Authentic Spanish cuisine without leaving Rome: that's the format at Casa Loca, the concept that was missing in the Capital. Here, Riccardo Di Giacinto and Ramona Anello have crafted a menu where most of the products come directly from Spain, with a lot of technique serving the playful component.
THE STORY
"We fell in love with this venue at first sight, then the failure of other projects we were linked to pushed us to take it over, with the intention of creating something that resembled us and told our story," says Ramona Anello. And so, in June 2023, Casa Loca - Comida Contagiosa was born, the latest project by Riccardo Di Giacinto, his wife Ramona Anello, and Luca Colapietro, friend and business partner.
Riccardo Di Giacinto, born in 1976, is from Monterotondo, in the province of Rome, but boasts Abruzzese origins. He took his first steps in the kitchen at the age of 14, then followed significant experiences with chefs of the caliber of Ferran Adrià and Marco Pierre White: four years in England, four in Spain, and one in China, until in 2007 he opened with Ramona All'Oro restaurant, today located inside the five-star hotel The H'All Tailor Suite and since 2010 awarded with the Michelin star. The new venue was born with the intention of bringing to the Capital the atmosphere, warmth, and flavors of the Spanish island, but also the colors, style, and furnishings.
"In February of last year Luca and Riccardo went to Ibiza with a van and brought back many of the furnishings present there. Even the prints are original from the island, as are the various knick-knacks: every detail is the result of careful research, there's nothing commercial about it. Even today, as soon as we find an object that fits the style, we buy it, just as we would at home, hoping that you also feel it a bit yours," continues Ramona. A magical and carefree place, therefore, where you can feel pampered leaving behind the city chaos, but at the same time quirky and unpredictable, just like the "Isla Blanca", according to Riccardo and Ramona's vision.
A passion for Ibiza, which has distant roots, when they both frequented it without yet knowing each other, her for pleasure and him for work, and where they now go whenever they can to recharge and breathe that air they can't do without for too long and which prompted them to call their daughter Eivissa, which means Ibiza in Catalan: "It's not easy to explain, but those places have something magnetic about them and you can feel it from the moment you get off the plane, there's a contagious energy that won us over from the first day," comments Riccardo.
It's precisely that energy and warmth that are clearly perceived as soon as you cross the threshold of the restaurant: a bit like being on vacation in a place that is not only pleasant and enjoyable but above all consistent in every aspect: "I hope the next step will be to move to Ibiza, but in the meantime, we've created a corner on Corso Francia," concludes Ramona.
THE RESTAURANT
There's nothing artificial, everything is exactly where and how it should be to recreate Spanish vibes, starting from the small white house that houses the restaurant and resembles the structure of an Ibiza finca, then the abundance of wood in chairs and tables, the greenery of the plants, up to the gastronomic offering: "We didn't need an architect, I had everything in mind, so everything that doesn’t come from Ibiza, I made it by hand," proudly recounts Riccardo Di Giacinto. The environment is divided into 3 rooms, which are not coincidentally named Formentera, Ibiza, and Benirrás (a famous beach) and can accommodate up to 130 covers in a single seating in winter, which becomes 180 in summer using the outdoor space.
The cuisine is that of Spanish and Catalan tradition, without particular flights of fancy, but made with top-quality raw materials and cutting-edge equipment, never losing sight of that playful component typical of Riccardo Di Giacinto's style, which fits perfectly into the context: "We are not willing to compromise on the quality of products, so we try to offer the best, starting from the extra virgin olive oil that we buy locally and which is fundamental for this type of cuisine," says the chef.
Most of the products come directly from Spain, like the hard-to-find Pimientos de Padrón, a variety of peppers reminiscent of our friggitelli: "Many Spanish restaurants have remained anchored to stereotypes of castanets and bullfighting, we wanted to propose something modern, contemporary, that celebrated the conviviality typical of Iberian culture, based on sharing and the pleasure of dining together, without schemes or constraints," he continues. The result is a fun, appetizing, delicious, convivial, and very well-executed cuisine, which even convinces the Spaniards themselves and aims to keep the average bill moderate, but without aiming to be cheap, averaging around 50 euros excluding drinks.
THE DISHES
No surprises or reinterpretations of traditional dishes, but rather a lot of technique serving a product-driven cuisine, which speaks primarily to the stomach and is enhanced by that playful component mentioned earlier. It starts with some appetizers "Para Picar", such as the inevitable "Pan de Cristal Tomate", bread with grated tomato, oil, and salt, the famous "Pimientos de Padrón" grilled with Ibiza salt, and the delicious "Croquetas de Patanegra" served on a unique steel piglet.
Since no Spanish meal is complete without ham, it continues with the excellent "Tabla de Patanegra Iberico", then "Gambas rojas crudas, salmoriglio e chipotle", a very fresh dish of raw shellfish, rich in colors and flavors, and with the tasty "Capesante al fuego", grilled and dressed with lime and pico de gallo, a spicy sauce made from cherry tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and green chilies.
The "Tartar caliente" surprises, a tartare of Fassona beef seasoned with smoked mayonnaise, placed on grilled marrow and presented on a small fire pit, while the "Bikini di Patanegra e bufala" resembles our toast and creates immediate addiction.
However, one cannot leave the table without trying the "Paella", on this occasion mixed, with chicken, chorizo, squid, shrimp, seafood, calamari, and vegetables, or some cuts of meat grilled, such as the "Segreto di Patanegra Iberico", flavorful and succulent, or the "Entrana de Wagyu Iberico", with a more elegant and refined taste, but equally interesting. The desserts are also pleasant, especially the "Torta de queso", a cheesecake with quince jam and cream.
The wine list appropriately accompanies the gastronomic offering, also being very well-curated. It includes both renowned and lesser-known labels, mostly from Spain, including a section dedicated to natural wines and small artisanal productions. There is also a careful selection of champagne and a small list of house cocktails alongside classic ones, not to mention the interesting section dedicated to Gin Tonics, made exclusively with Spanish distillates. Completing the experience is a casual, dynamic, and informal dining room, managed in perfect island style by Luca Colapietro.
Contacts
Casa Loca
Corso di Francia 207, Rome
Phone. 06 40069361.
Open Monday to Saturday 7pm-1am
