Fratelli d’Italia boasts decent cooking and a cozy atmosphere
Summer changed into a cold, rainy autumn so quickly that we hardly had time to prepare for it – even mentally – and the day my friend and I decided to check out Fratelli d’Italia turned out to be cold and dreary, so we were more than happy to finally reach its doors and plunge into its welcoming warmth.
Inside we were greeted by the personnel of the eatery, removed our rain-splashed outer clothing, and proceeded into the main hall. The restaurant, named after the first line of the Italian anthem (Fratelli d’Italia translates as “Brothers of Italy”), appeared to be located partly underground – though we sat by the window, it was actually placed above us, and all candle-shaped lamps where on. The decor resembled a typical Italian dining room – at least the way they are shown in movies – only much bigger in size. Light green, beige and brown prevailed in the interior, the floor was laid with tiles and an old-fashioned buffet was filled with wine glasses – we observed the waitress take some of them to pour wine for other guests. Apart from one large hall, there were two small rooms adjoining it on our right, provided with round tables and adorned with photographs depicting Sophia Loren, a scene from “Roman Holiday” with Audrey Hepburn, and others.
My friend was anxious to show me the pictures from her recent vacation, so I hurried to make an order. In compliance with the restaurant’s general homely atmosphere, the number of dishes was not incredibly big, but quite sufficient: traditional Italian cold appetizers, salads, a couple of soups, about 15 kinds of pasta, and hot dishes of meat and fish. I was a bit disappointed not to have found my favorite, lasagna, among the dishes, but it gave me a chance to try a different pasta for a change, so I picked penne “Quattro Formaggi” (Hr 50) trusting the advice of the waitress, and a salmon carpaccio (Hr 55) – I first picked the tuna carpaccio, but I was told they were out of it at the moment. My friend chose a salad with asparagus and salmon (Hr 52) and veal medallions with white mushrooms (Hr 46).
After a little chat and a glass of fresh apple juice (Hr 25), which had a little too much pulp in it for my taste, we received our first courses. Thin slices of salmon that were neatly laid out on my plate, adorned with some arugula leaves and a few shrimp turned out perfectly satisfying. Sprinkled with lemon they felt fresh, smooth and just a bit salty. As for my friend’s salad, made up of a lettuce mix with asparagus, boiled egg and bits of salmon, she informed me it was quite insipid – a certain taste accent was missing from it, which could probably be corrected by a different dressing.
She was much happier with her second dish – veal medallions richly covered in stewed bits of white mushrooms. It was juicy and filling, and the portion was generous. The same could be said about my penne – at first it made me think of the macaroni and cheese I loved as a child, but of course the macaroni my mom made wasn’t authentic Italian penne, and it surely wasn’t sprinkled with four kinds of cheese. The most discernable of the four were parmesan and some blue cheese, while the others may have been mozzarella and ricotta. It was very simple and tasty – well cooked pasta enveloped in a creamy cheese sauce, especially good for those who love cheese and try to lay off meat.
Still, we decided not to finish all of our tasty dishes, and go for desserts and coffee instead. Inspired by the recent Best of tiramisu article in the Guide, I didn’t hesitate to order the one offered at Fratelli d’Italia (Hr 30) and wasn’t disappointed. Clearly cut from a bigger cake – once again, strictly home-style – the rectangular piece on a glass plate had a very mild taste with a generous layer of mascarpone and a thin one of biscuit – just what a girl wants from a dessert. It went perfectly well with cappuccino and my friend, who was having panna cotta (Hr 25) with berries that she didn’t feel was too impressive, accepted my invitation to help herself to some tiramisu as well. As our lunch was coming to an end – the atmosphere of being at home, even at an Italian one, was fading with it – we had to go back onto the street after all, where it was raining harder than before.
Fratelli d’Italia (38A Saksahanskoho, 287-4166). Open 11 a.m. till 11 p.m.
English menu: Yes
English-speaking staff: No
Average meal: Hr 150
