View From Your Table

Rome, Italy

That’s Giuseppe Scalas, one of this blog’s favorite commenters, across the table from me. We had dinner tonight at Nonna Betta, a kosher restaurant in the old Jewish quarter. Though both of us are Christian, Giuseppe said the Jewish community has been a constant presence in Rome for over 2,000 years, and offers the most authentic Roman cuisine available today. The food was quite good. I’m eating pasta with artichokes, and Giuseppe is having rigatoni stuffed with sheep stomach. It’s actually not bad at all, though unusual. We had great food and even greater conversation. Walked around the Roman Forum and talked about the Church, the world, the Benedict Option, and our families. I have been unbelievably blessed by the people I’ve gotten to know through this blog.

On to Norcia tomorrow!

P.S. We also drank a toast to the memory of Antonin Scalia. “Uncle Nino,” Giuseppe called him. The great one was remembered tonight near the banks of the Tiber by two Christian men who revere him and who love to eat and drink.