleaser is the juicy veal fillet wrapped in lardo di Colonnata, and drizzled with a sweet and piquant honey-chili pepper sauce.

Seafood musts include tuna steak with porcini mushrooms and ornage zest, and turbot baked in a crisp potato wrap.

Be sure to leave room for dessert, since the homemade delights may include any between apple tart with cinnamon gelato, assorted semifreddi, and delightful marmalade crostatas.

The wine list is brilliantly designed and prices are unbelievably affordable, given the quality of ingredients and articulate dishes in the menu.

One of the city’s best exhibition spaces for the Musei Capitolini is housed in a former thermoelectric plant, and provides an extraordinary example of industrial archaeology converted into a museum.

The Centrale Montemartini was the first public power plant to produce electricity for the city of Rome. Founded at the turn of the 19th century on busy Via Ostiense, it occupies a large block between the ex-wholesale market, the Gazometro (defunct Methane Gas Meter) and the left bank of the river Tiber.

The unique contrast that makes Centrale Montemartini so unique, is provided by the monumental electric turbines that act as the backdrop for masterpieces of ancient sculpture and precious artifacts found in late nineteenth century excavations, which illustrate through a well-designed exhibit, the actual development of the ancient city from the Republican era to the late imperial age.

Just imagine exquisite marble sculptures, rare Greek originals brought to Rome during the Augustan era, artfully located in a spacious boiler hall: a rectangular room measuring more than 1000 square meters, dominated by an immense steam boiler. This is the sole survivor of the three boilers originally installed, and it rises from floor to ceiling in a complex web of intertwined pipes, bricks and metal walkways.

Perhaps the most striking installation is the one that occupies the Hall of Machines, where two towering turbines face a reconstruction of the pediment of the temple of Apollo Sosiano, illustrating the battle between the Greeks, in which the figures of Herakles, Theseus, Athena and Nike play a starring role.

There are toy stores and Toy Stores. I know because I’ve been a customer for over 7 years now. There are chains and toy mega-malls, where kids run around high on plastic fumes and TV jingles, grabbing super-packaged boxes off shelves, uniforming to popular demand. And then there are the artisans, small neighborhood shop-keepers, wood carvers and trinket sellers that remind us what a real toy chest should be filled with.

Speriamo Che Dorma is one of those blessed places.

Each little object in this magical space, every small ecologic plaything has been hand-picked and sometimes crafted by the illuminated owner Carla Picone. I walk in here an average of 3 times a week, mainly because my child seems to find a valid excuse to do so on his way home from school more often that I can oppose reasonable argument.

Each time my little guy and I are welcomed into an enchanted realm of novel gadgets and playful solutions. Besides the great wooden building blocks, extravagant bedding and fun tableware, there are baskets overflowing with dress-up costumes, adorable luggage sets, perfect replica trucks and train sets, all regardful of child-friendly materials, finished in non-toxic paint, with a keen eye for wood and other natural components. Here princess girls will not find trace of Winx and Hello Kitty products, while rock star truck driver boys will not encounter any Ben Ten or Gormiti monsters, ever.

Here toys are meant for pure play, to stimulate imagination, manual skillfulness. Just like toys were meant to be.