Photo: Gary Yeowell/Getty Imgaes
John Meadow—the dapper young founder of LDV Hospitality—certainly knows food.
The 35 year old started working in the industry right out of college: first as a manager at the Oak Room then as beverage manager at New York’s Plaza Hotel. And he moved on to open his first restaurant at age 24. But in 2008, Meadow—who loves all things Italian—decided to take a massive leap forward by starting LDV (which, in case you were curious, stands for La Dolce Vita).
Today, the successful restaurant group owns and operates roughly twenty venues across the country—including American Cut, No. 8, and Scarpetta to name just a few. Here, Meadow talked to ForbesLife about the best places to eat and drink in one of his favorite cities: Rome.
ForbesLife: Why Rome?
John Meadow: Rome personifies life as public theater like no other city on Earth. Because of its rich history, you witness every era of humanity from its founding in 753 B.C.E.
FL: Where do you stay?
JM: It depends. When traveling by myself I like to rent an apartment in the Trastevere rione, which is the oldest functioning neighborhood of modern Rome. When I’m with family, I stay at the Lord Byron Hotel in Parioli.
FL: Where do people need to go—places that are just off the beaten track and not in most guidebooks.
JM: Every time I go to Rome my first stop is to Janiculum Hill near Piazza Garibaldi for the view. Then I walk to Via Giulia and stop at Sant’Eustachio Il Caffé to have an espresso.
FL: Where do you go for food?
JM: For breakfast, I go to Caffé Tazza d’Oro by the Pantheon before getting an espresso at Sant’Eustachio. For a classic Roman meal and leisurely lunch, I order cacio e pepe at Ristorante Dal Bolognese [in Piazza del Popolo]. If it’s a more casual lunch-brunch, I visit Gusto in Piazza Augusto Imperatore for pizza. To me, nothing captures la bella figura like dining al fresco in Piazza del Popolo. And my favorite restaurant in the world is Il Matriciano in the Prati neighborhood’s Via dei Gracchi: It’s the quintessential elegant Roman restaurant to have veal Milanese. For wine, I love L’ Enoteca Antica di Via della Croce—the historic literary cantina that served the likes of Byron and Keats. Assunta Madre on Via Giulia serves the freshest seafood in Rome.
FL: Nightlife?
JM: I have many fond memories from my youth at nightclubs in the Testaccio neighborhood.
FL: How about custom tailors?
JM: For clothing, I go to Caleffi by the Piazza Parlamento to have shirts made and fitted. It’s been there for more than 100 years—specializing in handmade custom shirts.
FL: Where do you go for a drink? And what's your signature cocktail?
JM: An Aperol spritz at Hotel De Russie.
FL: Where should first-time visitors shop?
JM: Anyone going to Rome should make sure to visit Battistoni on Via Condotti.
FL: Let's talk about style. What do you pack and wear when you travel to Rome?
JM: Traveling to Rome is always an opportunity to get in touch with one’s inner peacock and embrace in the Italian passion of sprezzatura—the art of nonchalant elegance. For me, this translates to a combination of retro Nikes by day and suede desert boots by night. And it’s always white jeans in the summer; blue jeans rest of the year. Also…always a white dress shirt and a deconstructed navy blazer.
FL: What's on your travel playlist?
JM: On my way there, I listen to Italian favorites from Mina, Paolo Conte, and Roman favorite Alex Britti—in anticipation of my arrival. Once I get there, my New York energy cannot be restrained and I go back to my love of hip-hop, listening to Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G’s anthems.
