La Fescina - Nuova Hostaria Flegrea, Quarto (Na)

Chefs Antonio Apa and Dario De Gaetano

 For the past couple of years I have bumped into Chefs Antonio Apa and Dario De Gaetano at various food festivals, but was unsuccesful in trying their dishes for one reason or the other.  Then, Monday evening, 22 July, during an event on the beach, my opportunity came.  The guys from La Fescina - Nuova Hostaria Flegrea were cooking up a storm!  A dish of mixed pasta with red peppers, clams (vongole and lupini) , and coconut foam.

Fantasticaaa!  That dish, combined with their down to earth personalities, laughter and cool t-shirts...

I decided right then and there that I needed to pay them a visit at their Osteria. And soon.  In fact, a few days later I drove out to Quarto, a small town in the Naples province - just 15 minutes from home.  As soon as I walked in, I got a feeling of southern hospitality - as expressed below (taken from their website)

Noi sognavamo un locale così da tempo. Un luogo dove poter condividere l'amore per il cibo insieme a chi nel tempo ci onora della sua presenza. E' per questo che quando qualcuno varca la porta della nostra hostaria facciamo di tutto per farlo sentire a casa sua. Ci piace raccontare da dove proviene il cibo e il modo migliore per noi di cucinarlo.

Antonio Apa e Dario De Gaetano. Chef de "la fescina".

We have dreamed of such a place for a long time. A place where you can share the love of food with those who over time honor us with their presence. This is why when someone crosses the door of our hostaria, we do everything to make them feel at home. We like to tell where food comes from and the best way for us to cook it.

Antonio Apa and Dario De Gaetano. Chef of "la fescina".

That afternoon at lunch, it was Apa who greeted me in the dining room and we began to discuss my journey for the next couple of hours.  A journey that began with a glass of Trentapioli Asprinio D'Aversa by Salvatore Martusciello...

Yes, a glass of a sparkling Campanian white wine from Caserta and a series of starters that they call spuzzuliando.  Spuzzuliare is a Neapolitan term that is a little difficult to translate.  It basically means that type of snacking you do during the day, in your mother/grandmother's kitchen - you know, that family feeling type of snacking before a meal.  

Apa went back to the kitchen, where De Gaetano was, and came back with these...

 Croquettes - one with potato, the other, eggplant.

Barley salad with summer veggies,  a light tomato gazpacho and raw prawns.

Cuttlefish with chick pea cream.

A slider prepared with a homemade burger bun, beef tartare, homemade marinated artichokes, sweet gorganzola cheese and a teaspoon of raspberry dressing.

Then of course, it wouldn't be summer without eggplant parmigiana.

Yes, the starters were as good as the photos show.  But it was time to move on.  Move officially onto the first course.  The pasta dish...or in this case, dishes.  Since it was my first vist, the guys wanted me to try two.  I didn't argue.

 Spaghetti with clams, tomatoes, and green peppers.

Then a taste of their must- their classic - ravioli with Genovese sauce, caciocavallo podolico cheese and aged balsamic vinegar.

Octopus took the starring role as my secondo - second plate.  Served with green beans and percoche peaches.

 The wine served was a Falanghina from Campi Flegrei by Selva Lacandona.

I could not leave without dessert!  I chose to go for fresh summer fruit like the watermelon and cantaloupe balls here.

After lunch, a chat with the guys, a coffee, and plans to return soon.  Plans to return and spuzzuliare one more time!