Clara's Family Table: Roman Pizza verses American Pizza

We have another blog post from our daughter Ersilia living in Rome.

Ciao Tutti

A few weeks ago, my lovely cousin Lara and I went out to dinner with a few of her friends to celebrate my birthday. We tried a place called Sforno – Pizza e Vino, located in the San Giovanni neighborhood. Lara was particularly eager as the many good reviews – people boasting it’s the best pizza place in Rome – made her hopeful she wouldn't have to drive all the way to Ostia for quality pizza. Lara’s – as well as my own – family come from the south of Italy, a small village close to Naples. Close enough to adapt the Neapolitan attitude of the dish – pizza is to be respected as the art form it is. My grandmother Clara would agree I'm sure!

Here’s a good point to explain some of the notions we in the US have about pizza that do not hold up here in Italy. First off, we do not make pizza – what we make is similar to pizza but it is not the Italian dish pizza. Hai capito? The only way to get away with deep-dish style and all the brand names is to clarify that it is the US take on the Italian pizza. It is not pizza. Second, personal pizzas are not four slices of a smaller pie. Every pizza, in Italy, is a personal pizza. That being said, the Italians do not use jumbo or XXL to describe their food – so. Third, pizza is not served pre-sliced. The proper way to eat pizza in Italy is with fork and knife – though many do use their hands. If sliced pizza is what you are going for – you go to a specific pizzeria that sells pizza by the slice, taglia. And an extra fact, just to show we are all still one people on this earth – pizza is always drank with beer in Italy. (Peroni!)

We had a good meal at Sforno – though it did not live up to the hype of being the best pizza place in Rome. Still, in my naïve opinion, pizza in Rome – in Italy – is always better than pizza anywhere else. EXCEPT CLARA’s – did you know Elmer is really from Naples? Ask him about it.

Lara’s friend Elisa Pede took the great pictures attached to this post. I hope you enjoy. Ciao, Ciao!