Trastevere Supermercati (Planning, Obsessing)

Source:ketchupandsoup.blogspot.com

I'm obsessed with food.

Not in an eating disorder kind of way (although I did have a bout of that in the early 2000s).

Rather, I'm obsessed with food because I grew up being obsessed with food. When we celebrate with friends and family, or just need some quality time to catch up on things, or if we want to go out to an event or even to watch movies, etc etc, all plans revolve around food and answers to these questions:

- What are we going to eat

- When are we going to eat

- Where are we going to eat

Among other things, I show love and affection and caring and all that other great mushy, wifey, mommy kinda shtuff through food. 

My biggest panic attack is at the end of my very busy work day when I have not planned for dinner in advance. I keep our neighborhood restaurants in business as every week I cycle through the same places for take-out at least 4 times a week:

- Memories of Japan

- Congee Star

- Arkadia House

- Fiesta Filipino (Levi's Catering)

- And thanks to thefoodpursuit.com I totally just remembered Niji Restaurant

I spend about $350 a week on groceries, plus another $150 or so on take-out a week! For a family of 3, that is a lot!

But I justify this by telling myself that I work really hard so I can have the extra luxuries in life like good food and traveling twice a year. I probably spend majority of my disposable income on food and travel. And maybe the occasional shopping spree at Winners (the Leaside location is my favourite store in the whole wide world).

We own an affordable house, don't really go crazy on cars, T gets her stipend and vocal lessons, and my cat Mitzy Pepper Pie gets groomed every quarter.

I think part of my food obsession now is knowing that back in the day when I was a single mom at 19 years old, I didn't have enough money left over from my measly $22,000 per year salary in 1994 to feed myself. Rent got paid first, then T's baby food and formula, then her subsidized daycare, then T's other necessities, then well... nothing left for me.

But I digress, because this post is about how I have triangulated the grocery stores near the apartment that we will be staying at when we go to Rome in December! The area is called Trastevere and it is supposed to be a mecca for foodies.

Point A is our Apartment in Trastevere.

Point B is where Standa Supermercati is located. Standa is a large modern supermarket underneath the Oviesse department store on Viale Trastevere.

Points C and D show where Todis and Panella are. Todis is a German supermarket chain and Panella is a place where we can get baked goodies and one of the only places to buy Italian Pancetta prepared like bacon we know back here in good ol' North America.

Source:tripadvisor

Point E shows where di Per di is, vaguely described in guide books as a "modern supermarket".

To top this off our Apartment (Point A) is right across Piazza di San Cosimato (San Cosimato square) where there is a daily open air Farmer's Market offering all sorts of Italian produce, fresh seafood, fruits, meats, cheese. In short, everything that makes the food obsessed alter ego inside of me very very happy! Yippee! Fa la la la la, la la la la..........

Source:lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs