Sophia's Kiss, Il Faro di Capo D'Orso, Maiori (Sa)

 

Last Saturday afternoon, Chef Francesco Sodano, Executive Chef of Il Faro di Capo D’Orso, took me by the hand and led me through the vicoli of Naples.  Well, not really – but as we talked after lunch last weekend, my table was transformed into a narrow Neapolitan alley featuring piccolo pieces of Campania’s capital city. Pastries representing clothes hanging out to dry, Neapolitan pizza, frittatina, and even a caffè sospeso/suspended coffee.  There was one item that stood out for me.  At the center of the table was a pair of dark red lips.  Il Bacio di Sophia, Sodano told me.  Sophia’s Kiss.  Il Faro di Capo D’Orso’s tribute to Napoli’s grande donna -  actress Sophia Loren.

Let’s be honest, she  filled us with emotion  at the cinema and at the theater with her curves.  The beauty and sweetness of these lips, this lipstick.  Inside there is salty caramel, so we wanted to reproduce the sweetness of beautiful women. - Sodano told me.

I remember when I moved to Italy nearly 30 years ago.  I watched a lot of her films to help me learn the language.  And I remember thinking back then, and even now wow, what a wonderful woman.  A woman from humble backgrounds, who on the screen showed us many different personalities that I believe many of us- men and women admire.  In 2019, when she turned 85, Italian news station sky TG2424 used these words to describe her; romantic, strong, gritty, intense, seductive, magnetic, exuberant, irresistible.  I’d like to add 1 more …fantasticaaa.

Sodano left me alone in the vicoli of Naples so I could explore it on my own.  The frittatina, pizza, clothes hanging on the line.  The caffe sospeso.  There was just one small pastry left. 

At the center of the table -those dark red lips.  Il Bacio di Sopia.  How was it?  To me it  was romantic, strong, gritty, intense, seductive, magnetic, exuberant, irresistible…and fantasticaaa.