In the Val di Comino there is a restaurant that combines Ischian tradition and excellent fish dishes

by Leonardo Samarelli

Unspoilt nature, grazing flocks, rows of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon – here considered native grapes thanks to their cultivation since the mid-19th century (and protagonists of the Atina DOC denomination) – are some of the distinctive features of the Val di Comino. We are in the province of Frosinone, in the heart of Ciociaria, where trattorias and osterias are neither modern nor contemporary (with a few rare exceptions), but cook according to local customs and traditions. In the heart of this valley, in Atina, there is a restaurant that “challenges” the area with tasting menus and fish dishes: Villa Ischia. The name betrays the origins of the chef, Vito Mattera, while his wife, Marcella Marrocco, was born and raised in these parts. She is the reason that pushed the chef to move to Lazio and later open his first restaurant in the years before Covid.

Passion and Ischian touches

A villa in name and in fact, with a well-kept garden outside and a patio that in summer is ideal for dining in the open air. Inside, there are just over 15 seats, with round tables and a corner reserved for Vito Mattera’s homemade delicacies: biscuits made with cannellini bean flour, preserves with Piennolo tomato flavour, and aubergines in oil. «For the past two years I have also been producing my artisanal panettone with sourdough starter (€35) – says the chef. Last Christmas I made 100 of them in four different varieties: classic, orange and chocolate, apricot and chocolate, and pear and chocolate».

The Ischian chef (with a Neapolitan mother) has been around kitchens since the tender age of 12, which explains the skills and technical abilities he demonstrates in his dishes, from the bread basket containing a delicious casatiello to the fusillone pasta with rabbit ragù enriched with tomato and fresh basil. «At Villa Ischia I started with simple cuisine, then over time I evolved my style, also because Marcella was a novice in this world». Now, however, his wife is perfectly at ease in the dining room, thanks also to completing her sommelier diploma, which gave her confidence and allowed her to build a small but carefully curated wine list, featuring interesting vintages and several producers from the island of Ischia, the common thread of the restaurant.

Sea and mountains

If Ischia is celebrated in the tasting menu Giro dell’Isola (7 courses, €100), where you can try an exceptional Coniglio di fossa all’ischitana that wins over thanks to its tenderness and deliciousness, the sea is the other star of the restaurant. In this case too, there is a dedicated tasting menu (7 courses €90) featuring interesting dishes such as Gillardeau oyster with sea urchin and squid tagliatelle with scampi tartare. «For the area I know I am expensive, but I am one of the few doing this kind of cuisine» says Mattera and, we might add, a menu of fish-only dishes in Rome would cost at least 20% more. Technique and high-quality raw materials channelled through the admirable passion of the couple: the (almost) two-hour drive from Rome to reach Villa Ischia is certainly worth the destination.

Villa Ischia – Via Case di Melfa II, 257/275, Atina FR – Tel. 392 124 2777 – Facebook