Eric H.
Yelp
Authentic Italian food DONE RIGHT! There is something so warm and comforting about well executed Italian cuisine, it's like that familiar childhood blanket where a similar one won't suffice, and you need that specific one done right to give you the warm and fuzzies. I consider this a rare find and give props to my buddy Brian L. for recommending this truly amazing Italian restaurant in the heart of Paris, where it's easy to get lost in an ocean eating options.
We dined here for our last night in Paris and finding a place that can seat a family of 9 without a reservation can be challenging, but we completely lucked out and we were able to snag the private table in the back of Enza's bigger ristorante space, which is a couple doors down from the much smaller red awning trattoria. We were confused at first because both don the same Enza name, but rest assured the staff and owner Enza herself confirmed that she owns both places, and she purchased this larger space as a more formal dining space to exhibit her straight-from-Italy culinary techniques. They also own a third pizza place around the corner that also rocks the Enza name. And what made our dining experience even better is that she served our table and was an absolute joy to converse with. Enza, gleaming with pride, showed us a black and white photo of her Sicilian father during his youth, cooking in a commercial kitchen in Italy and then another photo of her larger family in their restaurant. The old world Italian family roots are strong here, and it shows in how honest and authentic the food preparation and simple yet fresh ingredients are.
There are no physical menus here, just a chalkboard which based on their Facebook page is modified daily based on what's seasonal and available at their local markets. Enza speaks English was able to walk us non-French speaking Americans through the layout of the menu, which is mostly pasta dishes with salads on the reverse. She told me that all their pasta is fresh, hand-made pasta that is made that morning. And you can tell! The sauces here are so vibrant and you can taste the freshness. Perfectly executed Italian cooking.
The pappardelle with white truffle was one of the most delicious pasta dishes I've ever had! And they sure don't skimp on the white truffles...truly a decadent and out of this world dish. That sweetheart Enza brought our table some complimentary Caponata, a Sicilian eggplant dish of cooked vegetables in a sweet and sour sauce), which she again proudly said it was her Sicilian father's own personal recipe. I find it so touching when an owner serves family recipes to the masses, it's as if her father's legacy lives on forever though his food! We also got some of the buratta with jambon and tomato bruschetta, both of which were incredibly fresh and simple, just like how quality Italian food should be! Everyone devoured their pasta dishes and my rigatoni amatriciana was better than most of the amatriciana dishes I got when in Rome! The caserecci dish which was a homemade little pasta, akin to elbow maccroni, was also very well done. We all agreed this was the best family meal we had while in Paris! And while it's a stray from the traditional French cuisine and bistro food we've been eating, this meal transported us back to our Italy family trip last year where we all still talk about how pleasurable the food was.
If you're looking for some authentic Italian food while in Paris, look no further. And seek out Enza if you're here and chat her up, her personality and passion for her business shines through in everything she does. Bravissima!!!
