The story of my grandfather, inventor of the well-known "fettuccine all'Alfredo"

Ines Di Lelio, granddaughter of the legendary Alfredo, writes to Gambero Rosso to tell the true story of Fettuccine all'Alfredo, a wildly popular dish that has bewitched America.

Who is Alfredo, the inventor of the famous fettuccine

Alfredo Di Lelio, born in September 1883 in Rome in Vicolo di Santa Maria in Trastevere, began working as a boy in the small trattoria opened by his mother Angelina in Piazza Rosa, a small widening (which disappeared around 1910) that existed before the construction of Galleria Colonna (now Galleria Sordi). The year 1908 was an unforgettable year for Alfredo Di Lelio: in fact, his son Armando was born and his "fettuccine", which later became famous all over the world, saw the light at the same time in that Piazza Rosa trattoria. This trattoria is "the birthplace of fettuccine all'Alfredo."

The origin of fettuccine Alfredo

Alfredo Di Lelio invented his "fettuccine" to give a natural restorative, made of butter and Parmesan cheese, to his wife (and my grandmother) Ines, who was prostrate following the delivery of her firstborn (my father Armando). The dish of "fettuccine" was a family success even before it became the dish that made Alfredo Di Lelio famous and popular, a character with an "Umberto mustache" and calluses on his hands from mixing his "fettuccine" in front of his ever-growing customers. In 1914, following the closure of said trattoria due to the disappearance of Piazza Rosa due to the construction of the Galleria Colonna (now Galleria Sordi), Alfredo Di Lelio decided to open his own restaurant "Alfredo" in Rome (on Via della scrofa), which he ran until 1943, and then sold the business to third parties unrelated to his family. But Alfredo Di Lelio's absence from the gastronomic scene was entirely transitory.

Alfredo in the gastronomic scene

In fact, in 1948 he resumed control of his family tradition and opened, together with his son Armando, the restaurant "Il Vero Alfredo" (also known abroad as "Alfredo di Roma") in Piazza Augusto Imperatore No. 30.

With the start-up of the new restaurant Alfredo Di Lelio achieved a strong success with the public and customers in the years of the "dolce vita." Success, which, to this day, draws in the restaurant a continuous flow of tourists from all over the world to taste the famous "fettuccine all'Alfredo" with double butter served by me, with the commitment to continue over time the family tradition of my dear masters, grandfather Alfredo, my father Armando and my brother Alfredo. In particular, fettuccine are served to customers with 2 "golden cutlery": a golden fork and spoon given to Alfredo in 1927 by the two well-known American actors M. Pickford and D. Fairbanks (in gratitude for their hospitality).

An anecdote from my grandfather's life

Alfredo was a great friend of Ettore Petrolini, whom he met in the early 1900s at a meeting between boys from the Trastevere district (including my grandfather) and boys from the Monti district (including Petrolini). It was Petrolini himself who one day, already a famous actor, going to see his friend Alfredo, after embracing him, said "Alfré adesso famme vedere che sai fa." Alfredo, after performing his typical "show" that saw him mixing steaming fettuccine with his golden cutlery in front of customers, approached his friend Ettore who commented "it's a good thing you didn't become an actor because there was room for both of us" and advised Alfredo to wallpaper the walls of the restaurant with his photos together with the most famous customers. This, too, is part of the heart of the beautiful family tradition that I continue to keep alive with affection and enthusiasm.

I would like to point out that other "Alfredo" restaurants in Rome do not belong to and are outside my family brand.

I would like to inform you that the "Il Vero Alfredo" Restaurant is on the Roll of "Historic Shops of Excellence" of the Municipality of Rome Capital and has been identified by the Ministry of Culture as a cultural asset.

by Ines Di Lelio