Visits by Mr. Foodoso at Osteria Bonelli

Bonelli. One of those places you keep going back to because you already know it won't let you down.

Last Sunday, four of us, reservation made (you don't just show up at Bonelli), and off we go.

The appetizers. The zucchini blossoms were off the charts, really — large, properly stuffed with anchovies and mozzarella, fried well. You'd order those again without a second thought. The cacio e pepe supplì and the nervetti, though, well, they're fine. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to get excited about either.

But Bonelli really nails the pasta courses. The gricia: excellent. The guanciale isn't crispy, it's their classic style, soft, good quality — not for everyone, but it works for me. Some variation in pasta texture here and there, but the sauce of lard and pecorino was spot-on, the right amount, cooked right. The carbonara holds its own just fine too: silky and creamy in just the right way, flavorful, with pepper that belongs there. It's not the kind of carbonara that makes you jump out of your seat, but it's solid, honest, Roman.

And really, that's the whole point of Bonelli. It doesn't surprise you, but it never disappoints. It's a straightforward place, no frills, that knows what it's doing and does it well. At 31€ per person for this, it's worth every euro.

Going back? Already booked.

I stumbled upon this place almost by accident, walking by around lunchtime. No frills from the outside, your typical old-school Roman trattoria.

Let me start with the gricia because it's the dish that left me most puzzled. Yes, it's good. Only, it's not a gricia in my opinion. Too much pecorino, a thick creamy coating that smothers everything. It becomes more of a cacio e guanciale, tasty for sure, easy to eat, but not what I'm after in a gricia. The pecorino should play second fiddle, but here it's calling all the shots. And then the guanciale—scrawny, neither crispy nor tender. Meh, it made me wince. I know plenty of people love it, but I just didn't get it.

The supplì, on the other hand, I enjoyed. Crispy breading as it should be, rich ragù throughout. The filling was slightly dry with a hint of pepper I'd never come across anywhere else. Not bad at all.

Tiramisu to finish: good but with some rough edges. There are bitter notes, crunchy bits, all fine. The problem is the cream was too sweet and the balance between sweet and bitter a bit all over the place. You eat a spoonful and taste one thing, the next spoonful is completely different.

Service is what you'd expect: friendly but gruff, very Roman. The price is fair, 17 euros per person for a trattoria like this.

I've got that annoying feeling I ordered the wrong dishes. Like if I'd gotten something else, things would have turned out differently. So yes, I'll be back, but I'm changing everything.