What was the restaurant selection like in ancient Rome?

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On a short trip to Pompei and Naples recently, I got a fascinating insight into the eating habits of the Romans. In Pompei and Herculaneum you can see the remains of large bread ovens – bread was a staple Roman food and often eaten dipped in olive oil, or wine. There are also several stalls known as thermopolia, which had counters from which hot food was served: they were the Roman equivalent of fast food outlets – you could get things like beans, vegetables and hot drinks. The Romans also enjoyed ‘lagane’ – which evolved into today’s lasagne, and two sorts of pizza: one was soft (artolaganum), the other was crispy (tracta). But don’t think they looked like today’s pizza – tomatoes didn’t arrive in Italy 'till much later. http://www.suite101.com/blog/rebeccaford/a_taste_of_ancient_rome Jun 26 09, 7:43 PM