L'Osteria degli Avvocati Roma, a no-frills restaurant that focuses on cod

How the Osteria degli Avvocati was born

Lorenzo left his job as a corporate lawyer to devote himself, heart and soul, to cooking. A passion that seemed far from becoming a profession, but instead took him exactly where he wanted to be. "Cooking has always been my greatest passion, but my father wanted me to be a lawyer. When the crisis in the industry I worked in left me sidelined, I thought that where I couldn't make it professionally, I could win with passion." He began as a dishwasher, then worked his way up through various Roman restaurants, until he reached his ultimate goal: becoming owner and chef of the Osteria degli Avvocati. "Years of experience in the kitchen gave me the joy of seeing customers happy while enjoying my dishes, but something was missing. Like all chefs, I wanted my own restaurant." Adele, a lawyer specializing in environmental law, left her profession to become the soul of the Osteria: dining room manager and wine director. "When Lorenzo and I decided to open our own restaurant, I knew exactly what I wanted to do: to treat our guests with every courtesy. I quit my studies and started a new life." For those who have been in court, the difficulties of opening a restaurant in the midst of a pandemic must have seemed simple challenges to overcome. Adele and Lorenzo haven't given up, and since October 2020, they have been sharing their vision of cooking and dining every day, based on flavor, hospitality, and respect for ingredients.

The menu

Osteria degli Avvocati is a genuine restaurant with simple, unpretentious cuisine. The raw ingredients are the focus of the dishes, with recipes designed to enhance flavors without discarding any of the ingredients. Lorenzo's vision is a zero-waste restaurant, where scraps are repurposed to add flavor and depth to the dish. "Nothing from the food is wasted; everything is reused for a deeper flavor." This means taking full advantage of the ingredients' unique characteristics and significantly reducing the use of salt. The menu is regional and seasonal, varying based on ingredient availability, fully respecting nature's rhythms.

The menu currently features traditional Roman dishes like carbonara, amatriciana, and gnocchi au gratin (all €12), as well as seafood specialties like roasted octopus on a fennel salad (€20) or linguine with clams, garlic powder, and parsley (€14). Lorenzo relies on Cibaria for his PDO pecorino cheese and San Rocco guanciale, both characterized by their long maturation and low salt content. The olive oil, meanwhile, comes from the Calabrian farm Giacco Ferdinando. The wine list, carefully curated by Adele, features niche labels and local producers.

The focus on cod

One of the ingredients consistently featured on the menu, used in a variety of recipes, is cod. The forerunner of Roman cuisine, it's the true focus of Lorenzo's menu. "Cod has always been a childhood memory for me; it was the dish my mother prepared for me every Friday. I must admit I wasn't a fan of it, but then, in life, things change." Cod is an expression of peasant cuisine but also a highly versatile ingredient. "During my career transition, I began to approach this product with a different focus. I discovered how this preservation method has a long history, allowing a food to be preserved simply by salting. I was fascinated by it, rediscovering its flavor, its versatility, its potential for use in different dishes, the possibility of reusing every part of it." In Rome, cod is a symbol: a food that unites tradition, religion, myth, and history. "It recalls papal Rome. A humble ingredient, yes, but one that is experiencing a new life with ever greater identity and valorization."

For Osteria degli Avvocati, Lorenzo chose soaked wild Norwegian cod from the Monti family. This cod is unique in that it undergoes HPP (high-pressure processing). This process uses high-pressure technology to vacuum-pack the rehydrated product. This way, the fish retains all of its organoleptic characteristics, preserving its flavor, color, and texture. At the Osteria, cod is featured in every course on the menu: appetizers, first courses, and second courses. Among his favorite dishes is fried cod, but it doesn't strictly follow tradition: "I decided some time ago to fillet it in tempura, so as not to weigh it down with the usual batter and maintain its distinct identity." Among the first courses, Adele's spaghetti stands out, in which "the cod marries yellow datterino tomatoes in seawater." Among the second courses, there are many alternatives such as cod with oven-popped cherry tomatoes and steamed potatoes, but also cod on gazpacho or cod on cream of potatoes and coffee powder "for those who love more innovative and bold flavours".

The Lawyers' Inn. Via Aurelia 74-78, Rome. Tel. 351 9885897. Website. Facebook. Instagram.