Pizzeria La Montecarlo, Rome
Sunday, 12th April 2009 | 8 Comments
One of the best things about living in Italy is indulging in the custom of eating fried things before eating pizza. What could be better than golden, breaded, deep fried goodness before digging into a sheet of dough covered with melted cheese? When I am in the center and in need of a cholesterol fix at lunchtime, I head over to Pizzeria Montecarlo on Vicolo Savelli, just off Corso Vittorio. It is one of the few decent pizzerias in the center that is open at lunch time. I went there today with my friends James and Marion who had just flown in from New Jersey. I figured it would be the perfect place for a crash course in Roman pizza dining (surly and sexist service, a less than immaculate WC, and fried things to boot).
We started with the fritti misti, fried mozzarella balls, potato croquettes, and suppli’ (fried rice balls) washed down with cold Nastro Azzuro. Already we were off to a respectable start. The pizzas at Montecarlo are of the classic thin crust Roman variety. Though they have gotten smaller over the years (a citywide trend most evident at Alle Carrette in Monti), in a way, I don’t mind. Just as it is comforting to return again and again to this pizzeria and find things basically the same as they were when I arrived in Italy (save for the new tattoos on the servers), so, too, is it comforting to think that with a little less pizza, I can have a few more fritti.
Pizzeria Montecarlo
Vicolo Savelli 13
+39 066861877
April 13th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
I heard Montecarlo’s fritti are cooked from frozen. Do you know if that’s true? If so, do you know any good places around for fritti cooked fresh and pizza?
Thanks!
April 14th, 2009 at 1:51 am
Hi Stefanie, I was just having this discussion with my friend Rob. Not sure if Montecarlo’s fritti are frozen but for sure you can find fried artichokes (not carciofi alla giudia, deep fried hearts) at Alle Carrette and lots of other fresh fritti at Al Pompiere in the ghetto.
April 19th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
After giving up cheese for Lent, I have to say that these fried mozzarella balls were the perfect entrance back into the dairy world. And the pizza at La Montecarlo was my favorite in Rome! “Authentic” people and food. A perfect start to our trip!
April 28th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
love that youre one of the first food writers who has NOT raved about da baffeto! blech! and put monte carlo on the roman map, once again!!
April 28th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
@exromana yeah Da Baffetto is that place (almost) EVERYONE writes about. I prefer to stay around the corner on vicolo dei savelli, thank you very much!
June 8th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
But I thought Baffetto and Monte Carlo are father and daughter (meaning it can’t be that big a difference)(and not meaning that I find Baffetto to rave about)?
June 8th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
hmm thought Dal Paino was the partner to Baffetto…maybe im totally wrong?
February 26th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
[...] La Montecarlo on Vicolo Savelli, 13 near Piazza Navona [...]