Da Paoletta

Among the many initiatives that take place on social media, social eating is one of the most interesting. One of the best locations in the city is “Da Paoletta” that has combined the great skill of the cook and housewife Paola, all the gastronomic richness of the Calabrian territory and the smartness of social media. Being a social eating and not a restaurant, you have to book one or two days in advance and the seats are not exactly plentiful. But when you enter, you will be treated as family members. The relationship of friendship established with the guest is a central element of the spirit of this project, as well as the attention to food allergies and intolerances.

But who is Paola? A lady and mother of a family who has always cultivated a passion for cooking, from working behind the stove to the preparation of the tables. Hers is the true cuisine of great Sunday family lunches, so to speak. Everything begun almost as a game exactly from these lunches, with the terrace of her house as a stage for epic meals. One day social eating was proposed: a way of bringing together different generations with the conviviality of the table as an element of ideal conjunction, celebration of both the family tradition and, of course, the talent of the cook who decided to share her home and kitchen. The rest is history.

You’ll perceive right away the cheerful air of the South thanks to the exceptional raw ingredients, whose suppliers Paola personally finds in the most hidden corners of Calabria, those where the tradition still resists and the ingredients are worked patiently and skillfully. This explains, then, the origin of its rare preserves (the cardoons in oil, for example, the nduja and the spiny zucchini) and the importance that Paola gives to products and processing methods that are gradually disappearing into the world of food delivery and mechanization.

But, let’s get to the specialties that the lady puts on the table. There are many and not only Calabrese ones, such as the Mozzarelleria’s mozzarella of Battipaglia, always fresh, or the timballi of anelletti, fried pizza, stuffed paccheri, meat sauce and meatballs with sauce. But two recipes are distinguished. The first is the swordfish caponata, one of the chef’s favorites. The other, perhaps more original, is the salty cheesecake in a glass, made with a wheat biscuits, fresh stracciatella, cherry tomatoes, olives and Cetara’s anchovies.

Do not miss the desserts, the excellent petrali, typical Calabrian biscuits, and two classics of the Neapolitan cuisine: the torta caprese and the pastiera. To manage the wines, then, you will find the husband and right arm of the lady, her indispensable companion as well as the second pillar of “Da Paoletta”, named Pippo who will propose a selection of excellent wines, with which to wash down lunch or dinner. A product that Paola always recommends is a bitter from Turin, the Zeroundici, perfect as a digestif.

In short, if you want to feel at home and discover what the famous southern hospitality consists of, you just have to book a lunch or dinner “Da Paoletta” (but why not?, even a brunch) through the EatWith portal and simply go to eat it, like you’re at your best friend’s house.