Piadina Romagnola at La Piada di Cattolica
No visit to Cattolica is complete without eating a proper piadina, the thin unleavened flatbread that is Romagna's most honest culinary export — and the little piadinerie dotted around town do it infinitely better than any restaurant. La Piada and its neighbours near the market produce them fresh on the testo (a flat terracotta griddle), blistered and warm, stuffed to bursting with local fillings.
What to Order
The classic combination is squacquerone and rucola — the soft, slightly sour cheese melts into the warm bread and the peppery rocket cuts through the richness perfectly. Add a slice of prosciutto crudo and you have one of the great simple lunches of Italian cuisine.
For something more substantial, ask for the version with salsiccia di Romagna (a coarse-ground pork sausage grilled on the spot) and grilled radicchio — it is messy, smoky and absolutely magnificent.
The Piadina Culture
In Cattolica the piadineria is as much a social institution as a food stop: locals queue at the counter at 12:30 sharp, eat standing up or perched on a stool, and are back at work within 20 minutes.
Since 2014 the Piadina Romagnola IGP has had protected geographical status, meaning the recipe and ingredients are legally defined — what you eat here is the genuine article, not the supermarket imitation.
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