Jewels of the Amalfi Coast
Allow me to elucidate: as a savorychick, when I say jewel, I am referring to food and not gems! Traveling through out Europe, I am always impressed with quality of ingredients; however, lately not as inspired with new expressions in the culinary world. Having lived most of my life in Los Angeles (a multicultural melting pot), I am accustomed to spectacular menus from talented chefs from all corners of the world. Of course, that is not to say I lack appreciation for my culinary experiences while in Europe; on the contrary! Classic and traditional dishes, whether basic or complicated, still take my breath away. Yet, nuevo cuisine through out Europe (for the most part) has become stagnant and finding exciting new dishes has become more of a challenge.
…Until I went to the Amalfi Coast in Italy! Land of the Lemoncillo!
I am going to recommend two restaurants that had all the ingredients to make me want to brag about my culinary finds: picture perfect setting, artistic entrepreneurs passionate about food, creative chefs perfecting the art of flawless cooking, fresh local ingredients, and the love of serving astounding dishes.
The Amalfi Coast is well worth the hair raising, four hour drive from Rome. Driving on narrow winding roads perched on the edge of cliffs is an adventure all onto itself. This region is an obvious tourist attraction. We were fortunate to stay in a quite small town of Priano, one mile south of Positano. Our hotel, The Grand Hotel Tritone, offered exclusive access to the beach while overlooking the city of Priano to the south and picturesque Positano to the north. Positano is more beautiful than any picture found in guide books. Of course, it has its share of touristy restaurants; however, we were fortunate to stumble into Da Vincenzo
The amibance was warm and welcoming; patrons were mostly locals mixed with a handful of lucky tourists; the lighting and acoustics just right (including the decorative ‘bells’ rung by the owner, Vincenzo, on a whim); last, but not least meals prepared to perfection! While in Italy, I did not have one bad meal. The ingredients are naturally packed with flavor, it is hard to go wrong. At Da Vincenzo, there was an exact science to preparing meals with a stroke of artistic genius. Our days at the coast were limited, but we arranged to have one last meal there. Every meal we had was exquisite! Should you visit Da Vincenzo, I hope you have the opportunity to meet the owner, Vincenzo, who grew up in this restaurant, which was originally his father’s. You could tell he inherited not only the business from his father, but also his passion for serving amazing meals to lovers of food!
In our own town of Priano, Posti Hosteria il Pino was highly recommended by locals. From the moment we walked into the restaurant, our breath was taken away by amazing sun setting views of the coast and warm welcome form the receptionist. To our surprise, our servers, a young man and women, were a married couple who also owned the restaurant. Every dish they presented at our table was a work of art served with love. Ingredients included local fish and herbs, unfamiliar to my palate, yet simply delightful. I was so impressed by their passion for serving innovating and delicious meals, I just had to meet the chef! He was gracious and educated us on his creations.
My fervor to travel the world and see as much as I possibly can limits me from going back to previously visited cities. However, these two restaurants have inspired me to go back to the Amalfi Coast once again. I hope your travels will take you there too.
