Cheeseburger Paradise in Rome!

The Perfect Bun
Largo del Teatro Valle, 4
Tel 0645476337

Even the Americans whose bodies and minds have adapted to Italian-style eating (garlic and onions that you can’t taste, healthy portions, wine at every meal) still get a hankering every now and then for the good old flavors of home. Whether you just want to sink your teeth into a thick (cheddar) cheeseburger, or wipe the chicken wing drippings from your chin, when the cravings get fierce there’s always been little you could do quench them...

until now.

Brand new American restaurant The Perfect Bun opened two weeks, ago smack in the middle of the historic center. It took the place of sleek Italian bistro CO2, and has been packed every night since.

The menu includes everything including jumbo and humble-sized burgers and cheeseburgers (with grilled onions and pickles!), Tex-Mex specialties like grilled chicken quesadillas, nachos, and homemade guacamole, and all the fried appetizers, from onion rings and fries to chicken fingers and wings (served with homemade honey mustard and blue cheese sauce much to my delight). Everything is made fresh on site—so none of those stiff, frozen, identical onion rings.

Portions are almost American size for everything but the desserts (cheesecake, cupcakes, carrot cake, cookies) but they're plenty rich. Sunday brunch starts this week and will include the egg and omelet station, pancakes, waffles and bacon. Apparently macaroni and cheese, which wasn’t a hit with weekday customers, will make a comeback on the brunch buffet.

Happy hour with two-for-one appetizers is also in the works, and cocktails are magnificent! I didn’t even realize how much I missed Ginger Ale until I sipped on the American Fizz, a peppy blend of Campari, Ginger Ale and a citrus twist.

It’s a little pricier than your hometown diner, but considering the freshness and authenticity, and what American Italian restaurants charge for al dente pasta, €40 a head is perfectly reasonable.