Fraschette & Osterie of Via Roma
The fraschetta — a Roman-countryside institution where a bunch of greenery (frasca) hung outside the door once signalled fresh wine for sale — survives in Grottaferrata in a handful of no-nonsense osterie along and just off Via Roma. These are places where the wine comes in a jug, the menu is written on a chalkboard and the food is emphatically, deliciously local.
What to Order
Start with the antipasto della casa: bruschetta with local olive oil, supplì, bruschetta with lardo, and whatever vegetable the kitchen has pickled or roasted that week. Follow with pasta — specifically, fettuccine al ragù bianco (white meat ragù, no tomato) or rigatoni con pajata if you are feeling adventurous (veal intestines in tomato, a Roman classic that tastes far better than it sounds).
For a secondo, abbacchio alla cacciatora — Roman-style lamb braised with rosemary, garlic, white wine and anchovies — is the dish this territory has perfected over centuries. Finish with a small glass of the house Frascati Superiore, which will be poured without ceremony and taste of cold volcanic stone.
The Fraschetta Experience
The atmosphere is the point as much as the food: long communal tables, paper tablecloths, the sound of Roman dialect, carafes of wine arriving without being ordered. These are not restaurants trying to impress; they are places trying to feed you well, which is a more useful ambition.
Look for Osteria del Borgo or ask locals on Via Roma for whichever place they personally go — recommendations change seasonally as kitchens and ownership evolve. Arriving at 1 pm sharp on a weekday, when the room fills with local workers and families, gives you the most authentic version of the experience.
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