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Zi Fenizia
Michelle Bankhalter
Via S.Maria del Pianto64-65, Rome, ItalyTel. (066) 896-976
In 161 BCE, Judah Maccabee dispatched Jason, son of Eleazar, and Eupleius, son of Johanan, to Rome as his goodwill ambassadors. The arrival of the diplomatic duo marks the earliest record of a Jewish presence in the eternal city.
Cinzia and Michele Sonnino are relative newcomers, as their ancestors arrived following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. In 1995, the Sonninos established Zi Fenizia (Auntie Fenizia), the only kosher pizza restoranti in Rome (under the supervision of the chief rabbi of Rome, Elia Toaff). Located in the ghetto area � (and named for a legend in ghetto folklore who used to cook and offer people cheap but tasty food at the end of World War II), it is also the sole kosher eatery in the city.
Cinzia�s classic features and manner are thoroughly Roman, and making her acquaintance is part of the Zi Fenizia experience.
Once an order is placed, Cinzia slices a generous pizza square, deftly transfers it onto a scale, and computes the price according to its kilo weight. The cost of each slice is approximately 3,000 liras ($1.50). A veritable smorgasbord of pizza toppings is offered, some of which include asparagus, tomato and basil, and shredded eggplant with fresh mozzarella cheese.
At a separate counter, French fries (fritti), grilled chicken, hamburgers, and shwarma, are served. Patrons partaking of these offerings seemed to relish the meaty fare. As there is standing room only at Zi Fenizia, counters provide table space for the international clientele, as customers chat away in English, Italian, French and Hebrew.
Gustoso.
Good Taste
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