Fantastic First, Jose' Restaurant, Torre Del Greco(Na)

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, just as a few rolls of thunder were picking up. 

The dish arrived - a simple plain white ceramic bowl to not distract from the fantastic colors on display.  Fork to the left, spoon to the right. That silver spoon was my utensil of choice.  A perfect choice to ensure that I could scoop up pasta along with soft warm cubes of white and purple potatoes and flavorful flying squid without leaving any of the super sauce behind. 

A few minutes later, I'd finished.  A few minutes after that, the clouds came closer and I decided to move inside before the afternoon shower - a quick light rain actually.  A touch of autumn...in the summer.

Fantastic.