Last night La Gatta Mangiona was the place to be. Mafaldina was there with her beau, Arcangelo and Stefania Dandini dined with friends, and so were lots of other Rome food people who had the night off from their restaurant jobs. We were fortuitously seated near Malfadina, who was eating a pizza I’ve never tried at La Gatta before–la pizza di igles, with mozzarella, baked seasoned tomatoes, herbs and edible flowers. I didn’t even look at the menu. I was hooked.
As all meals at La Gatta should begin, we started with fritti: potato croquettes stuffed with leeks and cod, ink and cuttlefish suppli, and little hot pockets filled with mozzarella, ham, and ricotta. Then came the pizze. My pizza di igles resembled a Jan Brueghel the Elder floral still life. Its flavor was unusual, sweet, and herbal, a portrait of springtime on a plate.
La pizza di igles is one of La Gatta’s spring specials. To visit La Gatta, take the 8 tram twelve stops to San Giovanni di Dio or the 44 bus nineteen stops to Via Ozanam. La Gatta Mangiona is located 150 yards from both stops, at Via F. Ozanam, 30-32; tel +39-06-346-702; open Tues-Sun 7:45-23:30 p.m.
