Antica Pesa – New York – USA

Since the 17th century, villagers in Vatican City used scales to portion food brought in from local farmers to give to the less fortunate. In 1922, the Panella family opened a restaurant in the nearby Roman neighborhood, Trastevere, and named it Antica Pesa (The Old Scales) in support of the generosity of their fellow countrymen. Generations later, in 2012, the family opened an outpost in Williamsburg Brooklyn, paying homage to their Roman home. This New York neighborhood, like Trastevere, has not only grown from the grim times that have helped forge its character but it is also located on the other side of a river, with the heart of the city facing it. Both establishments follow two fundamental guidelines: to rework traditional recipes from Roman cuisine and to utilize local, seasonal and mostly organic products, with a nod to modern trends. In 2015, the Panella family opened a third Antica Pesa in Doha, Qatar as they continue in their international pursuit to share their cuisine and ideology.