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Eating Baja – Somu

Feb01

Restaurant: Somu Ristorante

Location: Piazza Ventaglio, 07021 Baja Sardinia SS, Italy. +39 349 120 0682

Date: July 4, 2022

Cuisine: Italian 1 Star

Rating: Very nice

For second Sardinian 1 Star and final meal in Italy we trekked 20-30 minutes to the town of Baja Sardinia.

The restaurant was a touch difficult to find, as it was tucked away down at the harbor piazza (where there was no parking).

Finally we located it.

The have this gorgeous sea-side patio.

So we had this table looking over the bay/cove.

Amuses. Crunchy rice crisps with tomato and basil. Delicious and looked like jellyfish.

Rice crisps with steak tartare.

Veggie “tartare.”

Rice crisps in various flavors like saffron and squid ink and tomato.

Pork Jellies. Cute little piggies.

Vegetarian bites.

Refreshing fruit and wine “soup” (cold).

Brioche like bread.

Butter and lard.

Mushroom butter.

The menus. We had a bit of an issue at first where they really wanted us to all have the same menu — and since some people were vegetarian/pescatarian that really wasn’t going to work. This was unusual for a Michelin starred restaurant. I think it was the particular person we had as a manager came over and completely changed the tune and was very accomodating.

Amuse of oyster with various flavors.

Vegetable creams with basil oil.

Crispy Sardinian Bread.

Grisini.

Bread.

Carne Salata. Strong meaty and briny flavors with sesame.

Tomato terrine.

Black Garlic Ravioli. Lovely pillow-like texture, nice pasta bite, and great flavor.

Egg yolk.

Gluten free version.

Green tomato risotto. Very interesting flavor and perfect creamy texture.

Spaghetti.

Kid pasta 1. Was almost sweet.

Kid pasta 2.

Red Mullet. No hint of fishiness.

Risotto with sweet and sour peppers (from identity menu)

Suckling Pig. Great texture.

Stuffed vegetable.

Pre-dessert.

Pecan.

Beans, oat milk, and citrus.

petite fours.

Gluten free petite fours.

Chocolate cannelés.

Liqueur soaked pastry balls.

Passionfruit jelly.

Chocolates.

Overall, a fabulous fancy Italian meal. Not quite as approachable as ConFusion, as Somu was slightly more complex and cerebral, but really good. Lovely setting too.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Eating Baja, Eating Sardinia, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Sardinia, Somu, Wine

Eating Porto Cervo – Pergola

Jan30

Restaurant: La Pergola in Giardino

Location: Costa SMERALDA, 07020 Porto Cervo SS, Italy. +39 0789 931620

Date: July 3, 2022

Cuisine: Sardinian Italy

Rating: Lovely

Sigh, for our second to last night in Sardinia, we headed back to the Porto Cervo marina to a place we had scoped out last time we were there.

The marina is quite pretty.

Pergola is attached to a snazzy boutique hotel.

The menu.

Breads.

2021 Capichera Vermentino di Gallura Vign’ Angena. 91 points.

Amberjack marinated with raspberries and glasswort. Nice soft crudo texture. Interesting sweet and herbal notes.

Plain pasta for the boy.

Spagheti all’oro. Not too different than the plain.

(Gluten free) Burrata filled ravioli.

Seafood fregola. Little chopped pasta bits. Really delicious, like a classic risotto marinara but pasta.

Filet of sea bass with squash blossoms.

Turbo filet with Sichuan Peppercorn. Very light numbing flavor, but very good.

Biscotti.

Overall, this was a nice place. It’s a touch more modern/international than a few of the others while remaining solidly Italian. I tend to like my food updated and they had a tight kitchen as everything was very tasty.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Eating Porto Cervo, Eating Sardinia, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, pasta, Risotto, Travel, Wine

Eating Porta Cervo – Renato Pedrinelli

Jan28

Restaurant: Renato Pedrinelli

Location: Piazza degli Ulivi, snc, 07021 Porto Cervo SS, Italy. +39 339 649 5114

Date: July 2, 2022

Cuisine: Sardinian Italian

Rating: Tasty

Another night in Sardinia, another Italian restaurant.

Renato Pedrinelli was well rated and conveniently located only a mile or two away from our hotel in a large ritzy shopping plaza near the Porto Cervo marina.

As usual for summer dining in Italy we ate al fresco, coperto be damned!

The menu.

They bring by a selection of barely or recently living sea creatures for your perusal.

Sardinia usually features crispy breads.

2018 Argiolas Vermentino di Sardegna Cerdeña. Gotta drink local.

Burrata pugliese e pomodorini. Burrata with cherry tomatoes.

Half lobster Catalan style. I was a bit apprehensive given all those raw tomatoes, but somehow with the acidity and the onions it was pretty awesome.

Classic penne pomodoro.

Paccheri with fish ragu, bottarga and courgettes. Cheesy and a bit fishy. Nice bite.

Sea Bream with tomatoes, olives, and capers.

Filleted.

Overall, while nothing spectacular, this was a solid meal. Everything in Porto Cervo is a bit focused on a tourist set — not necessarily American tourists (we didn’t see many of those) but mostly mainland Italians or other Europeans.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Eating Porta Cervo, Eating Sardinia, eating-italy, fish, Italian cuisine, Italy, pasta, Porta Cervo, Sardinia, Wine

Eating Alghero – Macchiavello

Jan26

Restaurant: Ristorante Osteria Macchiavello

Location: Bastioni Marco Polo, 57, 07041 Alghero SS, Italy. +39 079 980628

Date: July 2, 2022

Cuisine: Sardinian Italian

Rating: Tasty

We drove across Sardinia to visit the lovely town of Alghero.

Picked this attractive lunch spot just by feel and menu.

The menu.

They always have solid bread in Italy.

Burratini con petali di pomodori marinati, basilico e zenzero. Burrata cheese with marinated tomatoes, basil and ginger. As you can see, Sardinians, like other southern Italians, love their tomatoes (and they are some of the best tomatoes in the world)!

Simple pasta with the obligatory pomodoro sauce.

Culurgionnes di Oliena con pomodoro e basilico. Home made Sardinian egg pasta filled with potatoes, pecorino cheese, and mint served with basil and tomato sauce.

Spaghetti lla chitarra neri. Home made cuttlefish ink pasta cooked in parchment paper with mussels, clams, red prawns, scampi, small crab, octopus, squids, in a sauce of basil, cherry tomatoes, and a dash of chili infused olive oil.

Delicious with a strong briny flavor, a bit of sweetness, a hint of heat, and lots of seafood. Crab and shrimp shells were soft enough that they could be chewed through. Pasta was very thick and al dente. The shellfish stock cooks down with the tomatoes into a wonderful blend.

Overall a nice local meal in a great setting.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Alghero, Eating Alghero, Eating Sardinia, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Italy, Macchiavello, pasta, Sardinia

Eating Porto Cervo – Clipper

Jan24

Restaurant: Clipper Ristorante

Location: Via della Marina, 10, 07021 Porto Cervo SS, Italy. +39 0789 91644

Date: July 1, 2022

Cuisine: Seafood Italian

Rating: Solid (this is Italy) but nothing amazing

Online various people seemed to insist that Clipper was the best restaurant in Porto Cervo and “quite a scene.” Not sure I trust “those people” too much anymore.

The outside was cute enough.

They specialize in fresh seafood like many restaurants all over the coast of the Mediterranean basin.

Inside is cute but casual. They had a fairly bustling bar.

The menu.

Something fishy about these plates.

2020 Capichera Isola dei Nuraghi IGT. We ordered it again. After I tried some other Vermentinos I went back to ordering Capichera!

Crispy Sardinian bread.

They had gluten free bread (and crackers) but it was all packaged. A far cry from Confusion, but still they had it.

DOP Buffalo Mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and EVOO.

Plate of Sardinian cheeses.

Antipasto of fresh seafood, including various shrimp-like creatures, clams, oysters, etc.

Sauces for the crudo.

Simple Spaghetti pomodoro.

Linguine all’astice with half a live local lobster. Very fresh tomato sauce. I was to have this basic dish a bunch of times in Sardinia and it was delicious every time. Really nice straightforward Italian pasta.

Spaghetti with tomatoes, fior di latte.

The other half of the lobster grilled with potatoes and beans.

Random packed cookies and candies.

A free degistivo.

Confusion was a much better “deal” at 2x the price of Clipper. But Clipper was enjoyable enough. Just basic good local Sardinian food done for the higher end tourist audience. Not fancy exactly, but perhaps a bit International. Like most decent kitchens in Italy it was totally enjoyable, if not exactly exciting. Not totally sure why this place was considered by so many online as “the best” though.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Eating Porto Cervo, Eating Sardinia, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Italy, pasta, Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Seafood, Wine

Eating Positano – La Cambusa

Aug14

Restaurant: La Cambusa

Location: Piazza Amerigo Vespucci, 4, 84017 Positano, Italy. +39 089 875432

Date: June 28, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Excellent, and right by the beach

You’d think that restaurants right by the port and the main beach wouldn’t be up to snuff — but far from it.

Located right next to the main church at the edge of the beach.

The extra story gives it a nice view and a great atmosphere. Of course up the hill are far better views, but who wants to hike up there in the middle of a beach day?

Caprese. Fresh local buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes.

Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta cheese.

Crudo. Italian sashimi. Certainly a bit of Japanese influence (soy sauce, wasabi), but with Italian touches too like the fruit and olive oil. Very nice fish with bright flavors.

Penne pomodoro.

Spaghetti pomodoro.

Seafood ravioli. Housemade ravioli stuffed with fish and covered with shrimps in a gauzetto sauce. I love this tomato, garlic, white wine reduction sauce.

We didn’t have an extensive meal at La Cambusa, but everything we did try had a really nice polish to it, above average for sure. If I get back anytime soon I’ll have to go for dinner. Or if I finish inventing my Star Trek Transporter, then I’m all over it.

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By: agavin
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Tagged as: eating-italy, La Cambusa, Positano

Eating Positano – il Tridente

Aug13

Restaurant: il Tridente

Location: Viale Pasitea, 148, 84017 Positano SA, Italy. +39 089 811111

Date: June 27, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Great food, great service, great view

Returning hastily from Revello at a late hour with no restaurant reservation, we quested around for a last minute spot to dine.

Online reviewers liked the restaurant hidden away in the Hotel Poseidon (which we actually had reservations at before we found a great villa to rent).

After a long 200+ stair descent, then a hike up four flights in the hotel, the location turned out to be an oasis of paradise. Live jazz was playing as well.

Check out the view.

And to the other side. The Italian/American “hospitality manager” dropped by our table too and was quiet charming.

Bread is good as usual.

The menu.

An amuse of eggplant and raw shrimp.

2013 Azienda Agricola Tenuta San Francesco Costa d’Amalfi Per Eva. I liked this wine, ordered it on two occasions.

Tomato salad.

Saute misto di frutti di mare. Mixed seafood saute.

Bread to soak up the garlic sauce.

Penne pomodoro.

Linguine artigianali con scampi, pomodorini del pendolo e vongole veraci. Linguine with scampi, clams, and cherry tomatoes. I couldn’t get enough of this guazzeto sauce based local dish.

Spigola al sale profumata al finocchietto selvatico con patate e verdure. Sea bass cooked in salt crust with wild fennel, potatoes, and vegetables.

The salty shell keeps the fish moist.

And plated with olive oil. This dish is common to the whole Mediterranean. Not always the salt prep, but the basic grilled/baked sea fish with olive oil.

Chocolate gelato.

Delizia al limone Amalfitano. This incredible cake consists of a sponge cake dome with a lemon creme or lemon gelato center, and covered in lemoncello cream sauce made from Amalfi lemons. It was just so creamy lemony good.

Dolcezza del Vesuvio. A miniature volcano of chocolate and orange.

Il Tridente was a touch hidden, but it was well worth trekking to as the food was great, the view spectacular, and the service very nice.

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By: agavin
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Tagged as: Delizia al limone, eating-italy, Hotel Poseidon, il Tridente, Positano

Eating Positano – da Gabrisa

Aug12

Restaurant: da Gabrisa

Location: Viale Pasitea, 221, 84017 Positano SA, Italy. +39 089 811498

Date: June 26, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Fine, but not great

Our assault on Positano’s restaurants continues. Because of the stairs, we tended to focus for dinner on places not to vertically offset from our own location.

Da Gabrisa is located just up the road (there is only one) in a nearby hotel.

As usual (for Positano) it features a lovely view.

The menu.

2013 Azienda Agricola Tenuta San Francesco Costa d’Amalfi Per Eva. 90 points. Delicious Italian white blend from campanula. There is a strong Aroma of fresh flowers and honey. Floral notes forward with a powerfully nutty finish. This wine is “sweeter” (still fully dry) than the very tart single varietals.

Bread.

An amuse of toast with whipped cheese.

Pumpkin cream soup served with fresh buffalo ricotta cheese.

INSALATA ISABELLA, CON PERA, NOCI E SCAGLIE DI PARMIGIANO. Green salad, with pear slices, Parmigiano flakes and walnuts.

ANTIPASTO GABRISA, VARI GUSTOSI ANTIPASTI DI VERDURE DELLA NOSTRA TRADIZIONE. A house speciality made of a mix of tasty vegetables starters of our Neapolitan tradition.

Penne pomodoro.

Spaghetti pomodoro.

RISOTTO ALLE VERDURE GRIGLIATE, MANTECATO ALLA SCAMORZA SORRENTINA. Risotto with grilled vegetables, creamed with local melting cheese.

CALAMARATA DI GRAGNANO ALLA PESCATORE. Local large pasta rings prepared with a cherry tomato sauce, cooked with shrimp, squid, black mussels and clams.

UNA SCELTA DI VARI GELATI TARTUFO PRODOTTI ARTIGIANALMENTE DA GENNARO BOTTONE. Special Tartufo ice creams produced by a famed maitre chocolatier.

SEMIFREDDO AL TORRONCINO CON PRALINA DI MANDORLE CARAMELLATE. Frozen dessert, with caramelized almonds and caramel.

Mild Italian raison cookies.

Service at da Gabrisa was great (although it was consistently good in Positano in general). The owners appeared to be American and our server certainly was. She was extremely friendly and accommodating.

Food was solid and well presented. Flavors and prep were perhaps slightly less tuned up than a few of the other places, but it was still quiet good.

Click here to see more Eating Italy posts.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: da Gabrisa, eating-italy, Positano

Eating Positano – Next2

Aug09

Restaurant: Next2

Location: Viale Pasitea, 242, Positano SA, Italy. +39 089 812 3516

Date: June 25 & 28, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Excellent updated style

My wine and food buddy Walker recommended we try Next2 while we were in Positano, and as it happened it was just a couple hundred feet from our villa — plus 115 stairs. Next2 as it turned out was not only our favorite Positano restaurant (of the 7 we tried), but a bit more updated and modern in terms of menu and presentation than most.

The menu.

2013 Pietracupa Greco di Tufo. 89 points. Oh so dry!

An amuse of caprese.

And one of bruschetta.

Bread. I like the crispy flat things.

Tre assaggi della tradizione. A selection of three traditional starters: a small pizza, stuffed zucchini flowers, and eggplant parmigiana. It all tasted as good as it looks.

Crocchette di verdure e provola, insalata all’aceto balsamico. Vegetable and smoked provola cheese croquette, mixed salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

Insalata caprino fresco, mandorle tostate e miele. Mixed greens with fresh goat cheese, toasted almonds and honey.

Carpaccio di pescato, finocchi, arance e sale al sedano. Catch of the day carpaccio (in this case amberjack), fennel and orange salad, celery salt.

2014 Cantina del Taburno Falanghina Sannio Falanghina del Sannio.

Penne pomodoro!

Penne with butternut squash and seasonal truffle.

Tagliolini, aglio, olio, rosmarino, pomodoro candito e scarola. Taliolini with garlic, olive oil, and rosemary served with roasted tomato and bitter green.

Gnocchi di patate, zucca, salsiccia e tartufo di stagione. Potato gnocchi, butternut squash, pork sausage and seasonal truffle.

Polpette al sugo, polenta e provolone del Monaco. Traditional meatballs cooked in tomato sauce served with polenta and Provolone del Monaco. Pretty old fashioned dish in some ways, even Italian American (which is basically modified Southern Italian cooking). But this version was really good. Maybe not quite as good as the ones at Gusto, but very good.

The dessert menu.

Chocolate gelato.

Chocolate torte with almonds and vanilla ice cream.

Cannolo nocciolato ripieno di mousse al mascarpone, sorbetto al caffe e baileys. Hazelnut cannoli filled with mascarpone cheese, coffee sorbet and baileys sauce. Yum!

Semifreddo of almond and hazelnut with caramel sauce.

Overall, Next2 offers up a really delicious take on modern Amalfi fare. It’s spiritually faithful, but turns up the style and presentation by a couple of notches. Not to the formal level of the Michelin places, but enough to feel fresher than the completely straight up trattorias.

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By: agavin
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Tagged as: eating-italy, Italian Cusine, Next2, Positano, Wine

Eating Positano – Mediterraneo

Aug08

Restaurant: Mediterraneo

Location: Viale Pasitea, 236, 84017 Positano SA, Italy. +39 089 811651

Date: June 25, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Solid neighborhood Italian

Night two in Positano and yet another… you guessed it… Italian.

The manager of our rental property recommended this one.

Which also abuts the road, although doesn’t actually straddle it this time.

The view.

The menu is big again, and includes a handle pasta key.

2014 Cantina del Taburno Falanghina Sannio Falanghina del Sannio. Another pretty tart local white, this time from the Falanghina grape.

Ricotta stuffed squash blossoms.

Caprese of local cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella.

Mixed appetizer plate with various cured and fried seafood. Octopus, cured anchovies, fish carpaccio, fried shrimp.

My son’s pomodoro.

Gluten free pasta with eggplant and tomato sauce.

The better homemade pasta with eggplant and tomato sauce.

Risotto del Mediterraneo. Mixed seafoods.

Gelato with chocolate sauce.

Hazelnut semifreddo.

The food at Mediterraneo was good, although not superlative. Still, they made up for it with a certain lively atmosphere and extremely friendly staff. There was live music, and they passed out tambourines, and just generally kept the party going.

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By: agavin
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Tagged as: eating-italy, pasta, Positano, Wine

Eating Positano – Saraceno d’Oro

Aug04

Restaurant: Sarceno D’Oro

Location: Viale Pasitea, 254, 84017 Positano SA, Italy. +39 089 812050

Date: June 23, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Tasty Amalfi Tratoria

On our first night in Positano we hiked (slightly) down the hill to a recommended local spot.

The name translates as the Golden Saracen (generic term for moorish, implying pirate in this context).

The resteraunt is squeezed on both sides of Positano’s single road, split by the busy traffic.

The menu is fairly epic.
2014 Feudi di San Gregorio Fiano di Avellino. The Amalfi whites are dry dry dry.

Packaged gluten free bread!

Insalte Mixte.

Marinated local small fish like sardines. These are always yummy.

Gli sfizi del Saraceno. Potatoes and croquets with ham, fried bread, mozzarella cheese and mixed fried vegetables. A whole lotta fry!

Penne pomodoro.

Penne alla Siciliana. With mozzarella and eggplant.

Scialatielli allo scoglio. House made pasta with sea food. This was a really nice pasta with an al dente bite and a great tasting gauzetto (garlic, cherry tomato, wine sauce).

Grilled Spigola (seabass).

Roasted potatoes.

t

Tiramisu. Biscuit with cream and coffee. Too much straight whipped cream. Maybe some mascarpone, but certainly not the complex Zabaione, pastry cream, whipped cream, mascarpone I make.

Profiterole al cioccolato. Pastries stuffed with chocolate cream, covered in sauce and whipped cream.

Limoncello. I really want to love limocello, because I do adore lemons, but it’s just so alcoholic tasting. Burns my palette. Better as a gelato flavor.

Overall, food in Positano seems to be a bit more touristy/international than some of the other spots we visited, although this was of course solidly Italian. Still, it was very tasty. The mixed seafood pasta being a highlight.

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By: agavin
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Tagged as: Amalfi Coast, eating-italy, Positano, Sarceno D'Oro

Eating Senigallia – Madonnina del Pescatore

Aug01

Restaurant: Madonnina del Pescatore

Location: Via Lungomare, 11, 60017 Marzocca di Senigallia AN, Italy. +39 071 698267

Date: June 21, 2015

Cuisine: Italian (2 Michelin stars)

Rating: Awesome high end

The second of Senigallia’s Michelin two star duo (not in any particular order) is:

We got to try these with only one night in between for close comparison.

Located a few miles south along the coast, Madonnina is on a slightly quieter stretch of beach than Uliassi — but also enjoys a lovely view.

The sea is visible beyond.

2013 Azienda Agricola Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore. Again we order this reliable and reasonable fresh local white.

An amuse of parmesan semi-freddo ice cream sandwich!

The menu. We went for the “close to tradition.”

Americano cocktail solido e viaggio intorno all’ alice. Another amuse, a prosecco foam with fruit gelee.

More amuses. I can’t remember exactly what. The right was a crisp with anchovy paste.

Bread.

roast beef : tonno bianco tataki, il sugo della fettina di mia madre salsa di sedano rapa e topinambur al forno. White albacore tuna.

insalata di polpo, gelatina di pane e aceto, la sua maionese. octopus salad, bread, jelly and vinegar, mayonnaise. Very very tender octopus.

ravioli al “plin” di pesce, salsa porro e curry, spinaci e sogliola. ravioli “pliny” fish , leek and curry sauce , spinach and sole. Little pastries of pliny fish.

2012 Fattoria La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva “Mirum”. 90 points. Quite a fruitier expression of this wine. Good ripe fruit, light touch of sweet and waxy core, nice mineral side and firm acidity. This as always is a nice, expressive and complex wine and always a joy to come across it.

carpaccio tiepido di spigola, purè al lime, salmoriglio e salsa di rucola. warm carpaccio of sea bass , mashed lime , seasoned salt and rocket sauce.

spigola di amo arrostita, salsa di fagiolini ed insalatina alla senape. Bass,roasted potatoes , sauce and green beans salad with mustard.

lasagna ai frutti di mare in bianco con salsa di cocco e prezzemolo. lasagna with seafood in white with coconut sauce and parsley. This was sort of a giant ravioli/lasagna. It was soft and delicate and rich and rather delicious with hints of thai type flavors.

guazzetto “al forno” di pesci, molluschi e crostacei. A version of the classic seafood stew.

A version with no shellfish.

tiramisù con gelato al caffè, mascarpone liquido gelatine al borghetti e pane del giorno prima. tiramisu with coffee ice cream, mascarpone liquid borghetti jellies and bread from the day before. A bit like a tiramisu gelato.

vulcani attivi. Volcanic activity. This interesting presentation of chocolates had a number of chocolates named after particular volcanos and placed on the map where they belong. The flavors were themed after the regions, for example with the “Vesuvius” having tomato and mozzarella in with the chocolate!

A granite of grappa with a final chocolate.

Alex had his own tasting of Penne Pomodoro.

Parmasean.

And vanilla gelato over chocolate cookie.

Overall, we had a fabulous meal at Madonnina. I’d pretty much place it and Uliassi at the same level, and they draw off the same base regional cuisine. They do differ in style. Madonnina is fancy, but somewhat more direct in its translation of the dishes, a bit less experimental. This resulted in a 100% “good dish” rate, which almost no highly experimental place achieves. These were really nice dishes that fundamentally tasted great (and very Italian).

Service was also fabulous. Attentive and reasonably speedy (as 2 star places go) with no late meal stall. It’s very common for elegant places to really slow down the pace around the last entree through dessert and check — just when you are getting tired!

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By: agavin
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Tagged as: eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Madonnina del Pescatore, Michelin Guide, Senigallia, Wine

Eating Senigallia – Taverna Porto

Jul31

Restaurant: La Taverna del Porto

Location: Via Giosue Carducci, 10, 60019 Senigallia, Italy

Date: June 20, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Pricy but tasty all in dining

Sandwiched between Michelin 2 star meals we asked our hotel for a restaurant recommendation.

They sent us across town to La Taverna del Porto.

It was located on a bustling square — and this being a summer Saturday in a beach town — the piazza was alive with activity.

At the restaurant, there were a few items written on a board, but we were just asked “meat” or “seafood” and they started bringing stuff.

Potato soup. A simple but tasty blend.

Like the food, the only option for the wine seemed to be “Rosso ou Bianco”. We went bianco and got this perfectly pleasant local Verdicchio.

Squid salad. Squid mixed with carrots and marinated.

Grilled vegetables.

Octopus salad. With tomatoes.

Various seafood. Seabass on pesto crostini. Salmon and tuna crisps.

Creatures of the deep. These ugly shrimp cousins look a bit like the monsters from the video game Journey and taste… well a bit like the sea bottom.

Shrimp and avocado.

Capresse.

Hot seafood. Stuffed mussels, fried anchovies, skewers.

Mussels in gauzetto sauce. Tasty.

Clams in tomato cream sauce. Even tastier. I love these local vongole.

Green beans.

Eggplant wraps.

Penne pomodoro.

Linguine vongolle. Classic linguine in clam sauce. Super simple. Very tasty. Lots of garlic.

The host asked if we wanted more. We were pretty stuffed. I guess he would have brought a main and dessert. Then we got a bill for 5 x E35. Given that it was 50% more than all the other casual places we ate at in Italy, and that one of the 5 was a 6 year-old who had the penne only and 2 others were vegetarians, it seemed kinda steep. I think it was just one price included, so if we had a main course and dessert and 5 real eaters it would have been fine — but still. Wine was included and seemed “all you can drink.” Of course, the local Verdicchio probably costs them < E5. It’s still not bad wine for seafood.

The more I travel the less I trust hotel recommendations for food, which is a shame as doing the research is a bit of work. The people at our hotel were extremely extremely nice so I think it was just a difference of what one is looking for. Still, the food was good and it was a fun evening.

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By: agavin
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Tagged as: eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Senigallia, Taverna Porto

Eating Senigallia – Uliassi

Jul28

Restaurant: Uliassi

Location: Banchina Di Levante 6, 60019 Senigallia AN, Italy. +39 071 65463

Date: June 19, 2015

Cuisine: Italian (2 star Michelin)

Rating: Awesome and inventive

One of the reasons I was drawn to visit the town of Senigallia was its pair of 2 star Michelin restaurants. It seemed to me that any small resort town with TWO of them had to be a nice place.

I was right too. We visited both, but Uliassi was first and it’s tucked away in the corner of Senigallia’s main seaside drag right near the river, just a block or two from the center of the old city.

We began with a bit of bubbly.

Bread sticks. The darker one was anchovy flavored!

Rice puffed nori. Delicious crispy seafood puffs.

The menu. We opted more or less for the Classic (with supplements and substitutes).

Amuse. On the left was one of those wafer cookies… filled with foie gras and some kind of nut butter — delicious. The center was beef tartar crusted in something. The right was a bit of fish with truffles.

A shot of Kir Royal.

Tempura vegetables. Super light and delicious fry.

Artisan bread.

2013 Azienda Agricola Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore. 89 points. The young Bucci Superiore is very light and fruity. An excellent seafood wine.

Cuttlefish tagliatelle with nori seaweed pesto and fried quinoa. A “pasta” made of cuttlefish. As squirmy as the idea is, it was rather delicious.

Raw amberjack “a la puttanesca.” A lovely seafood carpaccio.

Crispy red mullet, parsley soup and rhubarb. The bread-like thing was the mullet. I don’t even like red mullet, despite it having been the most prized local fish by the Ancient Romans — but this was fabulous. It tasted like a super grilled cheese or something.

Salad of cheese and almonds.

Rimini fest skewer. Squid covered in bread crumbs and ham bits. The balls were sphereized frozen cheese!

Potato puree and truffles. A simple version for the vegetarians.

Albanella jar, shellfish and aromatic herbs. A semi-deconstructed seafood pot. Not so unlike an Italian version of the Lobster Pots we used to cook up on the East Coast as a kid. The sauce was nice but light, emphasizing the fresh seafood.

Seasonal vegetables and pesto.

Roasted cuttlefish, wild herbs and sea urchins water ice. Not for the average American pallet, with that briny squid ink taste and the frozen bits of sea urchin!

Cappelletti butter and sage. A simple but lovely pasta.

Potatoes puree, roasted teal, roots and black truffle. The more elaborate version of the puree, with teal meat and lots and lots of black truffle. Really delicious.

Smoked spaghetti, clams and grilled cherry tomatoes. Almost a classic vongolle pasta, but with a lovely smokey flavor.

Monkfish, pork cheek and wild fennel soup. We were getting pretty full here, but this monkfish and “bacon” (pork cheek) was rather delicious — if rich. You can see from the menu why they probably don’t sell a lot of red wine!

Strawberry, cream, mascarpone and cardamon merengue. This was amazing! The berry flavor was so strong, and the frozen berries were cold on the tongue. The merengue provided a nice crunchy counterpoint.

Molasses cookie, chocolate ice cream, coffee, caramel, and licorice.

passionfruit soup, yogurt ice cream, pink pepper, and candied banana.

The hazelnut in different consistence: cream, brittle, crumble, cookie, powder, ice cream, and sponge. Pretty awesome.

Alex’s special 4 course tasting:

Rigatoni pomodoro.

Crispy potatoes, two ways. Homemade potato chips above, beneath them are french fries.

Artisan parmesan.

Mascarpone and chocolate. Fresh sweet cheese (it’s basically cream set with lemon juice) and cocoa powder.
Overall, Uliassi served up a great meal. They were extremely accommodating to our various needs (small child and Kosher style eaters), particularly given that I had forgotten to warn them. The attitude was great too. The meal ran a little long, particularly as they got busy, but still, you could see how many (technical) courses there were.

Our evening was oddly rainy and blustery, so we sat inside. But the restaurant is in a lovely seaside location with a casual elegant shore vibe. On a nice night (and the other 4 we spent in the town were lovely) it would be fabulous to dine outside.

The food itself was DELICIOUS and very inventive. Extremely Italian, local to Le Marche, but also very modern. Perhaps there was one too many cuttlefish dishes, but many of the dishes were fabulous and most really spot on.

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By: agavin
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Tagged as: eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Michelin Guide, Senigallia, Uliassi, Wine

Eating Senigallia – Niko Cucina

Jul27

Restaurant: Niko Cucina

Location: Lungomare Marconi , 60019 Senigallia, Italy. 071.7931087

Date: June 18 & 22, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Great kitchen

Traveling east from Umbria we set up residence at the lovely beach town Senigallia. This is one of those delightful Italian resort towns that Americans don’t really visit. All the better for us.

Despite being off the American radar this town sports two 2 star Michelin restaurants! Plus our hotel had a top notch place called “By Niko Cucina” (the chef being Niko). You could eat on either the ground floor patio or up here with the terrible view and lousy stifling air — not!

The menu.

Campari spritz (with Prosecco).

2010 Azienda Agricola Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva Villa Bucci. 91 points. A fine mature Verdicchio with plenty of structure.

Bread.

Gluten free bread, which supposedly was awesome (for gluten free bread). The chef said he bakes it himself and adds vinegar to get the right fluffiness.

Un Salmone giapponese in grecia. Salmon with Greek yogurt.

Crudi by Niko. Niko’s choice of raw/cured seafood. Left to right, shrimps, tuna, and amberjack. All were extremely fresh and delicious.

Cheesy pasta. Alex took a break from penne pomodoro for some pasta with parmesan and cream.

And on a different say he got a different shape (rigatoni?).

Spaghetti seppia nera e pomodori bruciati. Squid ink pasta in a form of guazzetto (tomato and garlic) sauce. Delicious.

Like art!

Strozzapretti con sugo di mandorle all siciliana. A tomato/eggplant pasta.

And a gluten free version of same (yick).

Spaghetti vongole ndula e lime. A spicy southern twist on the spaghetti with clam sauce. Delicious too.

2013 La Marca di San Michele Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Capovolto. 90 points. Another Verdicchio in a different style. This was Niko’s favorite (he recommended it). A bit less fruity than the Bucci, but very good.

Frittura by Niko con yogurt greco. My dad and I agreed that this might have been the finest “Fritto Misto” (mixed fried) we’ve ever had!

Fresh roasted Turbo. Potatoes and tomatoes.

Here is a piece of the delicate fish.

Insalte mista.

Verdure croccanti. Crunchy vegetables.

French fries.

Limoncello. Fire in the hole!

My Mom with chef Niko. He was extraordinarily nice and friendly.

Overall, Niko really delivered. Not only did he cook, but he hung around and offered fun comments and advice — and his food was really spot on. More modern and seafood oriented than what we were eating in Umbria, this was some delicious stuff with really fresh ingredients and and on point preparation.

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By: agavin
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Tagged as: by Niko, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Niko Cucina, Senigallia

Eating Assisi – Buca di S. Francesco

Jul26

Restaurant: Buca di S. Francesco

Location: Via Eugenio Brizi, 1, Assisi PG, Italy. +39 075 812204

Date: June 17, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Fun meal, good food

Night three in Assisi and we search out a third place.

We actually found this one just walking on the way to the square.

The menu looked pretty good.

It had both a large outside patio.

And a vaulted interior.

All those plates are from sister restaurants in some kind of hand painted “signature dish” club.

1970 Fattoria dei Barbi (Colombini) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. 92 points. These grapes of this beautifull wine were on the vines when I was born! Amazing that this wine is still so full of character. This bottle has once and for all confirmed for me that Brunello di Montalcino can be a real classic. It tasted much like an older Burgundy but was full of character and depth.

The waiter decanted it of course.

The usual insalte mista.

Salmone affumicato. Smoked salmon.

Penne pomodoro (of course).

Spaghetti with mushrooms.

Tagliatelle alla norcina. The sausage and cream sauce!

Tortellini with cheese and cream sauce.

Piccione all’assisana. Pigeon with liver again, this was fine, and the bird very rich and meaty, but it wasn’t nearly as good as the awesome version we had in Orvieto.

Onions with balsamic. Delicious sweet onions.

Torta con pere e ciocolato. Tort with pear and chocolate!

Tortino di ciocolato. Like a chocolate cupcape.

Torta di ricotta alle nocciole. Ricotta tort.

Semifreddo al Bacio. A semifreddo with bacio (chocolate and hazelnut flavor). Given that Perugina (the chocolate company that makes Bacci) is just 40 minutes from Assisi, it seemed apropos.

Biscotti. Some strange cornflake covered cookies!

Overall, this was a fun meal even if only because the setting was great and the service and waiter were absolutely delightful. The food was good too, not mind blowing or anything, but that kind of solid that you find in kitchens all over Italy.

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They had cool ancient caves carved in the limestone below too

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Tagged as: Assisi, Brunello, Buca di S. Francesco, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, pigeon, Wine

Eating Assisi – Osteria dei Priori

Jul22

Restaurant: Osteria dei Priori

Location: Via Giotto, 06081 Assisi PG, Italy. +39 075 812149

Date: June 20, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Can’t go too wrong in Umbria

Another night in Assisi, another dinner.

We found Osteria dei Priori reading the internet restaurant reviews. It’s located fairly close to the main square.

The menu.

The vaulted interior definitely has old bones.

2007 Terre di Capitano Sagrantino di Montefalco. Sagrantino is the most traditional local Umbrian red grape..

Flan di melanzone e scamorza con crema di basillico. Eggplant flan with scamorza cheese and basil sauce.

Good stuff with a nice fluffy “flan” and a great creamy basil sauce.

Umbricelli al ragu di cinghiale profumato al ginepro. Long pasta in a boar and juniper sauce!

Maccheronini alla Norcina con salsiccia, funghi e tartufo. Short pasta in a sausage, mushroom, and truffle cream sauce.

Baccala dei sacrestano. Cold codfish with mixed salad, olives, anchovies, tomatoes and oranges

Tagliata di manzo irlandese con rosti di patate. Beef grilled with aromatic potatoes.

Insalte Mista.

Not bad at all, although probably not as good a kitchen as the previous night’s.

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By: agavin
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Tagged as: Assisi, eating-italy, Osteria dei Priori, Umbria

Eating Assisi – Locanda del Podesta

Jul20

Restaurant: Locanda del Podesta

Location: Via S. Giacomo, 6, 06081 Assisi PG, Italy. +39 075 802455

Date: June 15, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: More hearty Umbrian goodness

After finishing with Lazio with continue inland into Umbra, Italy’s rural Etruscan heart.

Our first dinner in the hillside pilgrimage city of Assisi. We had to walk UP quiet some way to get to this restaurant. Work off 10% of the cream.

Like most of Assisi the buildings are all old medieval stone structures, heavily restored and in great shape. Apparently JC watches over modern Italian dining. The city is older than him though, as it has a Roman forum under the main square — and they weren’t the first either. There was a town here when the Etruscans took over before that.

2012 Goretti Grechetto Colli Perugini. Some local Grechetto.

Antipasto of meats. It seemed appropriate to sample the local pigs.

Raddicio, pecorino, and walnut salad.

Cacio pasta. Simple pasta for the kid.

Cacio e pepe. The peppered version.

2008 Scacciadiavoli Sagrantino di Montefalco. AG 91. Smoke, tar, licorice and a host of dark aromas and flavors develop as the 2008 Montefalco Sagrantino opens up over time. This remains an essentially fruit-driven style of Sagrantino, but at the same time the wine’s balance and sense of harmony are both impeccable. The 2008 Sagrantino is another harmonious, beautifully balanced wine from Scacciadiavoli.

Penne Norcina. An Umbrian speciality. Pasta with pork sausage in a light cream sauce with truffles! Yum yum. Really great stuff.

Chicken breast with rosemary.

Lamb chops. My dad loves lamb chops.

Scrambled egg and truffle. This is some serious Italian comfort food!

Insalate Mixte.

Fava beans with truffle. The fagioli felt left out when the eggs got truffled, so they had to join the party.

Overall, nothing fancy, but a very nice meal showcasing the Umbrian love of truffles.

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The Basilica of St Francis in Assisi (Sun set just as we hiked past)

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Antipasto, Assisi, Charcuterie, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Locanda del Podesta, Meat, Salami, Umbria, Wine

Eating Orvieto – Maurizio

Jul13

Restaurant: Ristorante Maurizio

Location:Via del Duomo, 78, 05018 Orvieto TR, Italy. +39 0763 341114

Date: June 14, 2015 (lunch)

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Hearty good

During a quick day trip to scenic Orvieto we selected this attractive looking restaurant just down the street from the Duomo.

Really, half the reason we sat down was because it was raining heavily.

The vaulting is ancient, but the rest of the restaurant is modern.

The menu.

2013 Barberani Orviéto Classico Vallesanta Secco. Orivieto is a pleasant fruity white, great with food.

Crostino di polenta, caciotta e tartufo. Toasted polenta, truffle, and caciotta cheese.

Grand Antipasto di Maurizio. Another of these great deal big antipasto plates. Various local meats and pecorino.

Plus it includes these various “spreads”: chicken liver, fava beans, tomatoes, a kind of tomatoes sauce, and bacon chips (yeah, just very fatty crispy bacon).

The spreads can but put on the toasts. I loved the liver. Plus there were all those fried vegetables and little fried meat balls.

Caprese. Tomatoes and mozzarella di buffalo.

Insalta Miste.

Penne Pomodoro. You’ll see a lot of these, Alex loves it.

Spaghettoni con pomodori grigliati e recotta salta. Spaghettoni with grilled tomatoes and ricotta cheese.

Ciriole al ragu d’agnello. Big spaghetti with lamb ragu. I loved this hearty pasta.

Pollo alla cacciatora. Chicken cacciatora with tomato and chili.

Piccione in salmi con crostone. Pigeon “Salmi” with toasted bread. Pigeons being a big thing in Orvieto (they used to raise them here in the middle ages), we had to try this. It turns out that “salmi” is a kind of sauce made from the liver of the pigeon and olives. Sounds awful, tastes great. This was a fabulously meaty dish. The rich pigeon meat and the rich livers. Yum.

Agnello alla scottadito. Grilled lamb.

Overall, a very good restaurant and a great lunch to weather (haha) out the rainstorm. This shows off some of the hearty cuisine of Umbria.

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By: agavin
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Tagged as: Antipasto, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Maurizio, Orvieto, pigeon, Ristorante Maurizio

Eating d’Agliano – La Quercia

Jul08

Restaurant: La Quercia

Location: Loc. Madonna del Portone 6, Civitella d’Agliano, Italy

Date: June 12 & 13, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Surprisingly good local kitchen

The epic 2015 Italian dining continues as we explore northern Lazio. It turned out to be good enough that we went two nights in a row!

Our hostess at our hotel recommended this local restaurant (the name means “the oak”).

It offers both al fresco dining with a view of the charming countryside.

And a spacious interior.

The sizeable menu is divided into both meat and seafood sections.

Bread.

2014 Santa Maria La Palma Vermentino di Sardegna Aragosta. Not a bad white at all.

I ordered a mixed seafood antipasta. These are the bargains because they come with dish after dish of good stuff. That includes these “shooters”, a fish spread bruschetta, a shrimp one, some cured fish and marinated anchovies.

This squid and olives in red sauce.

Mussels.

Even a portion of creamy seafood risotto (also pictured below when I ordered it another night as an entree).

Basic salad.

Insalate mixta. Gets some added color.

Fiocchi di Formaggio e Pere. Pasta parcels filled with cheese and pears.

Spaghetti alle Vongole. The classic spaghetti with clam sauce.

Agnolotti al Tartufo Nero. Meat ravioli with truffle. Pretty darn delicious.

Risotto in Crema di Gamberi. Creamy prawn risotto. I loved this stuff. So creamy good.

Risotto alla pescatora. Fish risotto.

2009 Bibbiano Chianti Classico Montornello. 88 points. Taste like Italy, with plenty of earth. Black pepper and cherry, with plenty of oak and tannins. Comes across a bit hot, at 14% alcohol.

Vegetable pizza.

Pizza Margherita.

Grigliata Mista. Mixed grilled seafood.

Zuppa di Pesce. Big fish soup. They weren’t kidding about the big. That plate is about 15 inches long!

Frittura Mista. Crispy fried seafood mix.

Cinghiale in Agrodolce. Sweet and sour boar stew. A bit chewy, but that’s boar. Flavor was nice.

Grilled seabass.

Overall, a great little place. The service wasn’t always the fastest, and the first night was mobbed with a giant 50 person party, and outside we were dived bombed by mosquitos, but the food was really quiet delicious and the prices extremely reasonable.

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