Molo Diciassette Ristorante in Ostia (Rome), Italy

Posted by Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 9/25/2017

Molo Diciassette Ristorante in Ostia (Rome), Italy

Ostia is a large community that's a fraction of Rome sitting near the ancient port of Rome on the Tyrrhenean Sea. It's a place where the sea is the protagonist in everyone's activities whether it's about sports, going to the beach or the most important thing, eating good seafood. Because when there's the sea in front of you, the catch is fresh and bountiful. Simone Curti and Fabrizio Moscara both grew up in the coastal town of Ostia. Friends and business partners and with a common love for fishing, they opened their first restaurant in their hometown called Molo Diciassette.

Simone Curti is the chef who also happens to be an artist. In fact, the walls of Molo Diciassette are graced with his colorful depictions of the sea. Prior to the restaurant, he earned his professional experiences in the important kitchens of Ristorante Officina Gastronomica alle Tamerici in Ladispoli, Bastianelli Al Molo in Fiumicino and Pascucci al Porticciolo in Fiumicino, all along the Tyrrhenean Sea. Fabrizio Moscara instead was a flight attendant and had dreams of becoming a pilot but his career road veered towards something else. He took over his family's catering services at the Lega Navale di Ostia and that's where the two met and the idea of Molo Diciassette came about.

Speaking about the location of Molo Diciassette at Via dei Lucilii, 17, it's hard not to think about the previous restaurant that occupied it for so many years and where they also gained their Michelin Star. It may be that Il Tino Ristorante left its mark in this place but Molo Diciassette, a fresh restaurant of just a few months is making its own name too. Friends and admirers of the previous restaurant, Simone and Fabrizio wish to continue to pave the avenue for good gastronomy in their restaurant.

Their kitchen philosophy is simple and straightforward that celebrates the fresh catch of the local fishermen. The cooking of Simone takes on the traditional and innovative combinations of flavors. It's a place where you come to have friendly service, good food and wine in a cheerful ambience of white wood and bold splashes of color from Simone's seascape paintings and hand-painted bluegreen chairs.

As a welcome plate, an amuse bouche of smoked anchovy, bufala stracciatella and raspberry (alice affumicate, stracciatella di bufala e lampone) was served which gave an interesting game of playing with flavors.

For appetizers, we chose smoked mackerel, sour cream, blackberries and rhubarb (maccarello affumicato, panna acida, more e rabarbaro) and the filo pastry, light caponata and ricotta cheese (caramella di pasta filo, caponata leggera e ricotta). These two plates gave an interesting opening to how Simone's kitchen is which is direct with a good balance of tradition and creativity using fresh quality ingredients.

The Afeltra pacchero pasta, tuna ragù and smoked provola cheese (pacchero Afeltra, ragù di tonno e provola affumicata) was a remarkable dish.

For main dish, I chose the porchetta pork fillet and celeriac (filetto di maiale in porchetta e sedano rapa).

To conclude the dinner, we got the tartlet with ricotta and figs (tartelletta, ricotta e ficchi) and white chocolate mousse and passionfruit (mousse al cioccolato bianco e passionfruit).

It's a restaurant worth going back to for another round of surprises from the kitchen of Simone and amiable service of Fabrizio.