Restaurants go up and down in quality, I understand that. Some new restaurants start out great, then fizzle when the shine wears off. And some old favorites decide to begin catering to tourists – trying to make a fast profit – or else change hands and slip downhill.
And then there is the problem of expanding too fast. Lately in Rome a few places have taken advantage of lower retail rents to expand into more central neighborhoods. I’m all for better food closer to where I live, but if it comes at the expense of the quality of the original? Not so much.
Something like this happened to one of my favorite places, Flavio Velavevodetto. When I first went in 2010, it was fantastic. And continued to be so until about a year and a half ago or so. That’s when Flavio, the owner, expanded and opened a new place in Prati. Unfortunately once he decamped, not only the food, but the service, went south. It wasn’t that it was horrible, but it just wan’t the stellar presentation of Roman cooking I had come to love.
I’m glad to announce that the slump seems to be over. They’ve gotten their act together and are once again serving what is some of the best Roman food in town. A recent lunch included all the greatest hits.
We started out with a bunch of appetizers to share. Toasted slices of pane di lariano came heaped with perfect creamy burrata and a fat briny anchovy, all drizzled with fruity, peppery new harvest olive oil. A plate of nervetti had just the right balance of chewy meat nubbins and crisp pickled veggies.
So attentive was the service that the minute we sat down the waiter informed us that there were only two more portions of fried lamb chops left, did we want them? Did he have to ask twice?
Since we had been indulging a bit too much over the holidays we mostly decided to skip pasta, although my niece Clementine insisted on a portion of tonarelli al cacio e pepe, which was the prefect creamy consistency that is so hard to find these days. And enough pepper, and of good quality, to justify it’s name.
The rest of us indulged in all things meat. My sister, who almost never eats meat, managed to work her way through one of the most tender – and biggest – involtini I’d seen in a long time. We were all stretching our arms across the table to sop up the brilliant tomato sauce. I loved my pea-covered ossobuco, with the meat falling off the marrow filled bones.
I’m often disappointed when I order puntarelle in a restaurant, since the dressing is usually too watery, since the greens are never drained properly. I’m happy to say that Flavio does things right. In other words, the way I do it at home. The puntarelle was dry as a bone, and so able to be coated with the dressing. And a word about the dressing: a mixture of olive oil, garlic, anchovies and lemon juice, it was obviously mixed in a blender to achieve the creamy consistency. I’m sure purest would disagree, but I think this is the perfect method, and the one I use at home, to achieve the correct consistency.
For dessert I ordered a semifreddo di torrone , which was eggy and full of honey and nuts. The winner though was the tiramisu, which was thick with mascarpone and just enough fudgey chocolate.
Did I mention the wines? This is one of the most affordable and best wine selections in this part of town. I love that they do away with a wine list, so that you can just go grab your own bottle off the shelves in the hall. We had the last two bottles of the Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo which went perfectly with everything.
Even though Flavio himself has completely moved to the new place in Prati, I’m glad to see that the original restaurant has returned to what it was.
Flavio Velavevodetto
Via di Monte Testaccio 97
+39.574.4194
Open daily, for lunch and dinner. Even holidays.
For more on dining in Rome, download my app, Eat Italy, available on iTunes.
Great post and pictures. I could not agree more that the blender is the way to go for Puntarelle dressing. if only i could find them in the US,,,? any suggestions?
Also please your recipe (or even better video) for cacio and pepe. you had promised…!
Thanks
Ah, right, I knew there was a video I owed someone!
Hi, Elizabeth!! I just love love love your blog and cookbooks! You’re living the Italian dream! I would so love to have your cacio de pepe recipe… or is it in one of your cookbooks? It was my favorite thing to have in Italy and I’ve tried several recipes online, but they haven’t been the best… I suppose my cooking skills and ingredients could be to blame, but I’d still love to try your recipe if you have one! Ciao!!! Jenny
Have a look at my blog, as well as my youtube channel, where I have a few videos. Although the best one, from Flavio Velevevevodetto, isn’t edited yet.
Okay, great! Thanks!
I am coming to Rome and you are taking me to Flavio Velavevodetto….
Well, I figure that if you can figure out how to leave a comment on my blog, then you deserve at least one dinner at Flavio!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful photos and fun experience!
Best regards-
That picture of tonnarelli-cacio-e-pepe looks the BUSINESS!!!
I knew I recognized that gorgeous cacio e pepe – I ate lunch there last October and it was really delicious, so yellow with egg yolk. I was also taken with the cross section view of amphorae from Monte Testaccio in the walls of one of the dining rooms. One of many things that make Rome magical to me. Ciao, Karen
Yes, very cool that you can see the amphorae in the back of the room!
Monte dei Cocci…indeed!!!
egg yolks in cacio-e-pepe sound like heresy, but maybe that’s what i am missing in mine: that creaminess…
Elizabeth: we need you!
Are you referring to the comment by Karen? I think she was referring to the eggs used to make the pasta itself, tonnarelli. Of course cacio e pepe has no eggs. But it is VERY hard to achieve that level of creaminess at home. Restaurants have it easier, since the pasta water they use is extra starchy, which is an essential ingredient.
Ciao Elisabeth,
ti sono grato per i tuoi apprezzamenti e per le bellissime foto che hai postato.
Mi sono assentato per un po’ da Testaccio per avviare il locale in Prati ma sono ormai da tempo fisso a Testaccio dove spero di incontrarti al più presto.
Un caro ed affettuoso saluto.
Flavio
This definitely at the top of my list whenever I get back to Rome again. I’ll take a pass on the nervetti – of all the dishes nella cucina romana, that may be my least favorite. The opposite is true, however, of the puntarelle. Thanks for the report.
Nervetti are definitely an acquired taste
It would be hard to pass by the cacio e pepe! But….that said everything else looks and sounds fantastic…we must try this place in Testaccio! Wondering, Elizabeth, as we stay in Prati, where Flavio’s newish place is? Very glad to hear that the “old” place has rebounded! It’s such a disappointment when a favourite heads south! Meet you for lunch…you and Joe can share the burrata & anchovy as well as the puntarelle (I will taste it though just to be sure)…lamb and involtini…a sharing tavola!
I still feel there’s a lot of variety in the quality of their food and service depending on the day. Went there a month ago, had really good appetizers and an amazing amatriciana, went there again last week and, after waiting for 45 minutes, had a cold carbonara (totally unacceptable!). they told me was the waiters fault as he didn’t have time to bring it to me quickly enough. What a shame, they really have a nice wine selection and usually such lovely food
Argh! What a frustrating story. Did they replace your carbonara?
I ate there in November after reading what you and another person had to say about it. I was with a friend who studied archaeology so we asked for a table with a view of the amphorae when booking. We didn’t get one – we ended up in the basement. I pointed out our request but they didn’t seem to care.
While the food was great the service was just awful. The waitresses did their best to avoid all eye contact with diners when walking around the dining room. We had to ask for the same things (wine, our appetizer etc) over and over because it seemed like they forgot to fully put in our order. There was more but all in all the service was so bad that I would not recommend it to anyone I know. And the lights downstairs! I felt like I was in an interrogation room. I know Italians like bright dining rooms but that was over the top.
So sorry to hear about your bad experience there, but I’m wondering if you are confusing it with another restaurant? Flavio doesn’t have a basement room. They only have two big rooms, at the back of which are glassed in walls of terra cotta amphorae. Or, perhaps, you were in those rooms (which are very brightly lit I must say) and didn’t realize it? They can feel like being in a basement I guess, since they have no windows and are built into the hill.
My wife and I will be in Rome this April. Looking for really good non tourist local restaurants. Any suggestions. Staying at Hotel Eden. Thanks
I’ve got lots of suggestions, most of which are on this blog and on my app, Eat Italy. I also prepare personalized culinary intineraries if you’d like more information?