"Not only is the food incredible, but I think it may be the sweetest restaurant in Rome." That was how my Italian friend Daniela described Trattoria Monti (Via di San Vito 13, 39.06.446.6573), the Rome restaurant where we'd planned to meet for lunch. Since Daniela is as obsessed with good food as I am, I was expectantly ravenous when I arrived at the family-run restaurant in the slightly off-the-beaten-path Esquilino neighborhood.

As soon as I entered the small, buttercup-yellow dining room and took in the delicious aromas, I knew I was in for a treat. Once we settled in at a table with a single crimson Shasta daisy in a bud vase, I watched the two handsome, dark-haired waiters, Enrico and Daniele - the sons, it turned out, of chef Franca Camerucci - lavishing small attentions on a happy and distinguished-looking crowd. My friend says Trattoria Monti's clientele includes many journalists, politicos, and professors, always an encouraging sign in a Rome restaurant, since it's well known that those professionals nimbly avoid tourist traps while keeping the city's best addresses to themselves.

"Since you're new to Monti, we'll start with the mixed appetizers," Daniela decreed, a decision for which I'm still grateful. What better way to begin a meal than with meat-stuffed fried green olives, fried artichokes, feather-light fried vanilla cream, and ciauscolo, a richly flavored sausage spread.

Next, I had what turned out to be one of my favorite dishes anywhere in Italy, a Parmesan tortino, a delicate but intense custard. Daniela went for the red-onion tortino, also superb, in gorgonzola sauce.

While we waited for the pasta, Daniela explained that the Cameruccis come from Le Marche, on Italy's Adriatic coast, and that the rich country cooking of this central Italian region takes pride of place on the menu. A perfect example is the tagliatelle al ragù marchigiano, which arrived next — tender ribbons of eggy, freshly made pasta lightly slicked with a potently meaty sauce. I also loved the mezze maniche (Italian for "half sleeves"), a rigatoni-like pasta garnished with crumbled sausage and coarsely grated Pecorino cheese. Next we split a stunning persimmon mousse with toasted almonds and pistachio ice cream.

After finishing our meal, we sipped strong espresso and accepted the offer of a complimentary grappa. Daniela was triumphant. "Incredible, no?" I then caught a revealing glimpse of Franca Camerucci. Seen through the framed open window that connects the dining room and the kitchen, she resembled a slightly flushed Renaissance Madonna, and I instantly understood why the food at Trattoria Monti is so delicious. Counting for even more than the beautiful seasonal produce she cooks with, there's Franca's generosity with a secret ingredient - tenderness. And who can resist such gastronomic babying? Not me — I was back again for dinner the following day.

— Alexander Lobrano

Getting There: Continental offers daily nonstop service to Rome from its hub in New York/Newark.

Five to Try

With rents rising in the heart of Rome, many of the city's best new restaurants are in outlying residential neighborhoods.

1 La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali. Via Madonna dei Monti 16, 39.06.679.8643. Located near the Forum, this casual, friendly place serves delicious home-style cooking, including superb rigatoni alla carbonara, a fat tubular pasta in a classic Roman sauce of eggs, grated Parmesan, and chunky bacon.

2 Fafiuché. Via Madonna dei Monti 28, 39.06.699.0968. Just a few doors from La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, this friendly grocery/restaurant pulls a trendy local crowd with a delicious antipasto bar and rustic Roman dishes.

3 Risto Nobel. Via Tuscolana 40, 39.06.706.13712. The delicious, mostly Sicilian home cooking served at this new place is worth the 10-minute cab ride from the city center. Don't miss Palermo specialties like sea urchin spaghetti.

4 Al Ceppo. Via Panama 2, 39.06.841.9696. Located in the Parioli district, Rome's equivalent of New York's East side, this well-appointed wood-paneled restaurant is a favorite among diplomats and stylish locals who come in for seasonal dishes like pumpkin risotto.

5 Sud. Via Antonio Bosio 20A, 39.06.442.02701. Located in the upmarket Trieste neighborhood, this eatery specializes in southern Italian cooking, including swordfish stuffed with raisins, pine nuts, and tomatoes and garnished with couscous. — A.L.