Fried Mozzarella di Bufala // Nonna Betta, Rome IT

Thick pieces of fresh mozzarella di bufala deep-fried in a deliciously light batter.

While passing through the Jewish Quarter in Rome, we saw a place with a sign in the window saying ANTHONY BOURDAIN HAS ONLY EATEN HERE. The place next to that one had a little write-up about Anthony Bourdain’s visit to that restaurant and how much he loved their fried artichokes.

While we were looking at the two signs trying to figure out what the real story might be, a nice gentleman came out and explained that he was the proprietor of the second place, but that the two neighboring restaurants used to be one single restaurant – hence the confusion.  I don’t feel strongly either way about Anthony Bourdain, but the menu looked great so we decided to come back and try it that night.

The mains were honestly nothing to write home (or blog) about, but a few of the appetizers were superb. I would go back for the fried mozzarella di bufala alone.

This is not your average American bar food mozzarella stick. The breading was delicate, the inside soft and flavorful, and the texture such that if you held it an arm’s length away from your face there’s a chance that it still might not detach (as my 4-year-old son demonstrated several times). 🙂