Monday, April 19, 2010

The Restaurant Sora Margherita is Ghetto Fabulous.

A few weeks ago I finally went to lunch at Sora Margherita with two friends.

Annie has her own scooter guide/tour guide business and often sends her clients to Sora Margherita. Our friend Marianna, who used to live in Florence and Milan, was in town from New York City.

The restaurant is located in the Jewish Ghetto. The Jewish community in Rome is one of oldest in Western Europe. In 1555 the Ghetto was formed with three gates that locked the occupants in at night.

The word ghetto comes from Venetian dialect. It has a different connotation now but not all ghettos were poor. The Venetian one was very affluent.

The gates in Rome came down in 1888 but the Ghetto was reinstated during the Nazi occupation.

The history of this area is incredible. I can't imagine over 30,000 people forced to live in such a small space. Once the gates came down the wealthier occupants bought property else where. Of course now it's one of the most expensive areas in Rome.

The restaurant is a little hard to find. There's no sign. It's small and gets crowded very quickly. The crowd is eclectic. From construction workers to judges, this is a well-known local place for down home Roman and Jewish cuisine. It's not fancy...at all. The prices are moderate and the food is so good. I will be back.

When you go for the first time you have to fill out a little card to become part of the "Associazione Culturale". Reservations recommended.

Sora Margherita
Piazza delle Cinque Scole, 30
Rome
06-68-74-216

If you go when artichokes are in season, you must try the deep-fried ones.


Cacio & Pepe. Still thinking about this dish. This is a half-portion.


Marianna looking fab.



The entrance.

15 comments:

Moi said...

Love your photos! I want to go here. Was the carciofo melt-in-your-mouth crispy? xox e

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

Moi - thanks. Yes it was. The food was outstanding. I ate way too much. We should go soon.

Unknown said...

Taking note! Thank you, visiting a bakery and the Jewish museum in that area was one of the most moving and one of my favorite experiences in Rome.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Oh what a tease you are. How I am longing for some of those crispy artichokes eaten in my favorite city.And that pasta - simply the best eaten in Rome.

erin said...

I walked through this area for the first time last time I was in Rome (can you believe it's been a year next month?!) I'd love to try out this restaurant...

We'll be there in about 4 weeks...def have to give you a ring!

gibber said...

What is in that delicious looking pasta dish? Pepper and???

Tanisha said...

Loves it. I love the Jewish Ghetto in Rome. I visited it when I was there the last time. being Jewish myself i had to check up on my peeps. I didn't see this spot though, but I will make sure to check it out when I am there. Great post

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

simone - I walk in that area all the time. I would love to take a one-on-one tour with someone and really learn the history.

ccl - Calcio & Pepe is one of my favorite Roman dishes.

erin - that soon? Please do.

gibber - Pecorino romano (sheep) cheese. The dish only has four ingredients but it's hard to execute well. It's soooooo good.

tanisha - thank you. It's worth the search. The food is delicious.

Gil said...

Sounds like it is worth going back to Rome just to eat there! Thanks for such an interesting story.

Kim B. said...

Sounds very cool. (Thanks for answering Gibber's question, I was wondering too!)

Fascinating to see the entrance!

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Talk about a hole in the wall place! Love it; thanks for letting us in on this little Roman segreto ;)

girasoli said...

Oh Yum!!! Sorry I missed this place when I was in Rome. The photo of the entrance looks familiar. I probably walked right by it! I have also been so fascinated by the history of the Ghetto in Rome. I spent a lot of time wandering around this area when I was there.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

gil - Ha. I don't want to over hype it...but it is very good!

kim b - I've walked past it several times and never noticed it.

michelle - you're welcome. x

girasoli - now that the weather is getting nicer I will be walking out and about more. This is one area I want to explore more.

Anonymous said...

On the list for the next trip for sure! Thanks!!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

sm - you're welcome.