It’s not exactly a pizzeria…and it’s not exactly a restaurant…but it is a whole lot of fun!
What Made it Unique
When you think of the 18th century, you probably don’t think of an Italian pizzeria. But here at Mavala, I had the opportunity to step into a time portal and experience the past. Now, granted, I don’t know that the pizzeria offers this type of event often, but it was a unique occurrence in which one doesn’t often get to partake. But, needless to say, Mavala was a fun time had.
Il Cibo
Their menu is generous and delicious – two things that we all love. I had a little bit of everything as I wanted to try a variety of dishes they had on offer. Starting with a bottle of some good chianti wine, I dipped into their tasty appetizer, a rustic bread with smoked salmon and something equivalent to ricotta and lemon on top.
Next was Ravioli with pumpkin sauce. A pleasant surprise as it was, I rather enjoyed the new flavors I’d never had before. And after this new dish, my Spaghetti alla Chitarra arrived – which was cacio & pepe with pancetta on top.
Delicious, just like everything else had been up to this point. No tour around the culinary wonder that is Italy would be complete without some grilled meat – something very customary for Tuscany, even though we were in Emilia-Romagna. My facial expressions said it all with how absolutely phenomenal the flavors of the meat were.
Next up was the “Armageddon Burger” with amazing steak fries on the side. Anything with mozzarella is always good, and this was no exception.
And finally, to complete the journey of food was a humungous breaded and fried piece of chicken breast with patate al forno and grilled vegetables on the side. The chicken was extremely well prepared and of course my go to – patate al forno – were absolutely scrumptious.
The restaurant itself is a laid back kind of place, but of course the night I was there they had their 1700s event going on, with live music included– I even got the courage to go up and sing a song myself. And with everyone in attendance wearing their masks and vintage attire, it was absolutely one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to be a part of.
Must Visit
The staff was extremely warm, friendly and hospitable and I loved the overall vibe and charm of being there. The food was delicious and the setting fun. I would highly recommend coming here if you’re looking for an averaged priced dinner, rather than a super fancy menu.
So the next time you’re in Bologna, don’t forget to stop in at Mavala, just make sure that when you do, you let them know Lisa sent you!
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