Rome - Forno a Legna Resaurant:
One evening we went to the Coliseum to shoot pictures. In spite of conventional wisdom we chose to find a place to eat near the Coliseum. After some searching we found Forno a Legna, about two blocks away. We got there about 8:30, I'd guess, and were immediately seated inside at a wood booth. I ordered something I thought was pizza but it turned out not to be LOL. (That was my fault, not theirs.) It was pretty good though. My wife thought the spaghetti was good. The service was intermitent, although the waitresses did seem busy and constantly moving. The manager was very crabby as he worked with the staff and rang up tickets.We paid our check and left - probably 9:30 or 10 by this time - and watched as they took the sign down from over the front door and closed the restaurant for the evening. This surprised me a bit as I thought Italian restaurants tended to stay open later.
I never did figure out their affinity for pictures of Albert Einstein with his tongue sticking out, although this appetizing image was repeated around the restaurant, on their menus and on their sign.
So here's my thoughts on Forno a Legna - if it were located elsewhere I'd give it a thumbs down. Pricey food and a cranky manager, not what I look for in a positive dining experience. But given that it is near the Coliseum, this may be the best you can do in that area, and perhaps the manager was just having a bad day. What I saw from other places around there seemed even more expensive. So I'll give it a neutral thumb rating (sideways) and leave it to your judgement. If you must eat in this area based on your schedule, this place may be the best you can do.
