Osteria Fernanda in Rome, Italy

Posted by Rowena Dumlao Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 11/16/2016

Osteria Fernanda in Rome, Italy

Through the glass wall, the white walls, tall shelves of wine all the way to the ceiling, and emphasis on wood, Osteria Fernanda's minimalist contemporary design beckons you to come in and take part in their phenomenal rendition of gastronomy. I like places where the sun rays are allowed to stream inside and where the brightness accentuates the food that I am eating. With simplicity around the restaurant, the dishes that arrive on the table instead speak of originality and creativity. Osteria Fernanda's muted ambiance gives the food the importance that they need because nothing can distract the senses from the protagonists.

Both pictures above from Osteria Fernanda's website.

The menu at Osteria Fernanda changes often because they believe in using fresh ingredients that the current season can provide the kitchen. They abide for quality and freshness and it is what you would be expecting on your plates. The menu offers a variation of land and sea entries. Chef Davide Del Duca, Roman by origin, has bridged his original creations with local traditions so expect a dish or two that are strongly characterized by the use of typical Roman cuisine ingredients. When he creates original dishes, his inventions are deeply rooted to his experiences and daily life. You will find very interesting contrasts of flavors and aromas that bring excitement to the palate.

Menus always leave me in a predicament because choosing the perfect dish among a list of dishes that arouse the gastronomic curiosity is not so easy. Don't I wish I can try them all! That's the time when opting for the degustazione or tasting menu is the best solution. Leave it to the best of the chef. Ordering just one kind of wine for the duration of the tasting menu can be difficult so ask for suggestions from the restaurant's hosts Manuela Menegoni and Sommelier Andrea Marini. They will make sure to give you a good wine pairing.

A small platter of a selection of amuse bouche with energetic savour opens up the succession of courses for the degustazione after a really lovely treat of freshly-baked warm bread and beurre d'Isigny.

A must-try is the Cappelletto alla Birra con Foie Gras, Nocciole e Funghi (Beer-filled cappelletto pasta with foie gras, hazelnuts and mushrooms) that won the Birra Morretti Grand Cru Award in 2014. A liquid combination of grand cru beer with cream and egg yolks is trapped inside the fresh pasta as it sits on Parmigiano Reggiano foam and served with hazelnuts, caramelized porcini mushrooms with beer and foie gras.

A traditional dish takes part in the degustazione and Chef Davide Del Duca's version of the Amatriciana will linger in your mouth for its vigorous flavors. It's intense, rich in tastes and just simply delectable.

The Anatra, Nocciola, Albicocca Fermentata e Cipolloto (Duck, Hazelnut, Fermented Apricot and Spring Onion) gives a distinctive marriage of flavors.

Pre-dessert and the dessert plate of Ricotta, Gelato di Salvia, Frutti Rossi e Karkadè (Ricotta, Sage Gelato, Red Fruits and Karkadè) concluded a delightful dining experience. An encounter with Chef Davide Del Duca's creations is an opening to the vast world of aromas that are put together in both harmonious and contrasting effects in the mouth.

His dishes got my attention in the last gastronomic event in Rome, Taste of Roma where I tried two remarkable dishes that are also present in the restaurant's current menu: Spaghetti, Melanzana Bruciata, Gambero Rosso e Pistacchi (Spaghetti, Scorched Eggplant, Red Shrimp and Pistachios) and Ostrica, Pomodoro, Alghe e Muso di Maiale (Oyster, Tomato, Seaweed and Pig Snout Chips). If those two dishes made me find my way to the permanent kitchen of Chef Davide Del Duca, some of the new dishes I tried will definitely make me follow the same road I traveled to Osteria Fernanda.

With a 10-year experience on their backs, co-proprietors Chef Davide Del Duca and Sommelier Andrea Martini are still headstrong in creating a dynamic gastronomic encounter at Osteria Fernanda.

"Vi aspettiamo a vivere e scoprire Fernanda insieme a noi verso nuovi traguardi, accogliendovi con la passione che ha sempre contraddistinto il nostro percorso professionale"

- Osteria Fernanda