The Art of Cooking at Culinaria Restaurant in Rome, Italy

Posted by Rowena Dumlao Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 1/31/2020

The Art of Cooking at Culinaria Restaurant in Rome, Italy

In a busy tourist hub like the area of restaurant-dotted Roma Termini, it can be quite a task in finding a restaurant where you hope to find good Italian food that's within a reasonable price range. Just at the back of the Baths of Diocletian at Via Gaeta, a quiet side road, a dependably good restaurant awaits its patrons with its inspiring cuisine.

Culinaria is a restaurant created by siblings Bernardo Folino and Maria Pia Folino who come from a family of restaurateurs. Having extensive hands-on experience in the field, they decided to devote themselves to a place of their own. Now on its fifth year, Culinaria enjoys an established local and foreign clientele who have gourmet-curious palates that assures them of excellence in quality.

In the kitchen are Chef Giuseppe Rubano who is also a consultant of a number of restaurants in the capital, and Chefs Valerio Corvelli and Riccardo Polzone. Innovative techniques with a preference on low-temperature cooking, and flavors inspired from traditional flavors shape the identity of Culinaria's kitchen. The menu that Rubano has created for Culinaria is focused on the quality of the raw ingredients and seasonality, thus the proposals are changed every three months. Whereas at lunchtime, there is always a different menu for the day for a quick and innovative lunch break. To accompany the dishes, the wine menu covers excellent proposals from different Italian regions.

The tables are few in the two-room restaurant so that the dining staff, led by the Folino siblings, can give proper attention to their diners. In the warm months, the outdoor tables are available for dining wherein you can get a view of the bordering wall of the ancient Baths of Diocletian.

The prices of the Appetizers are between €10 to €16, First Courses of Pasta and Risotto between €14 to €16, Main Dishes of Fish and Meat between €24 to €30, Desserts at €10. Start your meal with some excellently fried Tris of Hazelnut Breaded Anchovies, Mozzarella in Carrozza and Zucchini Blossom with Mozzarella Mousse and Anchovies. Better yet, try the Duck Confit, Blueberry Sauce and Frico, a traditional cooked cheese and potato dish of northern Italian region Friuli. Although cuttlefish ink can tint the mouth black, a definite must-try is the Spaghettone with Cuttlefish Ink, Mussels, Razor Shells and Clams. Another recommendable pasta dish is the Spaghetti alla Carborana with Red Shrimp, Eggs, Bottarga and Lime. For the main dish, try the Lamb Chops with Roman Artichoked and Cream of Jerusalem Artichokes. Desserts are always hard to choose from but the Majari Chocolate Soffice with Marron Glacè Cream and Maldon Salt is quite interesting, as well as the Bronte Pistachio Semifreddo with Tonka Beans and White Chocolate Ganache.