Pier Daniele Seu, the master of dough, returns to astonish with his latest creations: after the success of Seu Pizza Illuminati, he's all about the "Roman" round pizza at his new spot, TAC.
Photo by Andrea di Lorenzo
The venue
Pier Daniele Seu is an outstanding pizza maker; it doesn't matter where or how he decides to make it, he takes his guests and transports them to a dimension where he confirms that the true strength of his work is exactly his work. Nothing else.
Let's head to Mostacciano, among the streets of a neighborhood evolving from the urban sprawl of the Rome Metropolitan Area towards the sea. Plenty of greenery, quiet streets, and a residential wandering that ends on the ground floor of a low building, with a small parking lot neatly separating two brightly lit and colorful windows from the local traffic. The colors are the first evidence of the destination when seeking TAC – Thin and Crunchy, which is the new gastronomic format by Pier Daniele Seu and Valeria Zuppardo, a couple who are quietly crafting a history in the world of pizza. Discreet indeed, but with such a strong identity that it has always been the foundation of a dream to be realized without ever stopping believing in it. And so they do, while the world turns.
The venue stretches lengthwise, and the welcoming area is the first useful space from "who you are" to "where you stand." Elisa is there, elegantly welcoming with a bright smile, which has always been one of the most beautiful and human characteristics of the Seu-Zuppardo duo.
As you enter, you let your guard down, and immediately feel at ease amidst pastel shades and neon lights, bucolic walls, and a mix of street and pop art. A surprise of psychedelic beauty for those unfamiliar with the house style, a reaffirmation of memories for those transported back to 2017 with the opening of Seu Pizza Illuminati.
The pizza
We haven't said it yet, but let's talk about Roman pizza, the thin one, to be precise. A pizza distinguished by its crunchy crust, spanning about 30 centimeters in diameter, with the topping reaching up to the slightly burnt edge and no traces of flour, not even on the base. The menu is a starting point that includes some novelties but also a series of pizzas that are the result of refinements and reinterpretations, in Roman versions, of even historical pizzas from the Illuminati journey.
The fried items are a stable presence and remain a certainty, from the classic Supplì al telefono, which is a true risotto wrapped in crunchiness and with a heart of fresh mozzarella, to the delicious Chicken crocchetta Cacciatora style, which wins the prize for the boldest and most intense taste, conquering you with its acidity.
The broccoli and sausage lasagna, for me, however, remains the true masterpiece of style that turns fried elements of greasy, revisited and delicious into a combination of elegant and persistent bites.
The first Roman pizza by Pier Daniele I ate was in 2019, and it was a sensational white base with Zabaione made of salted egg, Amatrice's guanciale (pork cheek), Roman pecorino, and Bomarzo truffle. The Carbonara at TAC, not surprisingly, was the centerpiece of the tasting journey of a dinner. Technically perfect dough, with the right amount of salt (low) and never weak in its 160 grams of weight when raw. Guanciale with a strong savory push enveloped by the creaminess of the egg and a sprinkle of pecorino. The latter, in excellent balance with the guanciale, especially in terms of savoriness.
Margherita My Way, is an example of evolving style. In the absence of intense heat, as it's served with raw elements, it loses that taste that the queen of pizzas always has in being hot and stringy. It asserts itself delicately and focuses attention on the dough, which remains light and crispy.
The Capricciosa is a dish of great technical expression in balancing the ingredients and great taste in the success of each bite. Again, we're talking about a pizza leaning towards lukewarm, where all the components, however, enhance each other and follow one another in returning to your mouth the capricciosa you've always known, but with a leap in flavors and freshness. Here, the thin and crunchy takes shape and conquers without reservations.
Porchetta and tzatziki is a fun, very tasty, and satisfying pizza overall. The meat has the right thickness in balance with the dough, and overall everything remains crispy and enveloping. The tzatziki adds fatty consistency and perhaps in eating it whole, the only drawback could be the fatty part also brought by the seasoning oil. A grand slam of flavor is achieved with the refreshing cucumber julienne and the lasting crunch of sesame seeds.
The Super Sista is topped with San Marzano tomato, nduja, buffalo stracciatella, black olives, and a habanero jam to bring back aroma and spiciness, but the real star is a ventricina that remains savory and wild. A stimulating pizza that in a straight line of taste alternates sweetness and acidity, spiciness and savoriness.
Lastly, I treat myself to the luxury of choosing an outsider, more specifically Puntarelle and mortadella that instead of coming out like Wheely (in the round pan), Pier Daniele brings it to the table as if stuffed. Two overlapping crispy discs with mortadella and puntarelle (wild chicory) in between. Along with the capricciosa, between freshness and taste, a pizza that you would come back for specially.
The sweet pizzas are two, the Apple Strudel and the Winner Taco. The dough is compact and leavened, similar to panettone, while the topping elements range from soft creams to crunchy ingredients. There's good control of sugars, and the taste always revolves around the memory they evoke in their names, achieving a full dessert effect, but I remain curious to taste them Roman style.
The wine list is as always well-curated, with a fun nod to natural, organic, and biodynamic options. The service is a mark of excellence, as when it comes to pizzerias, one often gets lost in the lack of consistent attention, but never intrusive. Here, instead, one feels gently pampered.
TAC features a central private glass-enclosed room with seating for up to ten guests, but most importantly, there are the doughs. The ongoing pursuit of strength and lightness increasingly characterizes Pier Daniele Seu's growth as a pizza maker. Then, there's creativity, beauty, character, and vision, accompanying him in step with Valeria Zuppardo. TAC is a team of young people working to create a colorful and winning hospitality, with Roman pizza at its core, just at the beginning, while everything else is outside, in Mostacciano.
Contacts
TAC Thin and Crunchy
Via Fiume delle Perle 136/138, Rome, Italy
Phone: 06 4565 2738
