Plenty of substance and no frills: near the Parioli area in Rome, there is one of the most authentic Roman trattorias

In Rome, there is no shortage of historic signs that still elevate Roman cuisine today. Several are concentrated in the city center on both sides of the Tiber, while others persist in working-class neighborhoods like San Giovanni or Garbatella. However, today we want to talk about an osteria born in 1940 in the very chic Trieste-Parioli district, an area that still represents an undisputed stronghold of that somewhat bourgeois and certainly affluent Roman spirit. A part of Rome where, among the elegant buildings designed by Moretti and Gio Ponti, you wouldn't expect to find a trattoria with a sweetly decadent and deeply popular soul.

From Emilio: over 50 years of Roman cuisine

At number 189 Via Alessandria, there is Da Emilio, one of those trattorias without pretense or deceit. The sign reads exactly what you find inside: plenty of substance and no frills. We're not telling you this because we've tasted one of the city's best carbonaras or because the kitchen produces a dish that simply has no equal elsewhere. None of that. We're talking about this trattoria because here you can eat good, homely Roman cuisine while breathing a warm and welcoming atmosphere, the kind that sometimes you can't even create during certain family lunches where everyone has to pretend to be nice but fails. Da Emilio is one of those places where you can come alone with the absolute certainty that no one will look at you with pity as if you were suffering from abandonment syndrome, also because - for those struck by a sudden bout of loneliness - Emilio makes his rounds among the tables dispensing advice, chatting, and telling those who ask, how the story of this place began.

A coat of white on the walls

"This restaurant has been around since 1940, my wife Italia and I took it over in 1970. Me in the dining area and her in the kitchen, it's been like this for 54 years. We've devoted ourselves completely to this business and until about ten years ago, during the summer instead of going on vacation, we took the opportunity to give the walls a coat of white and do small jobs." Emilio, who is now 85 years old, says. He can count on the support of his son Claudio and another good collaborator in the dining area, but there isn't a day when he doesn't come to his restaurant, along with his wife. It's beautiful to see him moving among the tables, never with empty hands, mind you: he brings or removes dishes, the bread basket, water. Most of the time, he stops to talk with the guests, many of whom are longtime customers who don't even look at the menu anymore because they know it by heart. Like that table for two, where a father and son sit. "But do you have penne alla giudia today? I used to have them all the time when I was a kid! Remember, Dad?" Asks the young man, talking about this very poor dish (pasta with tomato sauce, basil, and anchovies) that Emilio learned as a boy when he worked in a tavern in San Giovanni.

From Aldo Fabrizi to Gianni Morandi

Several framed pictures hang on the walls: one with the certificate of Knight of the Republic, an honor bestowed on Emilio a few years ago, another with him and his wife together with Gianni Morandi. Then there's a photo of Mrs. Italia with Aldo Fabrizi: "Mr. Fabrizi lived in Piazza Bari, he was here with us every day for lunch. - Emilio recounts - Punctual at 1 PM, he was brought by his chauffeur and always sat at the same table."

And not far from Aldo Fabrizi's spot, Adolfo, a gentleman of Emilio's age, is having lunch alone. His table is next to the wall, he eats homely dishes: pasta with oil and Parmesan, grilled meatballs, and broccoli. Emilio's son passes by several times to make sure everything is to his liking, tempting him with a dessert, "Shall I bring you a little dessert, Ado?" and shortly after, he arrives with a slice of chocolate cake. Adolfo needs a bit more attention, he lost his mother, who was over a hundred years old, at Easter, but then again, one never stops being someone's child.

Roman cuisine and homely dishes

The menu is enclosed in an A4 sheet divided into columns of starters, first courses, second courses, and so on. At the top center, it reads Homely Cuisine, and right below, "Today's List," which consists of a vast number of dishes that are reasonably narrowed down by a pencil-written NO. For lovers of Roman first courses, we recommend an old-school gricia, slightly dry without the creamy texture from (unnecessary) risotto-like cooking. This late-arriving spring still allows you to enjoy that veal ossobuco with mashed potatoes, a substantial dish that Italia knows how to cook particularly well. There are still the last artichokes, made Roman-style here with garlic, mint, and the generous amount of oil they require. Quite good, tender, and tasty, is the hunter-style lamb. Emilio's "signature" side, thinly sliced raw cabbage dressed like puntarelle. Perhaps it's the general warmth and the old-fashioned kindness of Mr. Emilio, but we forgive a far from ecumenical amatriciana, with onion and a forgettable smoked pancetta, along with the bread basket that holds some terrible breadsticks. The bill is in line with the honesty of the place and those who run it: around 38 euros per person for a full meal.

Da Emilio - Roma - via Alessandria, 129