Broccia in Rome, at the all-day restaurant in San Lorenzo, offering pizza, cooking, and smart working

How Broccia was born

Why Broccia? "For some time now, all the restaurants in the city have had very short and simple names. So we thought 'broccia,' which in my dialect means fork, was the best choice for this name," says owner Luigi Gallo, originally from Calabria but now a Roman by adoption. He has been working in the retail sector for over thirty years, with experience in New York, Venice, Florence, and Calabria, always working in hotels and restaurants.

Broccia is open from morning to night, meeting a specific customer need. Customers are increasingly looking for places to enjoy a meal at any time of day. In recent times, just think how many people still work remotely and are looking for a non-home environment where they can spend hours on the computer. The nearby university also draws students.

What to eat at Broccia

Broccia has three large windows overlooking the street on Via degli Apuli. It seats 150, 130 inside and about 20 outside (but plans are already underway to expand the outdoor area to seat 60).

Upon entering, we immediately find the bar area, open from 7 a.m. for breakfast. Coffee, freshly squeezed juices, and baked goods prepared by an artisanal bakery are also available. From a quick mid-morning snack to lunch, there are several light lunch options: three first courses and three second courses à la carte, which vary daily, and a fixed-price option.

From the entrance on the right, you enter the pizzeria and restaurant. Davide Valisena, originally from Salerno, has worked in various provincial pizzerias before arriving in Rome. "I've always been passionate about this world; in fact, when I went out to dinner with my parents, I'd always peek behind the pizza chef's counter, just to see and understand. I started working right away, as a kid." His pizza is the result of a blend of three Magri flours (whole wheat, type 1, and type 0) to create a dry pre-ferment, a biga dough of his own creation. Naturally, there is no shortage of classic pizzas, such as the Marinara and Margherita (7 and 7.50 euros), but there is also room for some more contemporary variations such as the Ariccia (13), with basil pesto, smoked provola, baked potatoes, aubergine mushrooms and porchetta, or seasonal ones such as the Zuccosa (15), with grilled pumpkin cream, porcini mushrooms, buffalo mozzarella, fiordilatte, and on top crispy bacon and toasted hazelnut crumble. And of course, fried foods: supplì, chips, potato croquettes and mozzarella balls.

The restaurant's offerings, however, are curated by Alexander Urizio, of Calabrian origins and with various experiences under his belt, including in Rome. "We have written a very broad menu, to offer a choice to all audiences, starting from true Roman tradition, with a careful study of classic recipes; to this are then added various proposals with a marked prevalence of fish". The kitchen, as we said above, is already in motion at lunch, although the evening offerings are richer: not too elaborate dishes and attention to raw materials, they say. We start with starters such as La Caprese dello Chef (10), a mozzarella in carrozza on a sheet of basil and tomato cream, platters of Calabrian cured meats and cheeses, and with fried anchovies (9), sea bass tartare (15) and sautéed mussels and clams (12).

Roman tradition is present above all in the first courses, with cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana and gricia (all 10 euros), but there is also seafood risotto (14) and spaghetti with cod and bottarga (15). Land and sea are also present in the second courses: from fillet steak with porcini mushrooms (22) to baked sea bass with potatoes (25).

And finally the desserts (8): tiramisu, cheesecake, tart and Pizzo truffle.

Broccia. Via degli Apuli 43, Rome. Tel. 06 45420392. Facebook. Instagram. Open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to midnight. Closed on Sundays.