The Fooders have (finally) reopened Mazzo in Rome, at Via degli Equi, after the closure of the first – small – version. Where? In the symbolic neighborhood of the duo’s history, extraordinary interpreters of funky cuisine like few others in Europe. But let’s proceed in order.
Openings, closures, departures, returns, new formats, changes: ladies and gentlemen, here are The Fooders.
I have known them for almost twenty years because I lived in the same neighborhood as Francesca Barreca and Marco Baccanelli. We crossed paths on the streets of San Lorenzo, me an indefatigable eater, they already engaged in the first project, The Gastronauts, a collective of food, music, and art that we still miss.
Those were the golden years of San Lorenzo’s gastronomy; the scenario was rich with interesting proposals and exuberant ferment. To name a few: Uno e Bino by Giovanni Passerini, Tram Tram and BaràBook by Fabiola di Vittorio (the first still stands on Via dei Reti), the vegetarian restaurant L’Arancia Blu, Daniele Gentili’s bar Solea, and many others. But Francesca and Marco didn’t have a fixed place; gastronomic nomadism dominated their talent, so they traveled, cooked. Once – kidding – I brought Massimo Bottura to cook at their home: it was 2009.
Skipping forward, finally in 2013, they decided to settle down. The choice fell on the lively neighborhood of Centocelle, in the eastern outskirts of Rome, and success was immediate. The formula was crazy: a modern micro fraschetta with 12 seats, hand-written chalkboards, hip-hop music, and a single communal table. They served traditional dishes and their own creations, everything thefoodered, executed to perfection. The best of French bistros with an all-Italian twist, 1500 kilometers away from Paris.
Then, in 2019, they left us. Literally. Perhaps too beloved – not only by Romans – to stay in such a small place, Francesca and Marco decided to close Mazzo, but they left, in the same location, a Fried Chicken fast food named LEGS, still one of the most popular spots in Centocelle today. The opening of Legs, along with Emanuele Repetto and Giuseppe Ricciardulli of Birra Artisan, meant beers, some natural wines, gin and tonic on tap, and a lot of fried chicken to eat seated on stools or on the steps just outside the venue. Another success.
Before stopping to consider the new restaurant, The Fooders went on tour. Like the great punk-rock bands of the 90s, they traveled to jam with other chefs (with similar intentions) in different restaurants around the world. I mean Paris, Tokyo, Lisbon, London. The project is called Mazzo Invaders, and in my opinion, it’s far from over.
And finally, Mazzo. The new Big, Fat, and Beautiful Mazzo. The first time I entered, I thought: well done, guys. You deserve it. Because the place is large, modern, with all the elements that have characterized Marco and Francesca both as chefs and as people, so in one word: perfect.
The music station is right next to the open kitchen and has the same dominance in the space, emphasizing the crossover soul of this collective, which now, from the two original members, has grown to over ten.
The menu I tasted included some classics from Mazzo Centocelle, like Ruote Pazze alla Genovese with diaphragm, as in the previous format, includes diaphragm only if available from their chosen producers. Otherwise, it is remixed with other ingredients, in a menu in constant evolution that resembles the methods of musical improvisation: new elements are continuously grafted onto similar patterns.
Then I had Beef Carpaccio with pine butter; Pork alla Mugnaia; Fried Tripe alla romana; Sicilian Broccoli in scapece and goat cheese; Potatoes, pumpkin, and guanciale; Spicy-sweet Pak choi and I could go on, but it’s not useful.
It’s not useful because the menu changes constantly, and I wouldn’t want you to salivate over an offer that is no longer current. The only solution is to book, if you can, and go try this new Mazzo in person. It’s worth it.
