Reykjavík Grapevine - 28.05.2004, Page 24

24 the reykjavík grapevineFOOD
Rossopomodoro is a franchise opera-
tion, to be sure. It is based on the
pure Italian Napoli pizza mentality.
However, there are not many Ros-
sos. One in Madrid, one in Rio de
Janeiro and one in Reykjavik. In the
mother country, Italy, you may find
three in Milano, if you look closely.
But in Napoli, the birthplace of piz-
zas, you´ll only find seven or so!
Having a built-in dislike for chain
restaurants, cafeterias and fast
food establishments, I was ready to
dismiss the Rosso in Reykjavik as
a dressed up pizzateria with an ill
concieved wine list thrown in. The
Sebeto group of Napoli have suc-
ceeded in the creation of quite the
opposite of everything I dislike about
franchised food establishments,
made these frightful things quite
tolerable and, in some cases, quite
good. Rossopomodoro is a cross be-
tween a traditional ethnic restaurant
and a casual pizzeria. Rosso succeeds
where Pizza Hut (and other places)
fail miserably.
Ok, hold on to your hats. The Rosso
in Reykjavik, the only place of its
kind in Northern Europe, can boast
a solid, friendly, service-minded
staff. This is more than can be said
of similar establishments in Southern
Europe, where far too often you feel
that you are keeping your waiter
from an exciting game of poker in
the back room. The staff in Reyk-
javik seems to like their job (so far)
and it shows.
The wine list is perhaps nothing
to write home about. But the list
includes medium to good Italian
wines that go well with the fare.
There is even a surprisingly good
Colthon Nero d´Aviola that leaves a
good taste in your mouth and a fine
feeling in the bottom of your tummy.
Best of all, the prices on the wine list
are from cheap to moderate com-
pared with Reykjavik´s restaurants in
similar categories.
So what else is there? The food? Oh
well, no first prizes I am afraid. But
if you like mozzarella, you should try
the “Abufala” with salad. There is
also the “O Fusillo” pasta with ba-
con, cacio and black pepper. And last
but not least the smoked “Scamorza”
cheese with bacon. However, if you
don´t care for things like that, a plain
beefsteak with mushrooms, parme-
san and pepper, “A Straniera,” will
definitely make you happy.
The magic formula seems to be:
Blend a Napoli trattoria together
with a casual Italian ristorante, spice
it with good Icelandic service - and
you´ll have a very pleasant Rossopo-
modoro! Interested? I thought so.
SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW ?
by Sonny Greco
I don´t blame you if you think that this is just another franchised
restaurant. Another automatic feeder, shoveling patented portions
on your plate. Another patented fast food production that all tastes
the same.
Wrong !
The only Rossopomodoro in Northern Europe
Believe me, I’ve been there. Living as
a college student in Reykjavík, I have
come to understand the true mean-
ing of the word “budget.” To me,
everything is counted in beer. 300
krónur for coffee? That’s half a beer!
But whether you are saving
money for your drinking or your
dignity, remember that you don’t
have to dumpster dive for dinner. It
is possible to find affordable prices
beneath Reykjavík’s overwhelmingly
expensive exterior.
Enter the dragon. Drekinn (“The
Dragon” in English) is a wonderfully
inexpensive place to grab a bite to
eat. Located just down Frakkastígur
from Hallgrimskirkja, Drekinn offers
a traditionally greasy menu with
great prices.
According to owner Gudmundur
Ingvarsson, Drekinn has been open
for more than 40 years as a small
convenience shop. It was only a
year ago that the shop extended its
services to a fast-food joint.
Now the store skillfully does double
duty, without losing the convenience.
From 8am to 11:30pm everyday,
Drekinn carries both basic grocery
goods and generously-priced fast
food.
A full dinner at Drekinn will rarely
cost more than 600-700 kronur per
person. The combo meals are the
best steal, which include a grilled
sandwich, hamburger or cheeseburg-
er with fries and a 1/2-liter beverage.
They fill you up for only 500-600
kronur.
And the fries are worth that price
alone. Filling and thick (not to be
confused with McDonald’s skimpy
and starved fries), Drekinn’s fries are
especially addictive when dipped in
Iceland’s wondrous cocktail sauce.
Starting in the middle of May, an
extended menu will be introduced,
including chicken- and lambsteak
sandwiches, pitas, fried fish and
onion rings. Eating in at Drekinn
adds a special flavor to the experi-
ence. One long table with bar stools
serves as the dining area, perfect for
people on a tight schedule and want-
ing a no-frills meal. Or you can take
time to skim the daily newspapers
and enjoy watching the children stop
in to see how much candy they can
afford with a pocketful of coins.
Don’t get me wrong. There is noth-
ing poignant about Drekinn. It’s
a simple place that serves exactly
what fast food should be: Cheap
and greasy, hot off the grill. Besides,
wouldn’t you rather burn the roof
of your mouth than a hole in your
pocket?
Enter the Dragon
by Marc Mettle
Keeping up with the high-priced fashions and day-to-day living
in Reykjavík can get expensive. A café latte here, a pair of Diesel
jeans there - if you aren’t thrifty, things add up all too quickly. And
realizing you are too broke to buy beer on the weekends can turn life
into an existential crisis.
Eating in Reykjavík on a Budget : Part One
Grapevine protests
Grapevine has just moved
into a new locale in Hafnar-
stræti 15. The long hours
and absence of culinary skills
means that the surround-
ing fast food places have all
been thoroughly investigated.
Serrano´s tastes nice and is
cheap but entirely too healthy
for our purposes. There is a
new sandwich bar opening
next door that remains to be explored. However, by far the best bite around is
Nonni. Your heart beats slower, your veins clog up and you lose years of your
life with every sandwich, but those years are well spent. However, the price
for this pleasure has just gone up. Again. We protest.
In the very heart of
Reykjavík you can enjoy
a real Italian cuisine
and wine at a very
reasonable prize in a
cozy atmosphere. Our
spacious interior is
perfectly suited for
groups. This Naples-style
restaurant is as Italian as
it gets!