Vizi Capitali Ristorante Takes the Pure Flavors of the Sea to Rome, Italy

Posted by Rowena Dumlao Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 3/24/2019

Vizi Capitali Ristorante Takes the Pure Flavors of the Sea to Rome, Italy

If you can't make it to the seaside for a great seafood meal, then there's another way to relish those delicious Italian fish dishes like they just came from the sea. Trastevere might be an unlikely place to savor the sea being in the midst of alleys, shops, tourists and restaurants but in one quiet corner of the area, for the past decade, there is a dependably good place in its simple elegant environment of earth tones of linen and wood called Vizi Capitali (which actually translates to capital sins in English). Why the name? Because Fabio Di Felice, co-owner and Executive Chef of the restaurant gives pure culinary gratification.

Having been born and raised in the Lazio town of Terracina on the Tyrrhenian Coast, Fabio Di Felice has always been exposed to seafood cuisine and passionate about cooking from a very young age. Getting his diploma at Fiuggi Catering Institute, he worked in Al Vicoletto Restaurant in Terracina for eleven years and for this long tenure, he filled up his luggage of knowledge and experience. Afterwards, he gained more experiences in different kitchens in Rome, as well as some major restaurants such as the one of Hotel Des Pecheurs in the island of Favignana alongside Ignazio Floro, and Villa Verde Restaurant in Capril Island.

The seafood ingredients are all sourced from the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the coasts of Anzio and Terracina. Even the oil and wine come from the region of Lazio. The extra virgin olive oil comes from Sonnino or from Vetralla, the mill of Giampaolo Sodano. Freshness and pure flavors are what Fabio's kitchen is after. The dishes reflect his character and his life at the coast. One thing remains constant: the proposals at the seasonal menu can be simple, straightforward or may hold touches of the unexpected. Every baked product that goes on the table is hand made as well as the fresh egg pasta. Outside the menu, fresh seafood on display in the restaurant can be selected by the guests. Once selected, they are weighed then cooked in the oven, stewed with cherry tomatoes or grilled.

The menu proposals are mostly traditional Italian dishes that start from appetizers with varying prices that vary from €16 to €30 for a Platter of Raw Fish (oysters, tuna tartare, fish carpaccio, scampi, white and red shrimp), first plates of pasta and risotto from €16 to €30, the latter being a plate of Linguine with Lobsters. The main courses are priced according to the seafood selected at the moment from the availability of the day, between €6 to €10 per 100 grams. Desserts are between €5 to €8.

During a press lunch, the dishes that were outside the menu were more influenced with marginal innovativeness. For starters, there was an exceptional dish of the Sea Bream Carpaccio with Lemon and Pink Pepper accompanied with Fried Bread Stuffed with Bufallo Stracciatella and Raw Red Shrimp. Next was Flan of Fennel and Amberjack with Pureed Tomatoes and Basil followed by the delectable Ravioli with Gurnard, Artichokes, Bottarga and Lemon. The Tagliolini with Small Squid and Pureed Broccoli may look quite simple but once the sauce is mixed together with the pasta, the real beauty of the dish unfolds. The Sole Fillet on Mashed Potatoes with Fish Stock and Reduced Balsamic Vinegar unravels flavors of tradition while the Tart with Lemon Cream, and Reduction of Wild Strawberries is a kind of dessert that refreshes the palate with the lovely acidity of the berries and citrus.