Indie Interview: La Smorfia- The Italian Way

I had the pleasure of speaking to Denise Mosciatti, owner of La Smorfia, a family-run independent restaurant located on Cowley Road.

Serving authentic Italian food from pizza to pasta, if you need a bit of Italy in your life, this is the place to go. Alongside their authentic Italian food, a unique aspect of La Smorifa is the fact that they have a separate coeliac and gluten-free kitchen. Catering to various allergies and dietary requirements is very important to them.

Here is how my chat with Denise went…

Start by telling us more about La Smorfia.

La Smorfia is our family business based in Cowley. The team consists of my mum, who runs the kitchen, her partner, who is the pizza chef, and of course, myself, leading the front of house.

We are from Naples and opened La Smorifa to bring our Italian roots and traditional authentic flavours to Oxford. Whilst our focus is on the authentic aspect, we are happy to accommodate customer requests. However, we want to ensure that people know we do our food a certain way to ensure it’s authentic.

La Smorifa is a place where we want people to feel taken care of, a place they can relax and enjoy themselves.

How do you ensure the authenticity of your food?

All our ingredients are imported from Italy. Even something as simple (and important) as salt, we get straight from Italy.

Anything that we can make, we do so in-house. From the pizza bases to the pasta, there is a lot of unseen work that goes into the kitchen to ensure that everything is prepped and ready.

“Our food brings specialties from all over Italy, not only Neapolitan food.”

Can you tell us more about your previous experience before setting up La Smorfia?

My mum has been in the industry for over 40 years. She owned a gastropub in Italy for about 20 years and then worked across other restaurants within all areas of the kitchen. She also worked as a chef when we moved here before opening up  La Smorfia.

I started waitressing when I was 13,  helping my mum, and from there I continued to work in various front of house roles.

Combining our experiences, we brought La Smorfia to life.

Tell us more about your gluten-free and coeliac kitchen. This is an incredible set up.

This was something that we were always going to have when opening the restaurant as I am a coeliac myself. I have constantly encountered various issues when eating out as items are labelled as ‘gluten free’ when this is not the case, or due to the lack of knowledge in the industry about various dietary requirements and allergies.

We wanted to create a place where everyone is understood and catered for. This is not limited to coeliac and gluten-free options, we also offer various vegan, vegetarian, and halal options. Our mentality is why not go that extra mile to ensure that La Smorfia is as inclusive as possible, it is all worth it in the end.

In terms of the set up, we have a separate kitchen section and oven, equipped with all the necessary tools to avoid cross-contamination. Our staff is thoroughly trained on all allergies and dietary requirements, allowing them to handle any queries when needed.

What has it been like running a family business?

Honestly, it has been such a great experience. As expected, there are tough times, but it is priceless to work with people you can rely on 100% every day.

The constant support is so important and at the end of the day, La Smorifa is our project that we want to see succeed. I must say that my mum truly is the rock with all of this.

Are there any seasonal or special dishes that you do for Easter?

Over the Easter period, we serve the traditional Colomba, which is similar to panettone, that you see around Christmas time. Other than that, our specials are typically focused on seasonal produce.

What is your favourite dish on the menu?

Without a doubt, it is our ‘Spaghetti Sicilia’ which is spaghetti in a Sicilian pistachio pesto with lemon, prawns, and pistachio crumbs. This is my mum’s amazing recipe.

My other favourite is our ‘Pork Belly.’ Even though this is not a traditional dish, it practically melts in your mouth.

What are the customer favourites?

In terms of pasta, it’s the Carbonara, Lasagna, and the Spaghetti Sicilia.

From our pizza options, there is the classic Margherita and our Burratina which is a white pizza with Burrata, crispy pancetta, and fresh rocket.

What has the support been like from the Oxford community?

Being based in Cowley is fantastic as we get a wide variety of customers, from students to neighboring businesses and people from all over Oxford. We have also built and maintained a good relationship with other businesses on Cowley Road. We are grateful to be part of this community.

The support being part of Independent Oxford has been key to our success and growth. It is always great to be with like-minded people to share experiences and reflect together. We are excited to do more of this going forward, including attending more Independent Oxford community events.

Do you have a favourite Indie restaurant in Oxford

Without a doubt, I am going to have to pick The Chester Arms. The meat is amazing and I know I can eat there without any worries. We also have a great relationship with the owners so it is always nice to see them.

Any plans to grow La Smorfia in the near future?

Firstly, we currently produce our own authentic Neapolitan pizza bases, which we supply other businesses with, and we hope to do more of this going forward.

Secondly, we are planning to have a food truck that can be used for events and catering, allowing us to have a greater reach outside of the restaurant.

Finally, we are still focused on growing the restaurant. Spending more time networking and expanding our community reach is part of this.

If you have not already been to La Smorifa, this is your sign to visit for an authentic Italian meal!

Follow their Instagram page and head over to their website to learn more about their story and explore their full menu.