Straforno: focaccia, pizza and burger!

Straforno offers pizzas and focacce to share in a place where conviviality is at home.

We first met Matteo Pavani, the young patron of Straforno, at the book presentation “Pizza e Bolle” in Rome. He immediately gave us a good impression, not only on the recommendations offered  by Giancarlo Casa, but also for the enthusiasm and passion that he expressed when he spoke about pizzas.

On the first occasion, I went with a few friends to visit him and to experience the many culinary delights which he offered on his rich menu. The restaurant is located in the area of San Basilio, which is not too far from via Nomentana. The restaurant has  large open spaces with large windows and a  designated area for those who have children, offering also children’s  entertainment  from Thursday to Saturday.

“I opened 4 years ago, and completely renovated the entire place, however, we kept both the typical wood-fired ovens. “Where did I learn?” Working and observing with my colleagues or going to taste their recipes and sharing and comparing our ideas” explains Matteo who now runs the place alongside his father. “I mostly take care of the dining area, compile the menus, I’m also now working on the next wine list since I have recently become a sommelier”.

I previously mentioned our two wood-fired ovens, one to cook the pizzas in the pan straight over the embers for about 6/7 minutes at a temperature of about 370 ° C and the other for the traditional pizzas and for the  focacce to be stuffed which have to be cooked at about 340 ° C for 5 / 6 minutes.

The dough is always the same, however, a blend of flour is generally used to make the typical Roman Pinsa – which I snubbed initially, but I then changed my mind – a little brewer’s yeast, and then it is left  to sit for 48 hours.

The result? A pizza that is soft and crunchy at the same time, for the classic one, and a more course and thin type for the stuffed one. Many proposals – with or without tomato sauce, scones both: classic or creative, savoury and sweet – all to share, as they are brought to the table cut into slices, an idea that has allowed us to make a very extensive tasting experience  from the classics to the most innovative creative ones.

Margherita, very good

Stuffed with chicken salad, it’s not to my taste

With sausage, for the insatiable

Stracchino and rocket, a classic

Matriciana and Radicchio and gorgonzola

Anchovies and zucchini flowers

Straverdure, mixed vegetables, very tasty

Straciascuolo, filled with stracchino and ciauscolo

A creative one with a twist, pecorino cheese and honey

Le Strafornozzo, stuffed bread pockets? Calzone with the best of the Roman tradition – in this case the parmigiana – which reminds me very much of Stefano Callegari’s Trapizzino.

Finally to the desserts, which are solely for those who have a very sweet tooth, not a personal preference,  too sweet almost to the point of being cloy. A variation of dishes need to be reviewed, hamburgers and fries are good and abundant.

All in all, Straforno is a place to spend pleasant moments with friends, if not too crowded as it has a capacity of 380 indoors and 24 externally, and therefore this is likely to be a bit noisy when the restaurant is full to capacity.

It was a very nice touch to bring the pizzas cut into pieces and slices at the centre of the table, offering an atmosphere of conviviality and relaxation.

I would like to praise the young, smiling and kind staff, as well as Matteo who is dedicated to perfecting his service and his establishment and encouraging customers to try something different from the regular “prosecchino”.

Straforno, via del Casale di San Basilio, 19 – Roma
Telefono: 06.4100667

www.straforno.it