andiamotrips - campania, italy with karen phillips

I had spent a hot morning on the beach.  Very hot. So after a cool glass of acqua frizzant e and a glass of Sireo Bianco 2011 I was ready to eat.    The breeze that met me at my table on the terrace at Restaurant Punta Scutolo did its best, but to no avail.  Then it arrived.   Chef Giacomo De Simone called it pizzaiola cruda with shrimp and burrata.  I called it one of the coolest seafood appetizers I had the chance to enjoy this summer. The attention to detail was intense.  Tomatoes.  Colorful green, yellow, and reds all diced by hand into tiny tiny tiny pieces.   He placed them there, like a neatly arranged circular mosaic. With a little extra virgin oilve oil. A little salt. A little oregano. Cool. The chef gingerly placed a spoonful of burrata on top to balance out the acidity from the tomatoes. Cool. Then the top.  Two pieces of carefully peeled raw shrimp side by side. Cool. It was an appetizer. Un assaggio .  A taste. With each small bite, that breez

And to think I had almost given up.  I didn't know it at the time, but I was just minutes away from one of the most breathtaking extreme vineyards I had ever seen.  But at that moment I was confused and a little frustrated.  My GPS only led me up to a certain point, a gas station attendant a little further.  So I sat there for awhile, at what I believed was a dead end...a short stroll from the beach.  One last attempt to call the winery. Mario Corrado , owner of Azienda Agricola San Giovanni picks up.  Who knows if he heard the relief in my voice as I asked to speak to his wife    Ida Budetta.   She assured me that I wasn't lost...I just needed to continue a little further.  Past the chain that said proprietà privata , up a steep rocky dirt road, along a narrow path that hugs the cliff, then turn left.  Continue down the road, open the wooden gate (the one placed there to keep out the wild boars) and you've arrived, she said, more or less. More or less.  A few bumpy min

I was in Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, a little Italian village on a hill not far from Sorrento, Massa Lubrense, and Positano.  During an early dinner at Ristorante Lo Stuzzichino , I enjoyed one of the most interesting fusion between land and sea that I have tasted so far this summer.  A plate with some special ingredients from this spectacular territory.  I asked Mimmo De Gregorio , second generation of this family owned and operated restaurant, about this plate that successfully grabbed my attention. The dish begins with homemade ravioli that the family prepares using durum wheat flour, eggs and water.  A little lemon and lime peel from the gardens of Massa Lubrenese are added to give flavor, aroma, and color to the dough.  The filling is made with a leggera , light, sheep milk ricotta from Agerola, Parmeggiano Reggiano, buffalo mozzarella, and a touch of lemon.  After the ravioli is cooked, it is tossed with a simple summer sauce of clams and lightly fried zucchini.  De Gre

Wednesday evening on the SS 145 .  The scenic highway that embraces the Sorrento Peninsula has an abundance of striking and impressive views.  Tourists slowly drive along this winding road, stop for a granita or take a few photos.  All well and good.  In the summer we should take it slow.  But not this evening.  I was on my way to Il Bikini for   Scalzo e Crudo .   Scalzo e Crudo, literally translated as barefoot and raw , is a weekly beach party organized by Giorgio Scarselli , owner of this popular beach complex.  And though the crowds would start to get heavy around 10 pm, my mission was to hit the beach at 8:15 pm.  That's the magical moment when the sun starts setting into motion one of the most dazzling displays of lights I've ever seen.  I'm a self confessed sunset chaser, and though I've been to Il Bikini on numerous occasions, day, evening, and night - sunset is my favorite time.  That half hour or so when the sun descends into the bay surrounded by blue

My desire for a cool beverage and the yearning to relax in front of one the most spectacular panoramas on the coast occurred at right about the same time.  Around 5 pm one hot August afternoon in Massa Lubrense, not too far from Relais Blu .  And after a phone call and stopping and asking for directions, I finally arrived at this panoramic 4 star hotel.  Though I had seen dozens of photos on the web, it was hard not to keep my jaw from dropping as I walked into the immaculate lobby and was ushered to the terrace.  That's when the wow escaped from my lips.  A soft wow , but a wow nonetheless. I had the terrace to myself.  The honeymoon couple before me  had just finished their glasses of wine and left me alone surrounded only by bright white patio couches, dark blue patio umbrellas and a spectacular view of Capri. I came for a cool drink so I glanced at the menu.   Francesco , the waiter and my terrace companion for the afternoon, must have noticed my look of ind

A stroll around the small bay with a short pause on the pier. A bottle of water. A granita. Wading up to your knees in the cool clean bandiera blu waters of Marina del Cantone. A few hours under a light beige umbrella reading, relaxing, taking in the sea. All activities that I highly recommend  before sitting down to a lunch at a restaurant/hotel that the Caputo family has been operating for three generations.  Michelin star Taverna del Capitano , nestled comfortably  in the family's 4 star hotel. Mare, mare, mare has always been the star of the Caputo family's menu and today would be no different.  I was led to a table by owner /sommelier,  Mariella Caputo   and was poured a glass of Cinquantenario Spumante Brut Metedo Calssico by Janare by Claudio De Mauro , the Maitre D' (and one who would prove to be great company for the entire afternoon).  A sip or two as I took in the sea breeze then it was off to the kitchen to talk to Chef Alfosno Caputo. Chef Alfonso