The seaside hosteria Le Brocchette is in Fiumicino on Lungomare della Salute, 33, and is open every day for lunch (from 12 to 3.30 pm) and dinner (from 7 to 11.30 pm).
by Andrea Petrini
Fiumicino, less than an hour’s drive from the center of Rome, has for years been a seaside resort known more for the presence of the nearby airport than for the food and wine offer of the restaurants in the area which, until a few years ago, was based on the classic tourist menu proposed to noisy groups of Roman families who, during the weekend, escaped from the city towards the sea.
Fortunately, things have been changing for some time thanks to the increase in a whole series of quality restaurants (Pascucci al Porticciolo, Il Tino, Osteria dell’Orologio, Follis, etc.) which in a short time have steadily transformed Fiumicino from anonymous tourist town in one of the places with the highest gourmet coefficient in Italy.
In this context of the new food and wine identity of the “sea of Rome” we can easily also include theSeaside hosteria Le Brocchette, a reference point in Fiumicino thanks to the passionate work of Carmine Carli who, after taking his first steps in the world of catering almost 40 years ago, he decided to move to the Lazio coast, first to Fregene and then to Fiumicino, driven by the desire to create a reality that could represent his passion for good seafood.
The dream becomes reality in 2010 with the opening of The Pitchers, an ideal space to create an informal and welcoming place that Carmine has slowly shaped by also learning from his own mistakes. “Initially – explains Carmine Carli – when I started this job I thought I knew everything about the raw materials in my place but that wasn’t the case. When I came here to Fiumicino, I don’t know through what alchemy, over time I developed a strong bond with the owners of the local fishing boats and, talking a lot with the fishermen, I understood that, initially, I knew very little about fish. Thus, over time, I began to have a new awareness that allowed me to overcome the ‘fear’ of depending on the sea and its availability, understanding that the daily alternation of fish and shellfish could become the strong point of the gastronomic proposal of the place from which, especially since post-Covid, I have finally and proudly been able to eliminate the asterisk thanks to the catch taken daily at the local fish auction”.
The new gastronomic philosophy of Le Brocchette, which obviously implies a menu that changes often even during the week, was initially poorly digested by old customers and its previous staff because, as Carmine underlines, “prices have become inexorably higher and, for those who work in the kitchen, it is more challenging to work with fresh produce which perhaps changes every day. There was a need for a new mental form, both internal and external, to abandon the comforts of being frozen but, I can guarantee, the work satisfaction that I have been enjoying in recent years has no comparison with the past and makes me overcome all the difficulties”.
Whoever enters the restaurant today, a stone’s throw from the Fiumicino beach, can immediately appreciate the new face of Le Brocchette whose philosophy finds its best representation in the beautiful showcase of the fish where, depending on the moment, there is space for croaker, sea bream, mullet and many other very fresh fish and crustaceans.
Ranging through the various culinary proposals of the day it is impossible to miss, among the appetizers, l‘incredible selection of raw, oysters (with 8 different types) and caviar (with 4 varieties available) or the very good one local seafood salad Where cuttlefish, octopus, squid, red shrimp and mussels acquire flavors and textures that seemed lost.
Among the first, as well as the inevitable spaghetti with clams, prepared with pasta from Pastificio Dei Campi, noteworthy are the fettuccine with lobster or lobster and the delightful Verrigni smoked spaghetti with home made bottarga and local red mullet.
Among the second courses, you cannot help but order the local catch of the day which is exhaled in its aromas and textures in the oven or on the grill, with salt or crazy water cooking, passing through the low temperature.
There wine list, another strong point of the venue is represented by a selection of over 150 labels where bubbles, especially Champagne and Franciacorta, play a leading role with a transversal offer by terroir and production, vintage and price, to allow all customers to being able to match the right glass to the dishes in the kitchen. Natural and international wines also appear at Le Brocchette, with bottles from France, South Africa, Chile and Spain.
A mention is also obligatory for the spirits menu, which is accompanied by the drink list which allows you to choose, thanks to the professionalism of the guys in the dining room (bonus), between the proposals suitable for the whole meal and the right ones to end on a high note. end of the meal.
The Hosteria di mare Le Brocchette is in Fiumicino on Lungomare della Salute, 33, and is open every day for lunch (from 12pm to 3.30pm) and dinner (from 7pm to 11.30pm).
Web: www.lebrocchette.it
