Homesick American Reminds Romans of City’s Old Revelry [archived newspaper article]

 

Stockton Evening and Sunday Record

September 14, 1966

 

(Rome) (CNS) It took a homesick American to teach the Romans the secret to their own romantic revelry, The result of his efforts is Da Meo Patacca.

     Da Meo Patacca is a restaurant, a nightcub, a carefree beer parlor or an old Roman rendezvous, depending upon the mood an inclination of the visitor.

     It is housed in an ancient stable in the heart of Trastevere, the “left-bank” section of Rome, and it spreawls out into the entire Plaza Mercanti, glittering with lanterns hung from the stately old trees that provide an enormous umbrella for the entire square.

     Across the street, there are more stables, still in use, and one can peer in at the horses calmly chomping their oats while the rest of the populace revels in good food, song and wine.

     To many tourists, as well as Italians the whole atmosphere is one that is lost in the rest of 2oth century Rome.

     Yet Remington Olmstead former University of California at Los Angeles football star, dancer and student of opera, did not start his restaurant because of a longing for 18^th century Rome, but rather out of nostalgia for old California.

     After leaving UCLA, Olmstead followed his star to New York and London, ending up in Milan, Italy, as a dancer

COMING HOME

     When he arrived in Rome it was, as it is to many Californians, like coming home. Rome, and the many little seaside towns in the south, had the same stone and adobe architecture that he remembered; the beaches were the same as those from Santa Barbara to La Jolla, and the gentle Latin people were like those he had grown up among.

     He married an Italian girl, Diana, daughter of Daniele Vare, former ambassador and author of “The Laughing Dilomat,” and settled down in Rome.

     Friends encouraged him start a restaurant. He wanted to use charcoal and huge spits for the kind of outdoor barbecues he enjoyed as a boy. He added a list of the Travesteverine family t set up his kitchen and opened Da Meo Patacca.

     His choice of the name explains much of the flavor and spirited activity of continuing fiesta and song that floats out on the night breeze from the Plaza Mercanti.

HE WAS A ROGUE

     As the legend goes, Meo Patacca was a rogue but the poor people of Rome loved him.He stole from everyone but enough managed to filter back to the poor that they considered him a sort of Robin Hood. Then, one year, in a spirit of patriotism that won the hearts of wealthy Romans, he offered to lead an army against the Turks who were then menacing the gates of Eastern Europe, threatening to overrun Austria, and eventually Italy.

     The Roman nobles gave in to his demands and outfitted an army complete with shiny weapons and wagon loads of food and wine for the long journey over the Alps. But Meo Patacca had barely marched out of the northern gate of Rome, swarmed by well wishes, when a messenger rode up to tell him that the Turks had been beaten at Vienna.

     There are some cynics who say Meo knew it all the along. Whatever the real story, he kept the messenger with him, marched his entourage around the outskirts of the city, entered through the southern gate, crossed triumphantly into his own stamping gronds of Trastevere, and threw a party that lasted for a year, until the wine was gone and the last crumb of food thrown to the dogs.

     Olmsted added several troupes of troubadors in the od Italian style who sing everything from naughty Trastever songs to the romantic melodies of Naples and from grand opera to American folk songs.

     In 1959 about two centures later, Meo Patacca’s grand fiesta began again in the heart of Trastevere. It is still going strong.

[CUTTING UP – Da Meo Patacca in Rome alwsy draws the stars from Italy’s film world. An evening could bring out Anna Madnani (center) who is having a laugh with restaurant ownere Diana Vare Olmstead and Remington Olmstead.]

[Olmstead had an uncredited role in the 1965 Franco & Ciccio film “The Two Sergeants of General Custer”. In all he appeared in 16 films including “Ben Hur” and “Helen of Troy”.