You can safely strike Hi Res, Babbo, Ristorante Tema, La Vineria Reggio, La Taverna dei Monti and Osteria del Pegno from your list.

The only traditional places on your remaining list are Da Danilo and Perilli. La Gatta Mangiona is a pizzeria. Settembrini and Glass Hostaria are creative; Glass has a Michelin star. Palatium showcases the products of the region of Lazio, not always in traditional recipes. L'Asino d'oro is Umbrian/Roman with a creative twist. You can search Chowhound for all of these; they have all been discussed in many threads.

I think Jen means the Palatino bridge rather than the Palatine hill. One that (Italian) Rome food bloggers seem to like in that corner is Da Teo.

This post is less than a month old:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/825808

Barberinibee: No, Missy_Beauvois didn't take all her recommendations from Chowhound; she said "in large part". Nor do I think that most food-conscious Rome residents would disagree that Trastevere is not the best eating neighborhood.

Missy_Beauvois: My preferred restaurant in Testaccio is Checchino; you seem well aware that its specialty is offal. The market in Testaccio is one that many people go some distance to shop at, but it's supposed to be moving into a cavernous new building in mid-March; opinions are divided about the advantages and disadvantages of the move. You could have a quick post-shopping bite at 00100 Pizza. Many people also go out of their way to shop for deli items at Volpetti in Testaccio.

Incidentally, the No. 70 bus will take you from either of two stops near Piazza Navona to the Mercato Trionfale.

The Roscioli to reserve at is in a deli on Via dei Giubbonari; the forno is more or less across the street. Domenico is mentioned as one of many trattorie in Michelin but has no star. La Campana, as mentioned, does not serve brunch but is popular for Sunday lunch (recent reports seem to indicate that it's currently in one of the periodic slumps in its long history). Mercato Vittorio and Mercato Vittorio Emanuele are the same; it is not on the square of that name but in a covered building nearby; many of its stalls cater to Rome's ethnic population.

Are you sure it's Taverna dei Monti (Roman, not generally considered at or near the top) and not Trattoria Monti (cooking of Le Marche, generally highly rated)?

It's Trastevere. Trastevere is a bit less touristy than the historic center, but restaurants there tend to cater to those looking for inexpensive meals, Romans or visitors. There are exceptions, but it's not the best eating neighborhood. Testaccio is much better.

A great many people, some of whom have only been to Rome once, post here; not all their recommendations are to be taken as gospel. You'll get more reliable opinions from long-term Rome residents (mbfant, minchilli, katieparla, vinoroma) or a Roman (tavoleromane), but you'll find that even they are not always in agreement.

Downie's Terroir guide is good and has shops as well as restaurants. But it's a few years old and missing some of the newer places; his restaurant reviews should also be carefully parsed.

http://www.piccolocollio.it/piccolocollio/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=57

http://www.vinit.net/vino/Friuli+Venezia+Giulia/Gorizia/Cormons/Prodotti+tipici+(produzione)/Azienda_agricola_Zoff_Giuseppe_7694.html

http://udine.mondodelgusto.it/2011/01...

There's this:
http://www.salumificiolaperla.it/degu...
But it doesn't say anything about seeing the pigs and may require booking by a group rather than individuals.

If you don't receive specific recommendations, look for an agriturismo with a restaurant: they generally have indoor/outdoor spaces and serve authentic cuisine. You could start here:
http://www.veneto-agriturismo.it/inde...

It's a different food culture, and as I said, soup-and-salad places are not a Roman thing. *Only* a bowl of soup is pushing it, even in trattorias used to American students abroad. A full-service restaurant, which a trattoria is, can't survive if it serves clients only a bowl of soup. Relatively few Italians order a full, multi-course Italian meal on a daily basis, but they'll order at least two courses, one of which will be a pasta or a secondo. Two people can even share one course (uno in due) but not both. Many restaurants, including L'Insalata Ricca, only have a soup of the day. Some restaurants have mixed grilled vegetables as an antipasto (served before soup); some have grilled vegetables (only one kind per order) as a contorno (which accompanies a secondo). Only soup would be acceptable at something called a tavola calda, which is like a self-service cafeteria. Again, there would only be one soup or maybe two, and I don't know of one in Trastevere. Most supermarkets have a deli section with prepared food for take out; I haven't seen soup or grilled vegetables, though. Maybe your daughter will have to expand her horizons a little. Parmigiana alle melanzane is vegetarian and much lighter than most eggplant parmesan in the US. If she's still there when peas come into season, vignarola is artichokes, peas and fava beans, somewhere between a soup and a stew; some restaurants also make it out of season, with frozen peas and beans. If bread is acceptable, maybe pizza al taglio is: pizza bianca comes in various vegetarian versions; pizza rossa (with tomato) is generally thin-crust.

Is the emphasis on light or on inexpensive? Soup-and-salad places aren't really a Roman thing, but there's a chain called L'Insalata Ricca that does that sort of thing; it has two locations in Trastevere. Take-out pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) is inexpensive; there are three good places just across the Tiber: on Via Florida, Via dei Chiavari and Campo dei Fiori. Almost every grocery will make up an inexpensive panino. A pasta dish and a glass of wine will not cost much in many trattorias. Italians will almost always have more, but Trastevere has a large foreign-student population, and many trattorias there will be used to them. If she wants to cut down on expenses, she should order wine or water. Soft drinks and beer will almost always cost more. If she wants Coke, she should buy it in a supermarket and drink it at home.

If location is all-important, consider Babette (French name, Italian food) at the Piazza del Popolo end of Via Margutta. But reservations are advised, particularly for the outdoor seating.

In Rome, artichokes! Have them alla giudia (deep-fried) and alla romana (braised). Puntarelle are uniquely Roman.

Roman cooking uses a lot of organ meats. Trippa (tripe), pajata (intestines of milk-fed lamb; most often in a pasta sauce, in a very few places grilled on a spit), coratella (heart, lung and liver, generally of lamb, with artichokes) are local Roman dishes. Not an organ meat but very important in Roman cooking: oxtail (coda alla vaccinara, as a stew or a pasta sauce).

The cooking of the Campania region offers more vegetarian options than some other regions, but La Tagliata is not the place to look for them. If you're looking for a cozy, friendly venue, you might be happy at an agriturismo. Search the board for recommendations/reviews. In any case, you'd have to agree on the menu in advance, and it won't be Indian food, unless you import an Indian chef from Rome.

La Buca will show you, on request, its culatello cellar. Culatello is basically a form of prosciutto; I don't think any place will show you more than its storage space for prosciutto or culatello.

As I said almost a month ago, Acetaia di Giorgio in Modena does tours, and you can pre-arrange tours with the Parmigiano-Reggiano Consorzio.

Are you sure they're all open for dinner on Christmas Day?

Da Pallotta a Ponte Milvio is pretty far away. Giggetto and Matricianella both have defenders and detractors. I'd probably try Giggetto; if it isn't open, one of the other restaurants in the Ghetto might be. At either Giggetto or Matricianella, try the artichokes alla giudia.

That link was valid last year. Here is this year's link:
http://www.diningcity.com/en/rome+and...

Which day do you mean, December 24 or 25? One Metro stop from Piazza Vittorio is Termini (where you arrive if you take the Leonardo Express from the airport). In the concourse downstairs, there's a huge Conad supermarket-and-a-lot-else. It's open 6 am to midnight every day; December 24 will not be an exception nor, I think, December 25.

Homey, family-owned and operated trattorie are unfortunately the most likely to be closed on holidays. Da Danilo is close by, but since it's normally closed on Sunday, it's more likely than not to be closed on December 25 this year.

This is not, *not*, NOT, *NOT* a recommendation (I've never been there nor do I know anyone who has), but if you're desperate, there's a restaurant-pizzeria called Cotto on Via Torino that is open for lunch and dinner December 24 and 25.

Acetaia di Giorgio in Modena has tours; I believe they're free. The Consorzio Parmigiano-Reggiano will arrange free tours.

Sorry; that was my mistake. I thought the recipe I linked was an English translation of this recipe, but it wasn't:
http://www.lucianopignataro.it/a/la-p...
You can put the URL through Google Translate.

Be careful of the recommendations in the Home Cooking forum. I scrolled through the first thread that came up in a search, and at a guess 75-80% of the recommendations were for American-Italian cookbooks or for cookbooks of Italian recipes adapted by celebrity chefs. Neither category will give you what you're looking for.

I disagree with the Lidia Bastianich recommendation. Compare her tarted-up, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink version of pasta alla genovese with one from a Neapolitan food writer (despite its name, it's a recipe from Naples and not Genoa):

http://lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/591

http://www.lucianopignataro.com/artic...

Adding links for those planning for Christmas 2011. A bunch of them have Web sites or e-mail addresses here:
http://www.veneziaristoranti.it/associati/corte.html

And a Web site: www.bistrotdevenise.com.

-----
Corte Sconta
Calle del Pestrin, Castello 3886, Venezia 30122, IT

Anice Stellato
Cannaregio, 3272, Venezia , IT

La Bitta
Dorsoduro 2753A, Calle Lunga San Barnaba, Venezia 30123, IT

alla Frasca
Corte della Carita, Cannaregio, 5176, Venice, Veneto 30121, IT

Al Fontego dei Pescatori
Calle Priuli,Cannaregio, 3711, Venice, Veneto , IT

Al Covo
Campiello della Pescaria,Castello 3968, Venice, Veneto 30122, IT

Trattoria La Furatola
Calle Lunga de San Barnaba, Dorsoduro,2870, Venice, Veneto 30123, IT

Vini da Gigio
Fondamenta di San Felice, Cannaregio, 3628, Venice, Veneto 30121, IT

Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking includes recipes from all regions, more from some (e.g. Emilia Romagna) than from others (e.g. Puglia). Still unsurpassed, in my opinion, as an introduction for English-speakers to regional Italian cooking.

I'd stick with Italian, but bear in mind that Italian food differs greatly from region to region. There are restaurants in Rome that specialize in the food of one region or another. Colline Emiliane is very good for traditional Bolognese; Trattoria Monti features food from Le Marche; L'Asino d'oro is a mix of Umbrian and Roman, both slightly revisited.

-----
Trattoria Monti
Via di San Vito,13a, Roma , IT

Colline Emiliane
Via degli Avignonesi, 22, Rome, Lazio 00187, IT

L'Asino d'Oro
Via del Boschetto 73, Rome, Lazio 00184, IT

And finally La Pergola.

All the restaurants should now show on the map. Colline Emiliane is within walking distance. You can take bus No. 63 or 630 to Checchino; Metro A from Barberini to Lepanto will get you reasonably close to Settembrini. You'd probably want to take a cab to the others, because public transport involves either a change or a longish walk at one or both ends. La Pergola might take more than 30 minutes, even by cab.

-----
La Pergola
Via A Cadlolo 101,, Rome, Lazio 00136, IT

It only seems to work one at a time.

-----
Checchino dal 1887
Via di Monte Testaccio, 30, Rome 00153, IT

Adding missing links:

-----
All'Oro
Via Eleonora Duse, 1, Rome, Lazio , IT

A Rome restaurant owner has just been quoted in an Italian food blog that he's now using artichokes from Puglia (not strictly local but better than northern France). Radicchio should be in season. Zucca should still be available. There might even still be some porcini around.

Tim Atkin, the writer of the article, is The Observer's wine critic and a Master of Wine, widely regarded as the top qualification in the wine world.

The article was more a wine review than a food review: he mentioned the dishes but said nothing more about them. I would not necessarily expect - or rely on - a restaurant review from a wine critic.

His knowledge of Tuscan food and Florence restaurants is certainly lacking, but I sometimes wonder whether it isn't a fairly common failing among the British. Some Brits just don't get it about Italian food (but a few have written masterfully about it), and for sheer pigheaded ignorance, it would be hard to top this article by a fashion writer (who should never have been allowed to write about food in the first place) in The Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-sty...

Fumetto is primarily defined as concentrated fish stock, fumet de poisson in French. But looking at the photo, it might also be the second definition given by my Italian dictionary of food terms that applies: finely ground cornmeal.

Thank you for a lovely report, all chapters of it. Your experience at Ottaviani is very typically Roman and one that many visitors miss out on by not returning and establishing a relationship.

Yes, I did read the article to the end. It says: "The “bread and cover charge” was officially banned by the regional government of Lazio in 2006, yet it continues to appear on many bills, both for visitors as well as locals."

My point is that the "coperto" charge has been abolished; the "pane" charge has *not* been abolished and is perfectly legitimate. For the reasons I mentioned, bills may still say "pane e coperto" or even "coperto", but the charge is *only* for the bread. Most locals want bread and do not object to paying for it. Visitors who object to paying for bread can wave it away when it is brought to the table and avoid paying the charge. I have never been charged for bread that I waved away, but I also try not to frequent touristy restaurants. Some restaurants that have been lauded to the skies here have reportedly become restaurants that try tricks on visitors (which is not the only but certainly a major part of how I personally define a touristy restaurant), adding service charges when the menu says "servizio incluso"; for all I know, they also charge visitors for bread that has been waved away.