Smiles, creativity, and some youthful mistakes. How dining at Portale 21 in Marino, the bet won by Valentina Pacifici, looks like

by Paola Manfredi

To evolve traditions and glorious gastronomic scenes that have become a bit stagnant, a generational turnover is also necessary, bringing new perspectives, fresher tastes, curiosity, and adaptability that older generations have often lost. So, as the immortal Gianni Mura says, "let's give a chance to the young," always, even when freshness and creativity are overshadowed by a bit of carelessness, which can be overcome with experience.

"Portale 21" in Marino is a place that aims to innovate in a location known for its great and classic feasts like the Castelli Romani, bringing a breath of innovation in what is eaten, what is drunk, in the formula, and in the locale.

Portale 21, the revival of a former pizzeria

It started from a former pizzeria-grill, and what emerged is an airy and comfortable place, with a beautiful outdoor space, which we couldn't enjoy due to a very rainy May Day, and a bright interior space, quite minimal and without the exposed brick protocol of tradition.

It is animated by Valentina Pacifici, 28 years old, and a contagious smile when she approaches the table to ask how everything went. She had the right schooling, Niko Romito, and good experiences for her young age and wanted to return to her roots to open her first place, obviously with work started just before the pandemic and therefore a delayed inauguration.

What to eat at Portale 21

Signs, explains Valentina, of the difficult post-covid restaurant adventure are also left in the menu: the starters are called tapas and were designed for when there could be little time spent at the restaurant, and the menus had to be necessarily limited. Well thought out, moreover, because there is much of interest, starting from the Castelli (Roman-style tripe with mint, Pecorino Romano, and tomato and boiled meatballs, aioli, and Roman mint) and goes around always with grace and simplicity (strawberries in tempura panko, herb sauce, soy, and parsley, club sandwich, shredded lamb, and coleslaw).

This polyphony between ingredients and Roman tradition and a more international taste then returns throughout the menu, first courses (homemade butter-flavored fettuccine, chicken liver pate, and roasted mushroom; flour and water gnocchi with lamb ragù, Pecorino Romano, and orange) and second courses (creamed cod mountains, chickpea hummus, and green beans; Devil's chicken, pepper, sweet potato, and Crusco pepper), while for dessert, we landed on the tradition of "evergreen," a perfectly executed classic tiramisu and also beautiful to look at.

What to drink at Portale 21

Drinks are good, with a nice selection of mixed drinks, perfect for tapas, and a careful and not obvious selection of small producers and natural wines. Since the thankless job of observers and singers of the restaurant industry pushes us, or at least should, to sharpen our sense and critical palate, not for pleasure in itself, but for the use of readers and professionals themselves, there is to be remarked, in a lot of positivity, some mistakes.

The club sandwich, a great idea, was too dry due to the wrong wholemeal bread (we discussed it with the chef, who acknowledged and explained, others would have taken note), the gnocchi were very interesting although too slow, the devil's chicken was equally interesting but cold (temperatures are more interesting than plating, give us a service of already taken photos of the dishes for Instagram and then use the salamander, please), and the yogurt semifreddo of Jersey, red fruits, and creamy almonds was really very cold.
These are, I dare say, mistakes of youth, in the sense of a profession still under construction: with the restaurant full, it is objectively difficult to keep an eye on even complex dishes, moreover served with absolutely correct timing.

But the potential is all there, and I feel confident in saying that Valentina and her Portale 21 will go far.