Il Cucciolo

Anacapri, IT

Franco recommended Il Cucciolo to us for dinner and in typical Italian sea side fashion, we were picked up from our hotel by a red Il Cucciolo decal minivan. I really, really enjoy that service, especially because you never have to tip the driver. It is really a free service. But given that restaurants are tucked away which no tourist would ever find, a driving service is essential. We opted for an "early" 8 oclock dinner, so we were the only patrons there when we arrived.

View

Il Cucciolo is on the edge of a cliff, with sliding windows lining the entire dining room. There isn't a bad seat in house, with views all the way to Mt. Vesuvius on a clear night. We arrived just at sunset with a glass of champagne while we perused the large enticing menu.

Bruchetta

I'm bummed when I think about fresh bruchetta because it just doesn't taste the same in the states. Its just one of those simple things in Italy that tastes awesome because of their local vine fresh tomatoes and hourly baked bread. I miss that.

Octopus and Potatoes

The octopus and potatoes ended up being the only item we ordered directly off the printed menu. We were just so intrigued by the combination that we decided to give it a try. We were thrilled that we did because it was probably the most tender, tastiest octopus I've ever had in my life. More tender than the best tako nigiri I've ever had. And when i told the chef, he was extremely pleased but would not share the secret on how he prepped it. It was superb. Even more surprising was the potatoes. There's something about potatoes in Europe that just taste better. There's more than one layer of flavor, not just chalky texture, a hearty, filling, satisfying pair to the fresh octopus.

Seafood risotto

During our week in Italy, we hadn't gotten around to having risotto, and since it was a recommended special, we decide to give it a try. The most impressive thing to me about this dish was there were at least three different types of fresh shrimp among the seafood mixture. The risotto itself was very flavorful but not overcooked or gummy, which Chu-Toro prefers. I don't recall too much of it because I was too busy with my linguine, but between the potatoes and risotto, Chu-Toro was stuffed.

Lobster linguine

My favorite pasta has got to be lobster pasta. It was on my last trip to Italy, and it was on this trip. It wasn't on the menu, but our server mentioned that they had fresh lobsters made with linguine and I was immediately sold. Although this one wasn't as good as the one from Trattoria Del Carmine in Florence, it was pretty damn close. Lobster pasta is just so rich and buttery, I can't get enough of it. It was amazing. My mouth is watering thinking about it. The lobster was so sweet, rich,fresh, and delicious with every bite. Surprisingly, the claw was the best part, not something you'd expect with lobster. I was so enamored and full with the first two courses, that we could have and should have ended the meal right there. 

Local Red Snapper

We had foolishly already order one entree to share, but it was huge. The local deep sea red snapper caught earlier that day had to be at least two pounds, and we were already stuffed. But I was captivated by the meticulous table side de-boning of the beautiful fish that I ate as much as I could before exploding. The fish was very good, but was heavier than the other local fish we had along the coast. It was also very expensive, so in the end, we probably didn't need to get it, but added to the overall experience of my favorite meal in Italy.

Limonchello

We were so full that we couldn't even have a coffee to finish, but in typical Italian fashion, you MUST have a digestive, so they brought us some rocket fuel local limonchello which was perfectly icy and chilled, ending our excellent meal. It's probably out of your way to get here, but if you ever stay a night in Capri and are looking for a splurge meal, find a way to get to Il Cucciolo for fresh, amazing, coastal Italian food. 

Overall 8/10

May 26th, 2011

Gelateria Buonocore

Capri, IT

Capri town is expensive and touristy, but provides a nice setting for an evening stroll when all the day trippers have caught the last boat. On a side note, spend at least one night in Capri, its much nicer than rushing back to Naples or the Amalfi Coast, especially with the crowds gone. Regardless of the crowds, there's always a line at Gelateria Buonocore which tempts you by the smell of fresh waffle cones being made at the window. We actually came two different times, our first visit ordering a freshly made waffle bowl (literally just made) and two gelato flavors which I can't remember piled with hot chocolate syrup. YUM.

I don't remember the flavors, but remembered that it was rapidly melting, on account of the warm chocolate and warm waffle bowl, and was delicious. Which lead to our second visit. 

We had a small lemon cake/tart, which wasn't anything spectacular and a waffle cone with mango and lemon gelato. The mango was good, but the lemon was too tart for me.

This also happened to be our final gelato in Italy and although they were mostly good to very good, they did not meet the expectations that we had built up in our heads from our last Italy excursion. Florence will be back on our radar when returning to Italy because our favorite meals and gelato were there. But Capri may join that list too, because it was our favorite stop on this trip to Italy.

Overall 7.5/10

May 26th, 2011

Le Arcate

Anacapri, IT

I did zero planning for our one night on Capri island, but am glad I didn't because Franco the owner of Il Giardino dell'Artel, the B&B we stayed at, helped map out our entire stay starting with a lunch recommendation at Le Arcate. He even called the owner as we arrived to make sure they took good care of us.

Caprese pizza

We started off with a Caprese pizza which was surprisingly very different than the other pizzas in Italy. Mainly because it reminded me of a good pizza I would get in California. Pretty strange, but we enjoyed it.

Local fish and spaghetti served table side 

I'm a sucker for table side served dishes, so when our local fish and spaghetti arrived, I was  really excited. The entire platter looked delicious, from the pile of pasta to the fish which they de-boned in front of us. Everyone around us watched and another couple ordered the same dish after getting the free preview. 

Local fish and spaghetti

The best thing about the table side presentation is the food actually being really good  once you get to dig in. The local fish was flaky and tender while the spaghetti was simple and filling. A successful course all around.

Caprese cake

We finished with the local Caprese cake, which from the looks of it seemed to be a very, dense, heavy, chocolate cake, but actually turned out to be nutty, almondy and fairly light. A nice finish to a nice meal. Althought Le Arcate is not in the center of town where the shops are, its worth the five minute walk to get there for the good food and kind service.

Overall 7/10

May 26th, 2011

Bar Bruno

Positano, IT

There were only two reasons we dined Bar Bruno on our last night on the Amalfi Coast, first  the view, which is of the iconic mountain side town of Positano which everyone associates with the Amalfi Coast. 

View from the sidewalk seating at Bar Bruno

Second and more importantly, it was a three minute walk from our hotel. It was significant in the decision making process because we had just completed a five hour hike called Sentieri Degli Dei (Walk of the Gods) along the Amalfi Coast.

Sentieri Degli Dei

So despite the warning we had read about the subpar, overpriced food in Positano, we really  cornered ourselves with no other choice. Right off the bat, just receiving water and menus was an ordeal. Bar Bruno is all about turnover, so the next table can get seated. You would think that that would motivate them to provide better service, but unfortunately, this was not the case.

Baby Octopus in tomato sauce

We sat right next to the kitchen sliding door, which gave us two great views, one of the town and beach, the other of our food being prepared. The problem was, I also knew how long our baby octopus appetizer was sitting on the counter before we received it. Over ten minutes. Which meant, despite the tenderness of the octopus, it was lukewarm. Our server dropped it off so fast, I couldn't say anything. Sure I could have picked it up and walked it right back to the kitchen, but we didn't want to make a scene, so I bit my tongue.  The flavor was just a little off and heavy on this dish, but the octopus itself was tender.

 Scialatielli with eggplant

The problem with our pastas wasn't that it was cold, it just took forever to get them period. When the scialatielli arrived, my impatience may have swayed my opinion of the food itself. The eggplant flavoring was a nice change of pace from our usual seafood dishes the past few meals, but the problem was the pasta itself was subpar.

Gnocchi with seafood

I had the seafood pasta, but with a twist, gnocchi as my pasta. It was actually pretty decent gnocchi, but the dish as a whole just didn't seem to go together and it was salty.

Fish with potatoes and tomato sauce

By the time we had finished three meh dishes, we were too full to eat the ordinary flavored fish with potatoes. It was recommended by our server, but the fish filets themselves were bland and overcooked.

We were so exhausted from the hike and so hungry that the meal seemed decent at the time. But looking back on it, I wish we conjured up the energy to go somewhere worthwhile.  Oh well, that's food in Positano for you, enjoy at your own risk.

Overall 5/10

May 25th, 2011

A'Paranza

Atrani, IT

Atrani is a small town next to Amalfi on its coast, with a tiny central square and very local feel. Tourists don't seem to get over here much, simply passing it by too focused on the city of Amalfi. We found it to be extremely relaxing and even finding a nice, quiet, pebbly beach to swim before having lunch at A'Paranza. Apparently, we were unaware that it's a white tablecloth affair, probably where locals come for special occasions, or dumb tourists like us. The server, manager, owner was extremely kind to us, starting us off with bruschetta.

Bruschetta

The prices were fairly expensive, but opted to stay away from the pricier entrees instead sharing an appetizer and two pastas.

Fantasia di mare A'Paranza

The fantasia de mare was recommended to us and we were glad it was, because some of the best seafood I had on the coast was on this plate. Unfortunately, I can't remember what all of them were now! 

Fish gratin

Baby anchovy

Stuffed calamari

Baby shrimp (left), marinated anchovy (middle), razor clams (right)

Every bite of this dish ranged from good to excellent. In particular, I really enjoyed the anchovy, which I'm positive I've never said it my life. To me anchovy is the equivalent of fishy and salty. But both anchovy items on this appetizer plate were great, especially the marinated anchovy which tasted fresh, light and carried a subdued salty finish. 

Scialatielli with seafood

Chu-Toro's scialatielli was also very good, fresh homemade al dente pasta and a nice variety of fresh clams, calamari and mussels. My only complaint would be that it wasn't brimming with a load of seafood but was fairly costly.

Paccheri pasta with king prawns, rucola and tomatoes

Since we generally order seafood mixed pastas, we were recommended the paccheri pasta with king prawns to experience something different. The flavor overall was nice, a little salty, but again, the cost ratio of the dish was unbalanced. There are TWO shrimps on my plate, and the pasta itself was just a bit too al dente for my liking. We both preferred the scialatielli, although the small appetizer bites were really the overall winner of the meal.

My guess is dinner here can be quite expensive, but the quality of the food is high, which may make it a very good splurge meal. Unknown to us when we arrived, this restaurant, despite its tucked away location, is actually Michelin recommended. We probably won't come back, but overall enjoyed our experience here.

Overall 7/10
May 25th, 2011

Il Ritrovo

Montepertuso, IT

Our journey to Positano was a rough one. We missed our bus stop and although that doesn't sound like a big deal, on the Amalfi coast that means an extra hour on a cramp blue bus full of tourists.  So when we finally got off the bus and made it to our hotel, we were exhausted and took a nap. By the time we woke up, it was raining. Just lovely. We've heard all the restaurants in Positano are crappy tourists places that are overpriced (true fact) so didn't want to just walk to something nearby. I had heard about Il Ritrovo and although knew it was uphill about a quarter mile away, figured we could just walk it with an umbrella. Wrong, you don't walk uphill because its steep. But thankfully Il Ritrovo has a car service that picks you up from your hotel free of charge! In a Mercedes no less, pretty sweet.

When we arrived, the restaurant was mostly full. There are no menus, you basically get whatever is fresh. Interestingly enough, many of the tables get different dishes.

Prosciutto and Melon

We started off with prosciutto and melon, good, but nothing compared to the one with had a few nights before at Da Gianna.

Bruschetta and cheese souffle 

Next up was bruschetta and little cheese souffle squares. Both were tasty and satisfying. 

Shrimp

The next appetizer was our favorite, fresh sauteed shrimp. It was the simply tossed in oil and garnished with rosemary but the flavor amazing came from that it was freshly caught that day.

Clam, tomato rigatoni (front) and walnut cream rigatoni (back)

The pasta course was just so-so, the flavors of the clam didn't really go well with the tomato rigatoni. The other pasta was just way too heavy and rich, creamy, cheesy but I did liked the walnuts.

Local white fish with cherry tomatoes

I very rarely enjoy plain white fish mainly because I think the flavor is bland, but our entree, a local white fish with cherry tomatoes, was really great. Light, melt in your mouth tender, but still bursting with great flavor. The fresh tomatoes added a nice sweetness making this one of the best entrees of our time in Italy.

Cookies

The fresh homemade "cookies" were warm and tasty. I use quotes because I'm sure there's an actual name for these Italian treats, I just can't recall.

Panna Cotta with Stawberries and Cream

We both got different desserts, a panna cotta with strawberries and cream and a tiramisu. Both decent, but nothing memorable.

Tiramisu

Apple and Mint Sorbet

Cappuccino 

To finish we had an average cappuccino and a rocket fuel limonchello. 

Limonchello

All in all, we enjoyed our meal at Il Ritrovo. Fresh seafood (especially the excellent shrimp and fish), friendly home style food and good but not great service. If we return back to the Amalfi Coast, there are a handful of other options we would check out, but this is a place I would recommend if you're in Positano, especially because of the free pick up and drop off service. 

Treats for home

Overall 7/10

May 24, 2011

Da Michele

Naples, IT

Although Di Matteo and Sorbillo are definitely in the mix as the best pizzas in Naples, there is a cult following for Da Michele's pizzas. This place was featured on the movie Eat, Love, Pray with Julia Roberts (they even have a picture of her on the wall), Rick Steve's  shows and pretty much any other guidebook, website, or blog on Naples pizza. People just love it and we went to see if the hype was real. 

Interior

Located eight blocks away from Piazza Girbaldi (the only reason to stay near the train station) is Da Michele. We arrived early (7 PM) to avoid the crowds and were able to get a table quickly. By the time we were leaving, the crowd was starting to stack up outside. When you walk in, the place has a minimalism decor with their pizza oven in the corner and prep station to the left of that with about six guys making pizzas. That's it. The walls are all white, very tall, without any decorations, almost if you're in a warehouse. But it doesn't matter because everyone is here for the pizza. Only two pizzas to be precise. 

Menu

Da Michele only offers Margherita and Marinara pizzas. They do come in three different sizes, but I question if there really is much of a difference since the waiters just come by with pizzas and said "did you order a margherita or marinara?" and then drop whatever is in their hands. Regardless, you're excited to see that piping hot, fresh out of the oven, perfect pizza is coming your way. Naturally, we decided to order one of each to cover the entire spectrum of what they had to offer.

Marinara

I was pretty skeptical about the Marinara pizza. I mean, who just wants sauce on their pizza, especially when you can have fresh mozzarella and basil too? Well, after one bite, I was a believer. There was an amazing amount of flavor in that sauce, simplistic in its presentation but complex in the depth of flavors. It's like having marinara sauce for the first time the way it's supposed to be. The thin slices of garlic, the sprinkle of oregano, the drizzle of olive oil, just perfect. It was like dining at Chez Panisse for the first time eight years ago and thinking "is this what vegetables are supposed to taste like?" Well, this was what a classic, simple, perfect, Neapolitan marinara pizza was supposed to taste like.

Margherita

The margherita stirred quite a bit of conversation between me and Chu-Toro about if it was better than Di Matteo's. The standout flavor of Michele's pizza was the bite and flavor of the mozzarella which was the best on a pizza I had ever had. However, the crust was not as chewy and tasty as Di Matteo's. We both agreed, although they were the same in principal, they just felt like different pizzas and really liked both. When we were forced to pick one though, Chu-Toro went with Di Matteo's and I stuck with Da Michele. But there are no losers in that battle. 

I'm glad we were able to try all three, Di Matteo, Sorbillo, and Da Michele to taste some of Naples' best pizza offerings. The first time I had pizza back in the states (local chain pizza for a work lunch), it made me instantly miss my time in Naples. As a city, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to return to Naples, but the trip there for pizza was worth it.

Overall 8.5/10
May 27, 2011