Visits by Mr. Foodoso at Lievito Francesco Arnesano

We were there for the maritozzo. Francesco Arnesano's Lievito had been on our list for a while, supposedly one of the best in Rome. Four people, Tuesday morning, breakfast.

Let's start with the sore point right away. The maritozzo with cream, which was the reason we were there, disappointed us. And not just a little. The size had shrunk compared to how we remembered it, the cream was sparse and, above all, whipped too much—almost buttery, heavy. The dough? Perhaps slightly overcooked, not airy enough. The sweetness was right, that much is true. But we're no longer talking about a maritozzo that makes you raise an eyebrow. It's become an ordinary maritozzo, and for something with a reputation for being in a class of its own, that's a problem.

The pizza, though, still knocks it out of the park. Excellent, well-executed, at the highest level. No complaints there.

Oh, the pain au chocolat. It won me over halfway: airy dough, well-crafted, but the chocolate inside was almost a ghost. The two bars were barely distinguishable. A real shame, because the foundation was solid.

Five euros a head for breakfast in Rome is always reasonable. Only, when you're paying for breakfast that's supposed to be special, you want it to be special.

Would we go back? For the pizza, yes. For the maritozzo, for now, we'll see.