Operation Lorenzo

Friday night came along and with it two little words that Ian and I love to say to each other...

CHEAT DAY!!!

Cheers to that! We debated how to best utilize our cheat meal before quickly remembering we had no choice. You see, when my parents were in town, we went to one of our favorite little Italian spots in the city - Allegro Romano. Besides boasting the most unreal, authentic Italian food, it is impossible to not have a good time here. It is teeny tiny (reservations are a must) and nestled in the heart of Nob Hill a.k.a. away from major tourist attractions. So it really has this home-y, intimate feel to it. Like you're having dinner at your good friend's house... who just also happens to be a world renowned Roman chef...

Anyway, while we were there buddying up to Lorenzo (the owner and our new best friend), he told us about his new sister restaurant - Ala Romana. He described it as having the same high quality food, but a little more "hip" - it's open later and has less of a gourmet restaurant look to it (also more affordable). In other words - our cheat meal was a no-brainer... any excuse to see Lorenzo, eat his amazing food and cement our best-friend status!

We made a late reservation - close to 10pm, so we kicked off the night at a cute little wine bar by Ian's apartment...

I started with a yummy Pinot Grigio and Ian had something red...

All too soon, we were hopping in a cab and giddy from head to toe! The things Lorenzo does to you...

We started with the most simple, yet so unbelievably incredible appetizer...

Prosciutto with Burrata and Honey

It was the most incredible blend of salty, sweet and creamy. And it could so easily be thrown together for an impromptu wine night! I'm so doing this asap...

We split two mains to get the best of both worlds - this is the epitome of living up a cheat meal to the fullest.

Margherita Pizza... SO GOOD. It was that super thin, super Italian pizza that you wonder how you've lived without for so long...

For a pasta we had Maltagliatti with braised rabbit and pecorino di Fossa. Neither of us had ever had rabbit before, but we dove in headfirst. The meat was so tender and the pasta so chewy and fresh... Literally AMAZING....

And for dessert, a hazelnut milk-chocolate cake with vanilla cream. I feel like it's hard to mess up a chocolate cake and yet somehow, this little bad boy put all others to shame...

I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant and the people running it! The service was amazing, everyone was so friendly and the whole experience was exactly what you envision the perfect dinner out to be. I cannot WAIT until out next Lorenzo encounter!

xo