Chi Tene 'O Mar - Il Pacchero, Salerno (Na)

 

Chi tene 'o mar..e 'o sape ca è fesso e cuntento

Who has the sea knows that he is foolish and content……

those are the lyrics to the late  Neapolitan musician Pino Daniele's song Chi Tene 'O Mar...

Those word are pretty much how I felt last weekend.  Foolish and content.  Here in Campania, where, when I want I have the sea. And now that the weather seems like would like to reward us with warm and sunny weekends, it seemed the perfect opportunity to head out to the sea.  To Salerno, to be exact, to visit restaurant Il Pacchero, located just a quick 5 minute walk from the city’s  seafront. 

A 5 minute walk to a small  side street, to a small table  with a crispy clean white tablecloth, I arrived to ‘o mar.  The sea presented in the dishes prepared by Chef Claudio Russo – who tene o mar/has the sea in his head and in his heart. 

So let’s take a look how Russo made me foolishly content last weekend.

We started with an antipasto ‘crudo’-which I must say, what better way to understand Russo’s attention to quality when he shops for the seafood that he serves in his restaurant daily.

Crystal oyster (Apulia), Tuna tartare with ponzu sauce and chicory,Salmon tartare, red turnip dressing and black rice, Mediterranean scampi.

Then on to something warm and comfortable - .

Grilled octopus, saffron potato mousse and truffle

Cream of cod, curly endive, black olives, marinated Tropea onion, and papacelle Neapolitan peppers.

After the appetizers were complete, as well as a couple of glasses of bubbly and minutes of chit chat with Maitre Sommelier Salvatore Russo, it was time to move on to the first courses…

Vicidomini spaghetti, sea anemone, plankton, crusco pepper and lime

Fantasticaaa!

Then...

Risotto with basil pesto, red shrimp, steamed milk and tomato.

There was still some space for a second course...

Sea bass caprese

I decided to skip on dessert this time, but said a hearty yes to ‘na tazzulella 'e cafè – an espresso.

Lunch was over, but mu experience wasn’t  As I left Il Pacchero, that narrow side street and arrived to the seafront, I couldn’t help but think about two things, no three.

How Salvatore made me feel at home choosing wines that I would not have chosen on my own.

How Claudio made me feel ‘o mar.

And the lyrics to Pino Daniele’s Chi Tene ‘O Mar…

A selfie with Chef Claudio Russo and Danilo Mertino

Maitre Sommelier Salvatore Russo