The restaurant
In the Eternal City, right on the Isola Tiberina, a boat-shaped island located in the southern bend of the Tiber River, inside a Medieval tower, you find one of the favorite destinations of international tourists and visitors alike, a rustic trattoria that through the years has been the meeting place of authentic Romans and Hollywood stars (including the famous Marlon Brando) and has marked the culinary history of this city. Owned by the one and only Sora Lella, whose real name was Elena Fabrizi Trabalzi, sister of the famous Italian actor Aldo Fabrizi and actress herself, and now owned by her son Aldo Trabalza, this is a traditional restaurant that has succeeded in coping with the stream of time and in evolving through the different needs of its clients.
Yet, another step further towards immortality has been made in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Roman trattoria - a New York Sora Lella has been gracing the Big Apple for a few months now. The Tiber has been substituted by the Hudson River, indeed vicinity to a river is extremely important to the Trabalza family who has taken about 2 years to find the perfect location for their latest baby. Despite the modern look of the buildings of West Soho, the soul of the cuisine remains the same. “Our goal is to lighten up the dishes of our Roman tradition,” Aldo Trabalza, son of Sora Lella and chef of the Roman trattoria explains, “without losing their true essence. Our cuisine is strictly linked to our region, our products and traditions. We recuperate forgotten dishes that have been disregarded by diets and trends and make them our own.”
Aldo, who was here to train the local staff, has given the management of the new Sora Lella restaurant to two of his sons - Mauro e Simone Trabalza, who collaborate with their partner Fabio Maltese. You will find Mauro, who has been trained by his father since he was a child of 14, in the kitchen, preparing all the fantastic dishes the menu presents, and Simone in the restaurant, ready to accommodate locals, tourists and lots of Romans who really miss their native cuisine.
The bright look of the dining room gives the whole environment a modern yet at the same time cozy and rustic atmosphere. Numerous black and white stills of Sora Lella and her brother Aldo Fabrizi in action cover the walls that are lighted by branches of wrought iron that become original chandeliers. Hundreds of bottles of wine give you the feeling of being in a trattoria and the Italian music blasting from the speakers transports you back to the Italy of your dreams.
The chef
“Our story started about 30 years ago”, Mauro Trabalza explains, “it’s almost like a mission; we passionately promote our culture, our flavors and our being Roman.”
At 14, Mauro Trabalza, right after leaving his high school classroom for the day, would run to his grandmother’s restaurant to learn some tricks in the kitchen. He was fascinated by what his father could make by putting together even the simplest ingredients and by the incessant chatter in many different languages coming from the dining room. But cooking was not the only hereditary influence he felt. Part of his family was big in the film industry, so he decided to study movie editing, sure he would end up working for big productions as soon as he owned the right skills.
But now we are lucky to find him in the kitchen rather than in front of a computer dealing with Final Cut Pro and a with a quick subway ride we can savor what history has taught him.
“My father is a great teacher, patient, savvy and eager to share his knowledge with you. Learning was easy not just for me, but for the many others who picked his brain through the years,” Mauro explains, “I wasn’t really into working in a restaurant at first. I was 19 and I was dreaming of Hollywood. But his enthusiasm was contagious. I moved from only caring about wines, to taking care of the dining room and finally transferring into the kitchen. Now I find it to be the most relaxing place, a place where I can create and leave room to inspiration.” But is there room for creativity while preparing dishes from a long-lasting tradition?
“It’s not that easy because our cuisine is based on recipes that have specific characteristics and requirements… but there is always a bit of room for some personal touches. Still, I find that here in the USA there is a bit more room to create because there is a different approach to our cooking. There are less rules and more liberty.’”
Mauro continues to explain his first impressions of working here in New York where, “I am very happy with the progress of things… but there still is much to do. I am the kind of person who always wants more… I am really working on the ingredients, in finding the right ones locally and in importing all the ones we can import. The right ingredient is what makes a dish unique and authentic.”
The menu
The menu is a rich collection of recipes coming from Rome, the Lazio region and also some other regions of Italy. Among the appetizers we find, shish kebabs of mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes with the addition of basil leaves – this is a different version of a Neapolitan dish, Caprese salad, a specialty that is welcome in many restaurants of the city. You will also find delicious rolls of eggplants stuffed with smoked ham and Italian cheese, a recipe that is typically Sicilian as well as Roman specialties, like artichokes or Polpettine della “Nonna”, “Grandma’s Style” meat balls with fresh tomato sauce.
Other dishes on the menu would strike anybody’s attention - Suppli alla Romana, fried balls of rice with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, a variation of the Sicilian arancino, Fettuccine Casarecce al Ragù Bianco di Animelle di Vitello, home made long pasta served with a white veal sweetbread sauce and parmesan cheese, Abbacchio Disossato al Forno Farcito con Carciofi e Erbe Aromatiche, boneless roasted milk-fed baby lamb stuffed with artichokes and aromatic herbs served with a rosemary potato pie, fresh puntarelle salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic and anchovies, and Saltimbocca di Tonno “alla Romana” con Broccoli Affogati
“Roman Style”, pan seared tuna fish with parma prosciutto and sage served with a side of broccoli sautéed in white wine.
Sora Lella
300 Spring St
New York, NY 10013-1307
Tel. (212) 366-4749
