I’m not a huge fan of chick flicks. The predictable storylines and sappy love stories make my eyes roll more than my heart flutter. But one scene from a movie hit me hard and ignited a deep longing for Italy.
Yes, you read that right, a guy who liked “Eat, Pray, Love.” I was captivated by Elizabeth Gilbert’s book. Her writing, like magic, perfectly captured the complex feeling of finding true happiness in the ashram in India.
A Cinematic Feast
One scene in the movie, “Eat, Pray, Love,” planted a seed that eventually took root and brought me to Rome. Remember the scene where Julia Roberts, playing Elizabeth Gilbert, orders lunch with her friends on a stunning terrace? The camera focuses on each dish being prepared and served, making my mouth water and my heart yearn for Italian cuisine.
Each dish looked like a masterpiece, worthy of a place in the Borghese Museum. My taste buds exploded, and I craved Italian food more than any woman. And I don’t even like artichokes or eggplant!
From Movie Scene to Real-Life Adventure
In 2010, while still trying to figure out how to move back to Rome, I watched this movie in a theater in Boulder, Colorado. The scene ignited a powerful desire within me to return to Rome. Four years later, I fulfilled that dream.
Last Saturday night, I found myself at the very same restaurant featured in the movie.
Ristorante Santa Lucia: A Romantic Escape
Ristorante Santa Lucia, tucked away on Largo Febo near Via di Santa Maria Dell’Anima, is a gem in the heart of Rome. Located just a stone’s throw from the bustling Piazza Navona, it stands out with its charming ambiance. The terrace, draped in the shade of three enormous umbrellas and the lush greenery of platanus and lime trees, exudes romance. Pots of ferns dot the area, and each table is adorned with a white candle encased in a glass wind protector. In a city renowned for its casual trattorias, Santa Lucia scores a perfect 10 on the romance scale.
However, I traded in the romantic setting for a lively gathering. I joined a group of expats from the Expats Living in Rome Meetup group for an aperitivo. We shared antipasti and pasta at long tables on the terrace, immersing ourselves in the vibrant atmosphere.
A Cinematic Restaurant
The restaurant’s owners, Rinaldo Midea and Nicolo Ruberto, cousins who opened the establishment in 1999, shared their story. In the late 2000s, director Ryan Murphy approached them during a location scout. He wanted to use their restaurant in a movie about a newly divorced writer searching for herself – a common storyline but a fitting one in this case.
“We have the most beautiful terrace in Rome!” Rinaldo said with pride.
The scene in the movie may only be five minutes long, but it took two days of filming, with 10-12 hour shifts each day. They shot over 100 takes.
“It was total chaos,” Rinaldo said. “It was beautiful but very crazy.”
They filmed at least 10 takes of Roberts ordering in Italian.
“I don’t know how well she did,” Rinaldo admitted. “Her bodyguard wouldn’t let anyone near her when they were filming.”
Julia Roberts stayed at the luxurious Bio Hotel Raphael, with its terrace restaurant overlooking Centro Storico and its €950 per night suites. The hotel is practically next door to Santa Lucia, and a bodyguard accompanied her to the set every day. The cousins didn’t even meet her, but they didn’t mind. The publicity from the movie boosted their business by 30 percent.
The Power of Food on Film
The film, which grossed over $200 million, has sparked a wave of tourists following in Roberts’ footsteps around Rome, and perhaps even to Bali and the Brazilian man she falls for in the movie. Many of them stop by Santa Lucia and ask if this is where Roberts had lunch.
Another Rome restaurant featured in the film, Osteria Dell’Antiquario, also saw an increase in business. The scene with Roberts savoring a perfect bowl of spaghetti pomodoro, her face lit with joy, sparked my own cravings.
Rome couldn’t have asked for better publicity for its cuisine, which I believe is the best in the world in terms of flavor, health, authenticity, and ambiance.
“It was a great demonstration,” Nicolo said. “Tourists come to Italy to taste the food they saw in the movie. Spaghetti pomodoro, pasta, carbonara, pizza from Naples. And dishes typical of Rome’s Lazio region. It was great publicity.”
Osteria Dell’Antiquario is now closed, but I enjoyed the delicious food at Santa Lucia, which truly deserves its place on the silver screen. The meatballs drenched in parmesan sauce and the mezze maniche amatriciana were mouthwatering.
A Taste of Rome
Santa Lucia caters to both tourists and locals. Rinaldo explained that about 70 percent of their clientele is tourists, while the remaining 30 percent are Italian. I’ll definitely be returning for their menu, which features classic Roman dishes with a touch of Sicilian cuisine and seafood.
Elizabeth Gilbert’s success is undeniable, but I have something she doesn’t. I’m still living in Rome. And it all started with a movie scene that sparked a lifelong love affair with this magical city.
