Today I was taken to a small restaurant that is on a secluded beach around from Positano. It is a restaurant that the locals go to often, so I had high hopes for the meal. To get there however, you must take a boat, and although we had just missed a pubilc one which went around the coast, this only meant we had to get our own personal boat….it was a friend of a friend of mine’s.
Walking of the boat we are lead along the thin wooden pier, along the gravel beach and up the stair to the restaurant in which the staff had saved us one o the best tables in the front corner. No menus here…only a blackboard, so we walked up, had a squiz and then asked what was particularly special that day. We really could not decide straight away, so ordered course by course. There was no rush, we had all afternoon, and in this part of the world time is not something that is strictly abided by, what is the point of worrying, just enjoy the day, enjoy the experience as that is how life is lived here. This is something I am beginning to learn , to throw away my diary, not worry about plans and just do what I feel like that moment.
We were brought some mineral water and house wine that is served in a cute little ceramic jug with chopped peaches inside. I really liked this addition as it made the loal wine a very refreshing drink and something we finished a lot quicker than we anticipated, especially due to the heat.
Relaxed and enjoying the view, our first entrée was placed in front of us. Baby salt and pepper prawns lightly fried shell and all. We started peeling, but I did try one with the shell on as this is where a lot of the flavouring was – a little crunchy but still containing firm sweet meat. It was only natural that we had to dip some bread into the oil that was left on the plate, something which is a necessary act in the Mediterranean as they do not like wasting any of the fantastic sauces.
Not too long after, our second entrée was served. This is something I was told was a must to try and the only definite item after the first glance of the menu. Mozzarella baked on lemon leaves, a dish which is a bit of a local dish along the Amalfi. The leaves were large, thick and smooth and slightly infused the creamy, sour bufala mozzarella. It gave it a nice citrusy tone and with its soft, stringy melted texture made it like nothing I have eaten before.
For mains we both decided to order pasta, with seafood of course, especially when sitting at a restaurant by the sea. There was however one pasta dish I have wanted to try during my whole trip in Italy. It is a dish that is so simple, yet can be made so wrong if the ingredients are not in moderation. Spaghetti Alio Olio – Spaghetti with garlic and oil. The common mistakes that can arise with the sauce are that it is to oily, too strong with garlic or have too many herbs which should only be a garnish to just add to the dish, not overpower its simplicity. This dish was fantastico. Al dente pasta with delicate flavours making it a really light and addictive dish, something that you do not even want to leave a few strands of pasta on the plate.
I ordered spaghetti with a totani (a type of squid) and zucchini. It didn’t have a ‘tomato sauce’ but rather the sauce was made with cherry tomatoes, zucchini, herbs and oil. Many pasta dishes in the south are like this as it makes it a lighter dish, especially with seafood. The totani was tender and perfectly cooked, tomatoes so petit and contained such a sweetness, the zucchini was soft and had a beautiful strong flavour, unlike the bland varieties we find at supermarkets, and finally a sprinkling of fresh parsley just adds that extra freshness to an amazing dish.
We gave ourselves ample time to sit, take in the view and digest, as we knew we needed to save room for dessert. I was so glad it was a beautiful, sunny day, as this is a space that I could come and relax for hours, talking with good friends and enjoying fantastic food. After a while, the feet went up onto the ledge, we sank in our seats and sipped our last few mouthfuls of wine before the desserts were brought out.
First there was a tiramisu. Layers of sponge fingers soaked in coffee and liquer, topped with a mascarpone cream mixture and finished with shavings of chocolate. This one was good as it wasn’t overdone with cream, as some I have previously tried throughout Italy, however, it did not have a strong enough coffee flavour which was a bit disappointing. My friend, Gaetano, also said that although this is nice but his Mamma makes it better. Now this is such a tease as I wish I had the opportunity to try her’s. It is ok though as it only meant I took more of the second dessert which I loved.
Affogato! It also used a mild nut gelato with silvered toasted almonds through it. Hot espresso was poured over the very cold and hard gelato which did not melt straight away, which is what should happen. This was heaven for me as I love espresso and I love gelato, and if any of you know that I used to prepare many affogato’s during my time at Campos in Sydney, you will know that I am a bit anal about how they should be prepared now. It really capped off my lunch perfectly as I was on cloud nine, but it wasn’t quite finished……of course we still had to drink out limoncello. Strong and sweet, we downed it in one go and then both smiled at each other as we experienced the warm fuzzy feeling down our throats.
By the end of lunch I could not believe how lucky I was to sit at such an amazing restaurant in one of the most beautiful locations in the world. To be blessed with good weather and good company, I really could not ask for more. Life is meant to be enjoyed, so every once in a while even I need to stop and take a step back so I don’t look back in 5 years and ask myself why I worried so much, or what I did with my time that was so important. After this experience I realized that it my time in Positano was exactly the opposite of what I am normally like in Sydney and now I am beginning to adopt this Southern Italian way of life….
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
wow…
everything you say seems amazing!!!!
da adolfo must be a very nice place!!!
la descrizione dei piatti e’ fantastica,mi sembra di sentire il sapore!!!
e’ bello quando ci si sofferma anche sulle cose semplici….
non serve molto per essere felici….
What a charming restaurant! Positano sounds lovely, and the pasta looks delicious. I have always wanted to try a good spaghetti alio olio. But since it might be a while before I make it to southern Italy, you’ll have to let me know if you can think of anywhere in Sydney that makes it well enough.
Well I know a few good pasta places, but this dish is something I don’t see often at these good places
Research!!!
Oh yes…it must be
Fantastic service, food and view. So relaxing and lovely. Thank you for taking me there.