It’s 7:30 on a Sunday night and Luke and I are the first customers to arrive at Perilli Arrosticini: a family-run restaurant famous for its lamb skewers. The staff are still in their pre-shift meeting, but one of the cooks waves us in, yelling “Benvenuto! Buonasera! Buon appetito!” He smiles as he takes his place behind a long charcoal grill—fanning the flames in preparation of the hundreds, if not thousands, of kebabs (arrosticini) he’ll cook tonight. 

These skewers are made up of 1-inch cubes of lean mutton laced with 25% fat, brushed with local olive oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper. They’re turned by hand over coals until charred; served hot, dripping with juice.