andiamotrips - campania, italy with karen phillips

Chef Ernesto Iaccarino Don Alfonso 1890 Earth Day every day? You bet! That's the anthem of the Iaccarino family over at Don Alfonso 1890, nestled in the picturesque Sant'Agat a Sui Due Golfi, a stone’s throw from Sorrento. Picture this: for half a century, these eco-warriors have been at the forefront of living sustainably . Their green initiatives even snagged them a coveted Green Michelin star, cozying right up next to the two Michelin stars their restaurant proudly flaunts. But hold the phone—by the end of 2022, they hit the pause button, deciding not to reopen for the 2023 season. Why? They set out on a mission to level up their green game even further. Yep, in a time when the hospitality world was just finding its feet after the pandemic, they made the bold move to forego not just business but those shiny Michelin stars too. Fast forward to Spring 2024, and guess what? Don Alfonso 1890 is making a grand comeback. I got the scoop straight from Chef Ernesto Iaccarino, and...

  In the enchanting city of Naples, Italy, a new cultural treasure has blossomed, enchanting both locals and visitors. Known as the  Vicolo della Cultura , or Alley of Culture, this captivating street art initiative celebrates the legacies of influential women throughout history. Each mural and artwork narrates tales of strength, intellect, and remarkable accomplishments. To catch you up, I’d like to take you back a bit.  Il Vicolo della Cultura  is an association in Naples, Italy that loves not only their culture but their neighborhoods as well. So much so that they have ‘taken over’ so to speak, side streets and cleaned them up, painted murals with prominent figures in history, as well as added other specialties such as bookshelves where you can swap books and QR codes where you can learn further about the area. See my You Tube video  here . This latest adventure has paired up the association with local bookstore  A & M  and focuses on 5 women;...

                                    Ciao guys!! Last week I visited the island of Procida. Have you heard of it? It is the smallest of the 3 off of the bay of Naples. And though I’ve lived in Campania for 30 years, I haven’t been to Procida in over 25!!! So why did I feel inspired to hop on a 30 minute ferry from Pozzuoli on the first day of spring? To 1) beat the crowds and 2) check out the famous  insalata di limone - lemon salad which you can only find in Procida. Surely there are those of you have heard about a lemon salad and have tried to create it at home using lemons from the supermarket or from your garden (guilty!!!!) but it is not the same!  Salvatore Costagliola Di Polidoro  of  Calacala Rooms,Restaurant & Farm Experience   showed me why. Now that I understood the why, I wanted to see the other ingredients that he used from his garden and how he prepared the...