Report from Rome back to top 

In a good residential neighborhood not far from the Via Veneto, Al Fogher is a long-established outpost of Veneto-Friuli cooking and hospitality. Service in the large dining room remains as cordial as we found it when we first discovered this place many years ago. And happily, the menu, too, has hardly changed—polenta, risotto, codfish and beans, roast pig's trotter and, occasionally, Hungarian-type goulash. The tortes on the lavish dessert cart rival those of Vienna or Budapest. The wines, from Italy's northeastern

region, merit special attention. We sampled a sparkling 1999 red Refosco from the wine district near the Slovenian border, as well as a vigorous white 1998 Tocai Friulano that could well compare with Hungarian Tokay. Dinner for two, with wine, about $120. Closed Sunday. Via Tevere 13B (Via Veneto). Tel: 39-06-841-7032.

You've probably never had a "triptych plate" (cured versions of beef, deer and wild boar), but it's certainly worth trying at Enoteca Divine, a trendy wine and snack bar near Rome's principal Jesuit church. Also on the brief menu are Parma ham; marinated salmon seasoned with different pepper varieties; and an assortment of Italian cheeses. The long wine list enumerates vintages grouped according to the Italian regions where they are grown—from Piedmont to Sicily. A glass of one of the better wines and a substantial snack will be about $30 per person. Closed Sunday. Via del Gesù 60 (Historical Center). Tel: 39-06-6938-0088.

The white-mustachioed chef, Roberto Centofanti, who is a native of Amatrice, a culinary Eden near Rome, has returned home after many years in America and has opened Ara Pacis in what used to be a historic pizzeria. The new venture is named after the nearby Altar of Peace of Augustus, a 2,000-year-old monument. Centofanti's daughter, Francesca, directs the kitchen, and a nephew, Claudio, looks after the guests in the dining room. This is a place to order a hefty steak, other grilled meats, the fresh fish of the day or one of the crustaceans that are on display in a big tank. The pasta dishes are as good as any in Rome, and the housemade desserts, although limited, are all well done. The white house wine from the Rome district is pleasant, but the wine list still needs improvement. Service is good. Dinner for two, with house wine, about $90. Largo dei Lombardi 8 (Historical Center). Tel: 39-06-687-8636.

MILAN AREA—In Cassinetta di Lugagnano, near Abbiategrasso, about 17 miles west of Milan, the Antica Osteria del Ponte is considered by many of Italy's leading food critics to be the best restaurant near Italy's vibrant second city. It occupies an old inn near a bridge spanning a canal and is the pride of chef/owner Ezio Santin. We found our first dinner there to be an overwhelming experience, starting with a stupendous terrine of foie gras with porcini mushrooms and hazelnuts. This was followed by a house classic—marinated crayfish from Liguria garnished with caviar and onions. A dainty lasagna with basil came with fillets of sea bream, and a pigeon in Balsamic vinegar was served with coriander and chunks of orange. Ezio's wife, Renata, advised us to choose a Piedmontese vintage from among the many labels on the wine list. Dessert, prepared by son Maurizio, a master confectioner, was a cocoa-coffee sherbet and hot chocolate flan in white chocolate sauce. Clearly, the Santins are on track for their third Michelin star. Dinner for two, with wine, about $180. Reservations essential. Tel: 39-02-942-0034.