Lucky for us, they particularly fell in love with DC
And in particular, they fell in love with the Eastern Market neighborhood in Capitol Hill.
For years, they’ve kept an eye on the U.S. real estate market — particularly in the Washington, D.C., area — in hopes that a space would open up where they could open a Pinsa boutique. The pandemic hit. Seventh Hill Pizza, a few doors down from the market itself, has closed its doors. It’s sad, but it was a happy coincidence for the couple: an available space in the area they liked and which already contained a built-in pizza oven.
In 2021, after 40 years in Rome, they were finally able to cross the Atlantic permanently.
Now anyone who wants to escape to Rome for an hour or so just needs to head down Seventh Street SE to La Casina DC.
Which is quite lucky for me, because I’m one of those Americans who honeymooned in Rome with my wife, Maoria – yes, the one I dragged to an Indian picnic in 22 degrees earlier this year – and who were constantly complaining about their return to the United States. .
But at a cozy table filled with carbs and spritzes at La Casina, it was like we’d never left.
It’s not the music, nor the wine list, nor the spritzes, nor the decor, nor the television which broadcasts a video loop of the Roman streets and landscapes. It’s not even the Italian chatter you hear drifting around the small restaurant. Although all of that certainly helps.
La Pinsa is a type of Roman pizza, but to an uneducated American it might look more like a flatbread, given its oval shape. The key is the dough: high humidity, low gluten and very little yeast. It resides in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before being stretched into an oblong shape, topped, and tossed into the 700-degree oven.
Each bite produces a satisfying crunch before giving way to an almost absurdly light, chewy and pleasantly chewy bite. Frankly, I’d be happy to eat the pinsa base plain, like bread – which is sort of an option. The Nuvolette Arrabbiate, a must-try appetizer, is made with bites of dough fried and served with dipping sauces. Or Le Nuvolette Marinare, which adds anchovies and mozzarella to give the rounds an extra umami punch.
Yes, as you will soon learn, the menu items are all listed in Italian (with English descriptions), which made a recent visit even more authentic. And frankly, the fact that Maoria, our two friends and I were the only English-speaking guests that evening seemed a bit far-fetched. Were all the other customers plants? In fact, La Casina’s appeal among native Italians is a point of pride for Andellini: “We see a lot of Italians eating together, because they recognize that the restaurant is authentic. When you find the Italian people, you have found the Italian place.
As for which pinsa to choose, well, that was a challenge we faced on every visit.
They run the gamut from simple to complex, from vegetarian to meaty. The restaurant imports almost all of the ingredients — 95 percent, Costantini says — from Italy, except for fresh ingredients like vegetables, which are local.
Both La Carbonara and La Cacio e Pepe reflect the pastas they are based on: the former is a delicious blend of guanciale, egg, olive oil, pecorino romano and black pepper, and the latter is simply a mixture of cheese, olive oil and, of course. , black pepper.
My favorite – at least so far; there are so many to choose from – is the Ottavo Colle, topped with lardo, pecorino Romano and truffle-infused olive oil and given a colorful touch by thinly sliced rainbow potatoes and fresh rosemary, all orange, purple and green and perfect.
Really, you can’t go wrong. Do you like pepperoni? Take La Milanaise. Want thin slices of prosciutto? The Bufalina is your order. Fan of vegetables? La Vegetariana includes zucchini, eggplant, potatoes and tomatoes, with the option of adding olives and artichokes.
Speaking of artichokes, the Carciofi alla Romana (fried artichokes) appetizer will put you right in the center of Rome’s Jewish ghetto. And don’t sleep on suppli, the crispy, gooey, cheesy fried risotto balls, a famous Roman street food.
You can always go ahead and cross the proverbial Rubicon: in this case, for this reviewer, that means opting for the White House, a deliciously rich double layer of pinsa dough stuffed with Gorgonzola, cacio Romano cheese, mozzarella di Bufala, pecorino Romano, sun-dried tomatoes with pink salt and black pepper — and green flecks of rosemary and thyme decorating its crispy cap.
As the name suggests, the space is small, so reservations may be a good idea, especially if you plan to stop by on weekends, when crowds of (often hungry) people swarm Seventh Street while browsing records, trinkets, artwork and merchandise. at the outdoor farmers market. If expertly crafted cocktails are an important part of a meal for you, be warned: the drinks menu is wine-focused, save for a few beers and the occasional aperitif spritz.
At La Casina, do as the Romans do: eat the pinsa as soon as it arrives on your plate. “In Italy, it’s like a religion,” Costantini says. When the food arrives on the table, you shut up and eat it hot.
And please don’t ask for substitutions, the couple asks. Each pinsa is a careful and organized dance of flavors. Costantini recalled a customer asking for the cacio e pepe pinsa, hold the pepe. That’s half the dish!
Andellini and Costantini not only designed the menu, they prepare it themselves. No preparation line. No line cook. Just the two of them, working, they say, 16 hours a day making the dough, cooking the food, running the restaurant.
The neighborhood quickly adopted them. They quickly attracted a cohort of regulars, and during their first Christmas in the United States, a fan brought them panettone, a cake traditionally eaten during the holidays in Italy.
“We work very, very hard. But when we go home, we are satisfied,” says Andellini. “We can call this project the classic American dream.”
327 Seventh Street SE, 202-516-5100. lacasinadc.us.
Hours: From 11 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.
Nearest metro: Eastern Market, 361 feet.
Prices: From $5.50 to $24.90 for all menu items.
