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 dista...

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 ... Spa...

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 mak...