andiamotrips - campania, italy with karen phillips

The last time I visited Chef Antonino Montefusco was last December, right before Christmas.  I had a chance to spend sveral hours with the Michelin starred chef of Terrazza Bosquet and taste some of his recipes for Natale in Sorrento .   I decided to head back last weekend to see what the Spring had in store for Montfusco.  I was treated to an amazing tasting menu which featured some appetizers like the three below - all seated at the  comfort of his new chef's table. A Gillardeau Speciale Oyster served with a salad made of frozen cucumbers, a marine sea   sauce  and salty fingers.  A closer look... Next up,  three thin sheets of fassona which is   a prized  beef from the Piedmont region, served wth an oyster tomato tartare, a pesto made with salicornia  (glasswort), and balsamic vinegar ice cream. And you can't have two without three...so they say.   Red mullet, Controne beans, and Tropea onions. Amazin

Capri!!! Surely you've heard of that amazing island just a 40 minute alisclafo  ride from Naples.  International travelers go for the beaches, the spectacular blue waters, the famous blue grotto, and of course, the shopping. Capri, however, also has some amazing hotels with some of the top restaurants around.  Last Saturday I had the chance to spend a few hours at Monzu Restaurant - Punta Tragara Hotel. A 10 minute stroll from the piazzetta - a location fantasticaaa - away from the crowds - with an amazing view of the Faraglioni rocks.  Bellissima of course.  But I was there to try some of Chef Luigi Lionetti's dishes for the new 2018 season. I was invited into the kitchen to observe the chef while he plated up an amazing pasta dish starring mezzi paccheri pasta.  This pasta format is a challenging format, in my opinion.  The cooking time is pretty long usually 12- 14 minutes.  I love  an al dente pasta, particularly a pacchero that stands up and says hello.

Hop on, hop off.  I had 6 hours to spend in Ischia that Saturday, and I wanted to spend it like a local.  So I recruited the hlp of two amici ischitani to take me around., professional photographers Simone De Sanctis and Luigi Irace . '. First stop?  A quick tour of Cardamone, a fraction of Ischia Porto which is home to Cantine Antonio Mazzella .  On the way I was treated to some spectacular views... Then into the cantina.  The winery was busy as usual. This small winery dates back to 1940 and is  is a must stop for tourists and locals alike for a quick tasting and a bit of Saturday shopping.  This particular Saturday was also bottling day - Nicola Mazzella was busy bottling the winery's Vigna del Lume 2017 , recently voted the Best White Wine in Italy for 2018 at Vinitaly. Vigna del Lume - 100% Biancolella, a Campania white grape.  Between a sip or two, Mazzella invited us to take a little walk.  Just across the street, hidden behind