Oblong rice balls filled with mozzarella and deep-fried in an armor of breadcrumbs, suppli are the Roman siblings of Sicilian arancini and cousins to the entire global croquettes family. The name? Possibly from French surpris, or surprise, for the mozzarella hidden inside, which supposedly startled members of Napoleonic troops arriving in Rome after the French occupation of the Kingdom of Naples. The nickname supplì al telefono? For that stringy molten mozzarella that pulls out like a phone wire when you break a rice ball in two.
Once sold at friggitorie (fried food shops) on brash city streets, suppli are now a staple of Roman-style pizzerias. Sadly, they’re often grease bombs contributing little to the carb-on-carb overload. Over a decade ago, though, they got a starring role at Supplizio, a friggitoria for the Slow Food generation near palazzo-lined Via Giulia, opened by the celebrated preservationist chef Arcangelo Dandini.
Currently overseen by Dandini’s partner, chef Fabrizio Piazzola, the vaulted former antiques shop with charming living room vibes is a great place to snag a hefty €3 snack elevated with top shelf ingredients such as aged Carnaroli rice and fior de latte cheese from special Campanian producers.
The suppli here come in pasta flavors like amatriciana or cacio e pepe, or with a filling of slow-cooked three-meat ragú. And don’t ignore other fritters like smoked mozzarella croquettes, or fried eggplant polpette with buffalo ricotta, tomato, and basil. Don’t sleep either on the non-fried daily specials such as pasta e patate anointed with fragrant olive oil, or a warming stew of cicerchia, a heirloom legume that tastes like a cross between favas and chickpeas. For dessert? Crema fritta, the cinnamon-dusted fried custard cubes from Dandini’s grandmother’s recipe.
