Restaurant: Roscioli
Location:Via dei Giubbonari, 21/22, 00186 Roma
Date: June 6, 2015
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Really superb updated trattoria food
Kicking off my Eating Italy 2015 is this update on the traditional Roman trattoria. I found it by extensive online searching for top Roman restaurants.
Roscioli is also a Salumeria.
Some of the wares up front.
A small section of tables crammed into the typical (and attractive) Roman interior.
The breads were pretty amazing. At least one was sweet.
These pizza-like flatbreads were delicious.
The long menu.
2006 Azienda Agricola Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva Villa Bucci. VM 90. The summer’s Verdicchio Classico Riserva 2006 Villa Bucci flows with gorgeous layers of ripe apricots, peaches, flowers, smoke and minerals. This is a wonderfully rich, expansive Verdicchio That blossoms on the palate with notable complexity and nuance. At four years of age, it is still incredibly vibrant! The 2006 reserve can be enjoyed today, but it looks to have anche a very bright future ahead of it.
agavin: The server recommended this, and as I’ve never had an aged Verdicchio before I really wanted to try it. Very interesting and aromatic with a touch of oxidation and a nose almost like a white Burgundy. Really dry and complex.
This is also another local summer favorite, a blend of a Campari-like liquor and Prosecco.
Roman Arancini. Fried risotto.
Inside is rice, cheese, and a ragu. Really creamy and delicious.
BURRATA FROM ANDRIA WITH RAW PRAWNS TARTARE. king prawns tartare served with burrata cheese and finished
with favignana botargo curls.
Unusual but delightful combination of burrata with the raw prawn and the slight briny crunch of the botarga. Eaten in tiny mouthfuls to be savored, and an amazing pairing with the aged white wine.
PUGLIESE “BURRATA” WITH ANCHOVIES. anchovies from cantrabian sea (fished in 2014).
I haven’t generally paired burrata with fish, but it certainly worked here to showcase this even creamier version of the cheese.
FRIED ANCHOVIES. Fresch fried anchovies with pepper sauce and chilli.
A more elegant take on the classic little fried bait fish.
BUTTER AND PARMESAN. short pasta – rigatone – with echirè butter “demi-sel”, parmesan made from red cow’s milk, seasoned for 36 months and “bruna alpina” parmesan seasoned for 30th months.
My son’s favorite cheese is red cow parm, so he HAD to get this.
“LA MATRICIANA O AMATRICIANA”. bombolotto paffuto pasta tossed with san marzano dop tomatoe sauce, crispy cheek pig and romanian dop pecorino cheese.
Classic Roman. The pork was crunchy!
ANCHOVIES PASTA. home cooked fresh anchovies and egg, wild fennel, chopped tomato and toasted hazelnuts.
A slight update to Pasta con Sardo, the very unusual medieval pasta.
CHEESE AND PEPPER (CACIO E PEPE). tonnarello tossed with romanian pecorino cheese dop, “cacio” from moliterno, pecorino di fossa from sogliano del rubicone and malaisian black pepper.
Amazing pasta and nicely cheesy. Maybe not as much pepper as I might like but delicious.
“LA CARBONARA”. spaghettone pasta tossed with crispy pork cheek, malaisian black pepper, paolo parisi eggs and romanian pecorino cheese dop.
Another Roman classic. Really done to perfection. The airy porky crunch of the fried pork cheek was to die for.
chicory tossed with garlic, olive oil and chilly flakes.
Colon sweeper!
SALMON SELECTION. selection of salmons: scottish from cutherland, norwegian from vetvikja island and marinated with dill garnished with fresh lemon juice. A whole lotta lox!
ROMAN MEATBALLS. roman meatballs tossed in a rich tomato sauce garnished with smoked ricotta cheese curls and chestnuts polenta.
Really savory meatballs here. Lots of complex porky flavor and super light and fluffy. Great tomato sauce too.
Some little shortbread cookies with chocolate dipping sauce.
Overall, really really tasty food. Takes the classic fare, and for the most part neither deconstructs or reinvents it, but by using both amazing ingredients, slick execution, and lively plating, brings it up to date.
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