È Pronto ‘O Mangià: Come and Get It!

In Neapolitan dialect, “È Pronto ‘O Mangià” means simply: “Food is ready!”

It is the perfect name for Mattia Grossi’s trattoria, a small, unassuming space on via Cesare Rosaroll. We are welcomed to this family-owned restaurant with an undeniably warm atmosphere: stone walls lined with old photos and newspaper clippings, smiling waiters, music and chatter. È Pronto ‘O Mangià matches the simplicity of its name: nothing sophisticated, nothing gourmet – just true, homemade Neapolitan cuisine.

Since 2010, Mattia Grossi, 56 (everyone calls him Matteo) with his wife Concetta, 53 (who goes by Titta, the diminutive of her name) have been managing this trattoria, an icon of simple eating in the ancient center of Naples. Their two sons are an equally important part of the operation: Luigi, 27, can be found in the dining room, and Antonio, 23, works in the kitchen.

È Pronto ‘O Mangià is located in the immediate vicinity of Porta Capuana. It’s an area of Naples that that has for centuries been known for restaurants and delicious food: the home of dozens of fresh seafood mongers and the place to try the local favorite broro ‘e purpo, octopus broth. In the last century, Via Cesare Rosaroll was known as the artists’ quarter, the Neapolitan Montmartre, filled with writers, poets and painters. Today the district is a little worse for wear, a high-traffic area due to its proximity to the central station. But redevelopment works are underway in the neighborhood, including the restoration of the famous Aragonese towers, remnants of the Carmine Castle, an important 16th-century fortification.

Mattia’s family once ran a seafood restaurant next to the towers. Chalet delle Torri was a small eatery that attracted customers from every corner of the city, who came here to taste the octopus broth in winter and indulge in fabulous seafood in summer. The Grossis have been skilled in the kitchen for generations, especially when it comes to preparing fish and seafood of all kinds. Sadly, the Chalet’s run came to an end as it was unlicensed and so the city council had it torn down. In 2010, Mattia and Concetta, in search of continuing their culinary legacy, took over an ancient neighborhood restaurant nearby, and È pronto ‘o Mangià was born.

Inside the restaurant are about ten tables that are usually filled with customers; in summer another dozen tables pop up outside. The clientele is typically Neapolitan but over the last few years, Luigi has developed È pronto ‘o Mangià’s marketing efforts online and now many tourists venture here to taste Mattia’s cooking.

And Mattia has great respect for the tourist who visits his restaurant. “I am convinced that good food is understood all over the world,” he says, “And therefore I try to pamper the tourists who come to me in copious numbers every day.” Mattia is willing to go the extra mile for his customers. “Every morning I go in person [to the Pizzi Pizzi fish market in Porta Nolana] to buy fresh seafood and the catch of the day,” he tells us.

There are two stars among the primi piatti, the first course dishes: the terracotta pignatiello and linguine al cartoccio, both which combine pasta with seafood. The linguine al cartoccio comes wrapped in aluminum foil which has been sealed to preserve all the smell, freshness and fragrance of the dish. Linguine al cartoccio is an ancient Neapolitan dish that was made in traditional trattorias – once upon a time, oiled paper was used to preserve the aromas. In modern days, aluminum foil is used and, to give it a romantic touch, Mattia sculpts the foil into the shape of a swan.

We ask about the linguine alla zia Titina on the menu – “aunt Titina’s linguine” – and Mattia shares the story: “Titina is my wife’s nickname; one day she was in the kitchen and orders of pasta with seafood were constantly arriving. But that day the seafood started to run out. There were only prawns and squid left and so Titina thought of proposing a first course of linguine made only with prawns and squid. Thus the “zia Titina” dish was born.”

These favorites are just a few of the dishes on the menu, all prepared fresh each day and punctuated throughout the week by daily specials: pasta with beans on Tuesday; pasta with potatoes on Wednesday; on Thursdays, a legendary genovese with rigatoni pasta; pasta with chickpeas on Friday, and oven-baked pasta and lasagna on Sundays.

The menu goes on to include grilled fish and frittura di paranza, an assortment of fried fish. The appetizers are many; Mattia brings us a delicious octopus salad and a plate of tiny, lightly fried squid, served in the characteristic aluminum bowl that allows the excess oil drip off. A glass counter shows off trays of tempting sides, among which we can always find È pronto ‘o Mangià’s truly sumptuous eggplant parmigiana.

Over the soundtrack of old Neapolitan songs, we speak with some customers who have just arrived from from Marcianise, in the province of Caserta. “They traveled almost 100 kilometers to come and eat here with us,” Luigi tells us proudly. We know it’s worth the journey.

Published on August 14, 2023

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