andiamotrips - campania, italy with karen phillips

The last week or so hasn't felt much like summer.  Just about every afternoon about 3 pm or so, the sky has turned from a sunny bright blue to a menacing dark grey accompanied with a quick thunderstorm.   A taste of autumn in the summer.   Like this first course dish that I had for lunch on Jose' Restaurant's patio.  Looking over Chef Domenico Iavarone's summer menu I found a first course that grabbed my attention.  The chef's signature dish of pasta mista with flying squid, potatoes, and a green olive/parsley pesto sauce. When I think of pasta and potatoes, my thoughts instantly go towards the cooler months.  For me it has become a comfort food that I usually prepare at home on the weekends for my son and I.  My version is no where near the gourmet version of Iavarone's so I decided to order it as part of the liberta' tasting menu. The dish arrived to my table around 2:45 pm.  Just as the clouds in the distance were turning grey

Chef Enzo David Ciao Enzo! See you for dinner at 9?  My message to Chef Enzo David , Zi Nannina A' Mare one steamy August evening. 9 pm may seem late - but no!  I'm in Italy, it's the summer, and this is how we roll. My recent visit to Ischia included a summer dinner in the garden of Zi Nannina a Mare, in perfect view of the class, with a bellissimo soundtrack of summer lounge music.  And though it was hot and quite humid that evening, it didn't distract me tanto from the chef's summery degustazione/tasting menu that David had in store for me.  Let my serata stiva/midsummer night  begin. After a quick look at the wine list, I decided on a white wine from Ischia - Forestera from Cenatiempo ...on of my favorite wineries on the island. Then the meal began.  A summer parade of dishes that not only balanced flavors and territory, but were pleasing to the eye as well as the palate.   Chef David's benevenuto ... Spaghetto, garlic,

And what if I get off at the wrong stop?   I wrote... Impossible , responded Ivan (Maresca).  Maronti is the last stop! I was seated on a window seat on the air conditioned Linea 5 bus heading from Ischia Porto towards Maronti.  And during that 20 minute or so bus ride, I found myself shooting off a few Whatsapp ©  messages to Ivan Maresca . He along with Angelo Pesce were expecting me at Ristorante Ida , the tavola to Bagno Ida 's mare. A simple  bus ride , but that didn't seem to calm down the butterflies that were accompanying me on the  way.  Though I haven't been to Ida before, I felt as if I had already hung out with the team since I am a faithful follower of Pesce and Marsca's Instagram Stories ©  and Facebook ©  live posts.  Check the latest out here .  The bus stopped at the small piazzetta of Maronti and I along with everyone else got off and headed towards the beach. Maresca's instructions included to make a left and they'd be the thi