Eatalia: Reaching for the Stars (of the Michelin Kind)

To get you in the mood for the ongoing voting in the 2014 Pizza Cup (The Sweet 16 was announced today – vote here to send your favorite on to the next round), we've sent our minions out to patrol the streets for pizza. Here's a selection of what they've found:

The unveiling of Eatalia’s third and newest location in the 798 Art District is perhaps the best reflection of this classy Italian outfit’s character.

RELATED: Pizza Cup 2014: Where to Score Your Pizza in Wudaokou

From the recreated Renaissance art and old Italian movie posters to the delectable colours of the dishes served, a visit to any of the three restaurants under the Eatalia flag is a seduction of all your senses. This comes as no surprise when one discovers that an idealistic Italian man, who prides himself on his venues' tasteful combination of art and gastronomy, is at the helm.

Mario Zaccagnini, born and raised in Italy, came to China in 2010 following a stint in Spain. Espying the lack of quality western food in Wudaokou, he rejected the better trodden path towards Chaoyang, and instead decided to open his first Italian restaurant in the area known as the epicentre of Beijing's student scene.

La Dolce Vita, born in 2011, is significantly smaller than its newer siblings. True to its name, the trattoria sends an open invitation for diners to indulge, not only in quality food, but also delightful beverages, with its cleverly positioned and generously filled wine rack just by the door.

Following on the success of La Dolce Vita, a second restaurant was opened in a hutong near Nanluoguxiang: this one called Carpe Diem. The second in the Eatalia universe combines traditional Chinese architecture with a minimalistic Italian interior design, ingeniously echoing the culinary experience – a taste of rustic Italy in the middle of old China.

This easy mix of East and West is epitomized by an irreverent version of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” hanging on the wall, with the laughing Buddha replacing Jesus. A nice addition to the cosy establishment is a rooftop terrace, which you should definitely visit to seize the last of the warm autumn days.

In addition to opening a third restaurant in 798, Mario also now runs a coffee shop and a showroom for high-end Italian kitchens where he is planning on doing cooking shows.

Despite the success of his ventures, complacency is far from Mario’s mind. He is currently working on hiring a Michelin-starred chef. If all goes according to plan, this chef will take charge of what is to become a central kitchen for all three restaurants. The center would serve several functions, including producing food items such as pasta for distribution to hotels and supermarkets.

As to the reasons for his success, Mario attributes it to his use of only high quality ingredients: the flour, tomato sauce, pasta and other ingredients are all imported, if not home-made. After all, when asked what makes a pizza, he replied with a distinctive Italian fervour: “the basic ingredients gives life to a pizza”.

After speaking to Mario about the fruits of his labour, I couldn’t resist trying it out for myself, so off I went with a few friends to La Dolce Vita. Although I was tempted to try the Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto he had recommended, I had to start with the pizza, settling on the no-frills Eatalia Margherita pizza – a true test of quality.

The food did not disappoint. The pizza that came looked scrumptious – a thin crispy slice of perfectly browned base, topped with slices of tomato, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil (a bright Italian colour palette), and dusted off with a delicate sprinkle of Italian herbs.

The crunch as I bit into the first piece was extremely satisfying, yet there was still enough chew to the savory dough to keep the flavors of the toppings swirling around my taste buds. The best thing was that while carb-filled, the meal didn’t feel heavy at all so there was none of that guilty feeling of having over-indulged.

My companions chose the Beef Ravioli and Mushroom Fettucine – both very delicious albeit the latter was slightly on the rich side. 

All in all, a visit to one of these restaurants is highly recommended, especially as you now have the excuse of pizza-judging (and a running offer of 20 percent off for the duration of the Pizza Cup). There are plenty of unique flavours to try, for example the new Begetarian pizza (broccoli, mushroom, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and feta cheese) – and I hear the desserts and grappa are divine.

Eatalia: La Dolce Vita
No.12 Huaqing Jiayuan, No. 5 Chengfu Road, Haidian District

Eatalia: Carpe Diem
No.18 Xilou Road, Xicheng District (Southwest Corner of Di'anmen)

Eatalia (798 branch)
7 Qixing Xijie, 798 Art District, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District

Jasmine Lynn is the Beijinger's Wudaokou correspondent. Got a hot tip of something going on out that way – a new restaurant opening, a great bar or a hot event? Let her know via email here.

Photos: Jasmine Lynn