Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio Insider's Italy: Hidden Rome, Best Desserts and Lidia Bastianich Hotline
Apr 3, 2026
J.M. Hirsch, food writer who explores Italy’s backroads. Giuseppe Dell'Anno, baker and Bake Off winner known for Italian pastries. Arianna Pasquini, Roman culinary guide with local food secrets. Lidia Bastianich, restaurateur and cookbook author who answers cooking questions. They tour hidden Roman snacks, regional baking and desserts, rustic Roman dishes, ravioli and lasagna tips, and secrets from small trattorie.
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Roman Cuisine Is Simple But Highly Technical
- Roman food is rooted in peasant, countryside traditions that demand technical precision despite simple ingredients.
- Arianna Pasquini explains dishes like cacio e pepe use few ingredients but require exact timing and technique to succeed.
Spot Tourist Traps By Staff, Menus And Fake Food
- Avoid tourist-trap signs like staff standing outside recruiting diners, wax-food displays, or a catch-all menu mixing regional classics.
- Arianna says menus that list lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, and carbonara together are red flags for inauthentic restaurants.
Eat Maritozzo And Tramezzino For Quick Roman Snacks
- Try Roman street snacks: maritozzo (sweet bun with whipped cream) and tramezzino (soft white triangle sandwich) for quick, authentic bites.
- Arianna recommends Roscioli Cafe for a favorite maritozzo and Becco in Prati for tramezzini.