L’Asino d’Oro

In northern Rome, far from the glitz of the Via Veneto and its five-star hotels, Lucio Sforza opened L’Asino d’Oro in November. The noncentral location was a calculated choice: the Montasacro neighborhood, he believes, is ripe for innovation, and the restaurant’s ultramodern Scandinavian-style interior seems to suggest just that.

Mr. Sforza originally gained fame as a chef in his hometown of Orvieto, where the first incarnation of L’Asino d’Oro was a pilgrimage destination for Italian gastronomes. He closed his doors there over a year ago and reopened in Rome to seek what he describes as “new adventure and new stimulus.”

At the new location, the handwritten menu changes daily to incorporate the freshest seasonal ingredients. The chef’s dishes evoke the traditions of central Italy — Umbria and northern Lazio, in particular — and are firmly rooted in peasant cuisine: A dense chestnut pancake starter would have provided ample fuel for tilling fields, while a hearty lentil soup could have been a source of protein for an Umbrian farmer.

Mr. Sforza’s signature dishes — mainly game, pork and offal — contrast sweet and savory elements. Tender wild boar in “dolceforte” is a harmonious blend of sweetness and pungent gaminess. Caramelized pork ribs have a delicate smokiness balanced with a lightly sweet glaze.

The chef spends most of each evening in the kitchen, visible through a porthole in the dining room. As dinner service draws to a close, he makes the rounds, greeting old customers from his days in Orvieto and conversing with new ones.