Best described as an old-world fast-food counter, the buffet emerged from the habit of Trieste’s dockworkers and shopkeepers to take a quick midmorning snack, or rebechin (from the Italian ribeccare, meaning “to pick at”). Conveniently located near Trieste’s seaport, train station, markets, and office buildings, buffets have served satisfying Mitteleuropean food for several centuries. Nowadays, buffets typically have at least a few dining tables in addition to the bar counter, and some are open for dinner as well as lunch. The following are five of the city’s historic buffets that I had the pleasure of visiting during my time in Trieste. (Click on the links to read more about my meals at each one.)
Said to be the oldest of Trieste’s buffets still in existence, Buffet Da Pepi was established in 1897 by Pepi Klajnsic. The original name of the restaurant was Pepi S’Ciavo, also the owner’s nickname, meaning “Pepi, the Slovenian” in Triestine dialect. Pepi S’Ciavo moved to its current location on Via della Cassa di Risparmio in 1903 and subsequently underwent numerous changes of ownership, one of which was another Pepi—Pepi Tomazic. During World War II, the buffet suffered much damage from fires and looting, and inevitably it was forced to close down. Tomazic was killed in a bombing during this time, but his widow, Emma Colja, eventually reopened the buffet to much success. When she retired in 1981, Colja signed ownership over to three of her staff, and the restaurant’s name was changed to Buffet Da Pepi, in honor of Klajnsic. The current owner, Paolo Polla, took over in 2010.
Da Pepi’s signature dish is the piatto misto della caldaia: a pig-shaped platter of assorted types of boiled pork, such as ham, pancetta, sausage, and tongue, accompanied by sauerkraut, mustard, and freshly grated cren (horseradish). Popular snacks include panini (sandwiches), liptauer (an Austrian-style cheese spread) with rye bread, and hard-boiled eggs.
Vecio Buffet Marascutti, located at the corner of Via Battisti and Via Carducci, is another of the city’s oldest buffets. Its sign displays the date 1914, though some believe that the establishment may have been founded even earlier. One piece of evidence is an heirloom passed down through three generations of ownership: a local gas bill dated 1914, with a monetary amount in imperial crowns and the handwritten name of the original owner, Angelo Marascutti.
Buffet Marascutti remained much the same for decades, until the family decided to transform the location into an enoteca. When the current owner, Daniela Ubaldini, took over in 2002, she returned Marascutti to its original mission as a buffet, serving the ubiquitous suino in caldaia (assorted boiled pork) and other local fare such as gnocchi di pane (bread gnocchi), gnocchi di susine (plum-filled gnocchi), and rotolo di spinaci (spinach-filled pasta roll). Their gigantic Wiener schnitzel (breaded veal chop) is also quite popular.
Late last year, Ubaldini announced her decision to sell the restaurant but, as of this writing, has not yet found a buyer.
At the age of five, Mario Vellich emigrated from Istria to Trieste, where his father soon opened a wine shop on Via della Geppa. Vellich eventually took over the shop, transforming it into a small enoteca/trattoria called Buffet Re di Coppe. His sister Carmela was in charge of the kitchen, cooking local dishes such as jota (bean and sauerkraut soup), goulasch (Hungarian-style beef stew), and patate in tecia (skillet potatoes). From the 1970s until Vellich’s retirement some 20 years later, Re di Coppe enjoyed a reputation as a gathering place for bohemian artists, writers, intellectuals, musicians, and politicians. A noted collector, Vellich covered his walls with numerous paintings by local and foreign artists alike. From the sculptor Bruno Alzetta, he commissioned the buffet’s wrought-iron door, a horse-shaped chandelier, and a toilet chain for the restroom, the chain being so heavily adorned it was said to have often caused the toilet to flush on its own.
There have been several management changes since Vellich’s retirement; the current owner is Albanian-born Dhimiter Shpataraku. In addition, Re di Coppe has moved to a new location on Via Giulia, where the original horse chandelier and iron door now reside. Vellich died of Covid-19 in late 2020, just shy of his 100th birthday.
Located in Piazza Hortis, Buffet Siora Rosa was founded in 1921 by Rosa Cattaruzza, under the original name Bar Vittorio Veneto. When Rosa passed away in 1975, the restaurant was renovated and reopened by Lorenzo Facco, along with his wife, Albina, and three children, Morena, Maurizio, and Monica. The buffet’s new name, Siora Rosa, paid homage to the founding owner (siora meaning signora in the local dialect), whose portrait still hangs above the cash register.
Albina carries on many of the culinary traditions begun by Rosa, most notably the parsuto in crosta, a leg of prosciutto wrapped in a layer of dough and baked to form a crust. While it may be ordered on its own, this ham is often served in a panino, along with such other fillings as breaded eggplant, marinated zucchini, or sauerkraut. Some of Siora Rosa’s other menu items point to the Facco family’s Venetian heritage: sardoni in savor (marinated sardines), baccalà mantecato (salt cod purée), and seppie in umido (cuttlefish stew).
In 1964, Ermenegildo Valenta took over the management of an old tavern on Via Valdirivo, in the heart of the Borgo Teresiano neighborhood. Renamed after himself, his restaurant became quite popular with white-collar workers and students alike. In 2007, Valenta sold the restaurant to young entrepreneurs Federica Torresin and Krys Wojnar. Their aim was to continue his tradition, not only keeping the name Buffet Da Gildo but also its classic Triestine boiled pork, sandwiches, and fried bar snacks. In addition, the new management has opted to add some seafood dishes for their younger and more health-conscious clientele, including insalata di polpo (octopus salad), sardoni impanati (breaded sardines), and sgombro al forno (baked mackerel).
