the meal that made me question my plane ticket

Last fall, we finally made it to Rome after years of dreaming and saving. We’d been walking all day, feet aching, dodging scooters and tourists, and honestly, I was getting cranky. My husband insisted we try this tiny trattoria tucked away in a side street, even though I just wanted to sit anywhere. We waited outside for nearly 30 minutes, watching locals breeze past us while my stomach growled. When we finally sat down, I ordered the cacio e pepe, thinking, “How special can pasta with cheese and pepper really be?” But that first bite—wow. The noodles were perfectly chewy, the sauce creamy and peppery, and I swear, it tasted like nothing I’d ever had at home. I started wondering if I’d just spent a small fortune flying across the Atlantic for a bowl of pasta! I couldn’t help but laugh at myself for doubting my husband’s stubbornness, but also felt a little annoyed that something so simple could be so impossible to find back home. Has anyone else traveled all that way, only to realize you’d do it again just for a single meal? And why can’t we ever recreate these flavors in our own kitchens, no matter how many recipes we try? #travelstories #foodadventures #rome #Travel