Moma

Cooking is art. A mantra that the Pierini brothers , Gastone and Franco, know well. So much so that they have been putting it to work since 2002, when they opened the Moma restaurant in via di San Basilio 42/43, Rome , inspired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. And if the name winks at one of the most famous cultural centers in the world, the place is no less so, where you can breathe creativity and harmony.

The location is in fact characterized by a balanced two-tone: on one side the warmth of wood, especially hazelnut and mahogany, on the other the elegance of steel, which dominates the most modern furnishings. A dual face also characterizes the gastronomic proposal of Moma. The place, in fact, lives of two different souls that alternate during the day: the bistro , lively, fast and contemporary, and the gourmand , sophisticated, elegant and ambitious. Both, however, are characterized by an “easy and quality” cuisine, as stated by the Michelin Guide which has assigned the coveted star to Moma.

Photo credit@Ristorantemoma

An award that has crowned the chef of the restaurant, the Roman Andrea Pasqualucci , born in 1989. “Artist of the stove”, Pasqualucci offers a menu based on territoriality, with seasonal raw materials and from small breeders in the area. In the “restaurant” part of the restaurant, the chef’s creativity is the basis of “Cambiamenti” , a six-course tasting menu that ranges from cuttlefish tagliatelle alla puttanesca to chamomile risotto , smoked eel, honey and oregano, from tortelli with turnip tops, anchovies and bagna cauda to grilled octopus with roots and tarragon.

Moving on to the à la carte menu, the “Roman” aspect, in a contemporary key, is clearly present in the chitarrine alla gricia , pecorino romano, guanciale and cacio drunk, while a meat proposal not to be missed is definitely the pork belly , cabbage, mustard and apples. At lunchtime, a “business lunch” menu is available , with quicker but no less tasty ideas: poached egg with lentils and black truffle, pasta and potatoes with Formia provolone and beef fillet tartare , just to name a few.

Photo credit@Ristorantemoma

The “bistro” soul is instead entrusted to the expert hands of chef Franco Pierini . Here, the bar service accompanies customers throughout the day, starting in the morning, with coffee, tea, juices, centrifuged smoothies, fresh fruit, croissants, biscuits and muffins (all strictly homemade ), as well as a delicious assortment of express sandwiches. The heart of the bistro proposal is the “light lunch” , from 11:30 to 15, in perfect New York style. In small portions, different dishes are offered depending on the daily arrivals of the market, such as the eggplant Parmigiana, the cod flan , the rice cake, the octopus salad, the tomato, fish or vegetable meatballs , the rice sartù or the potato gateau.

Photo credit@Ristorantemoma

The wine cellar is equally varied . The Moma menu takes the customer on a journey through the best vineyards in Italy, from Piedmont reds to the most prized Franciacorta . In a restaurant that has embraced art as a reason for living, a tribute to France cannot be missed, with labels from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Loire and Champagne . “I like to create a dish as if it were a model to be painted in all its details: the right ingredients as if they were the right colors.” Word of chef Pasqualucci. Gastronomic paintings that you can find “displayed” only on the tables of the Moma.