Home cooking in Rome's Jewish Ghetto

Sora Margherita restaurant in Rome, Italy

For more than 40 years, Margherita Tomassini has spent her mornings hand-rolling gnocchi (potato pasta dumplings that are served only, according to Roman tradition, on Thursdays), cutting fettucine (best sauced cacio e pepe, with pecorino and cracked pepper), and stuffing fresh agnolotti (meat tortellini in ragù) for the lunchtime crowds at Sora Margherita, a signless nine-table osteria in the heart of Rome's Jewish Ghetto. The olive oil and white Velletri wine comes direct from the family farm. Margherita also does the most heavenly parmigiana di melanzane in town, burying the eggplant slices in mozzarella and baking them for hours in tomato sauce. She began serving her legendary polpette (meatballs) about 25 years ago so her infant son would have something soft to eat—patrons were soon clamoring for them to be included on the menu. Credit cards are not accepted.

Piazza Cinque Scole 30 (west of Via Arenula)
tel. 06-687-4216
Closed Saturday–Sunday and Aug 7–Sept 6