How many ‘Black Sheep’ (or Mouton Noir) dot the food and wine landscape I wonder?
After meeting Andre Mack, the Brooklyn man behind Mouton Noir Wines and tasting his Montgomery Place 2007, a Bordeaux style Blend (Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot) here comes another Black Sheep.
This second one, La Pecora Nera Editore (logo above) publishes a guide to the real flavors of Rome, Roma nel Piatto – Eat as the Romans do edited by Simone Cargiani and Fernanda D’Arienzo.
To help you navigate menus they include a glossary of common dishes, an illustrated guide to all types of pastas you might be served. Food stores and eateries are organized by neighborhoods as well as by alphabetical order and is completed by a short description as the sample pages displayed below show.
I discovered this guide thanks to Being ripped off eating in Rome? by Angelica Marin (Global Post, March 27).
Angelica writes that what distinguishes this Black Sheep team is that “they always
pay for their meals and file away each receipt for proof. Unafraid to
say what they think, they have been known to destroy the reputation of
Roman landmarks or shame restaurant owners who take too many liberties
with their customers. Although this may seem like normal protocol for restaurant reviewers
elsewhere, it is rare in Italy. Many Roman food critics eat for free.
Others write positive reviews for paying advertisers.”
The first English language edition was published in May 2008.
Has any of you put it to work?
Was it useful?
Related: What price Spring in Rome ? $390 Round Trip from New York in April