It seems just like yesterday that we were packing up, getting ready for our trip. Now our thoughts are back here in Michigan. All the chores that must be done, commitments needing fulfilled, weight that needs to be shed and sore legs that need mending.
Thinking about weight that must be shed, I did get some requests about what our favorite restaurants were from some of the cities we visited. Here goes….
Positano:
Large city with many top-notch restaurants. We visited this town after a long 5-hour hike. We chose a small deli style store with terrific Paninis. They cut the meat and cheese fresh as they prepare the sandwich of your choosing. The place was simply named, Delicatessen. After a small stroll through the town piazza we went to Collina bakery, grabbed a margherita style pizza and some tremendous pastry’s. Their cannoli was in my top five.
Atrani:
This was our home away from home. In fact google maps has it listed as my home. My favorite was Il Veliero, It is a small family run restaurant. No matter what you get it will be delicious. I highly recommend Il Veliero’s.
At restaurant Savo you will be treated like family. Go with a schiaffoni or a fusilli. If that doesn’t strike you ask them to make you a bowl of scialatiello with bologna sauce. It's not even on the menu but he will whip it up for you in no time.
Le Palme is another place you will feel like family. Salvadore is a bit aggressive but he has pride in the food prepared. The Gnocchi is truly homemade. My favorite there was the scialatiello frutti di mare, in America we would call it clams and mussel pasta.
Amalfi:
My favorite by far was La Taverna Di Masaniello. The chef will come and and talk to you. He loves to cook and it shows. His personal favorite is gnocchi in a pistachio sauce. A must try. Every dish we had you could taste the love he put into it. He also shared with me two of his simple sauce dishes.
Pizzeria Donna Stella: This is a must place to have a pizza. If you like cheese try the Teddy but no matter what kind of pizza you get, you can’t go wrong at Donna Stella’s.
Agricola Fore Porta: This is an excellent, very fresh and tasty, farm to table restaurant. I can’t recommend what to get since the menu changes based on what their farm has to offer. I did have the best lemon risotto here. After you visit the restaurant, you can take a beautiful four-mile hike through the Valle delle Ferriere.
Ravello:
Cumpa Cosima, if mama intimidates you just let her bring you what she wants. If you are brave speak up and order the pappardelle with rabbit sauce. What ever you do make sure you eat everything on your plate. But who wouldn’t, the food is simply delicious.
Pogerola:
The one and only Gerry’s pub is the place to go. Carbonara is very fresh and delicious but you could probably get that most places. What you cannot get is the chicken with rosemary potatoes. This was incredible and a nice change from all the pasta. Make sure you try one of her cannoli before you leave, the shell of her cannoli is by far the best you will find.
AnaCapri:
Trattoria Il Solitario, two dishes to try are the fettucine casarencce con conglio e caciotta, this is a homemade pasta with a special caciotta cheese in a rabbit sauce. The raviolini gamberi e limone, stuffed pasta with shrimp and lemon. Julie wanted a second helping it was so exquisite.
Minori:
Ristorante Giardiniello, had the best fried seafood platter on the Amalfi coast.
Vietri Sul Mare: All I ate in this town was pastries. They had numerous delicious pastry shops. This town is a must visit, not just for the pastries but the very quant cute little village.
Naples: You can’t do a trip to Italy without a pizza tour in Italy. Our two favorites with the best pizza in all of Naples was hands down Starlita and a close second was the L’Antica.
Rome: This is where we fell in love with Cacio e Pepe. Tocco Ferro had my favorite and they also served up a mean dish of Carbonara. Probably my favorite in Rome had to be A Casa di Nino. The atmosphere alone is worth visiting. A must try is their beef ragu and the homemade lasagna. When you go there don’t be in hurry everything is made from scratch.
Arricia: This town is known around the world for its porchetta. There are two small delicatessen style stores that sell it from a counter. Diana Aricina and Cioli. They are right next to each other and people are lined up to get in. I tried both and they are equally as good. This is a must stop if you are in the Rome area. If you tell them you are an Iocoangeli you will get an extra chunk of crispy pork fat.
Florence: I did not realize it but this place is the capital of beef. Pick any restaurant and I’m pretty sure you will get the best steak you’ve every eaten. We ate at Chianineria Trattoria dall’Oste-Duomo. Every steak was seasoned and cooked to perfection.
Chianti: This is a beautiful small town in Tuscany region. We went to a Michelin restaurant called Antica Macelleria Cecchini. I’m not much for these fancy plate restaurants but this one was quite different with a small time feel and great cuts of meats that just seem to keep coming.
Hope to write again soon. When we visit Northern Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and a stop in Germany.
Arrivederci
