Spaghetti Summer - Chef Emilio Desiderio, Gabrisa Restaurant, Positano (Na)

Not long after arriving in Positano that afternoon I entered into the lobby of Hotel Villa Gabrisa - home to Gabrisa Restaurant.  Not long after that I was greeted with a friendly smile/hug/double kiss by Chef Emilio Desiderio. We hadn't seen each other in about 2 years, so we had a lot of catching up to do.  And what better way to catch up than over a long leisurely lunch!  One of my few requests?  To be present in the kitchen as Desiderio prepared my pasta dish.  His spaghettone alla positanese. Spaghettone alla Positano.

Chef Emilio Desiderio

 When that time came, I headed down to the kitcen with the chef to check out the action.  I wanted to see up close as the chef prepared his version of Positano on a plate.  The dish includes seafood that Desiderio hand picks on his daily visits to the market - sconcigli and lupini clams.  There are also roasted tomatoes and crunch toasted crostini (bread cubes).

Fantasticaaa!

Amazing Appetizers and Aperitifs, Chef Emilio Desiderio, Rada Restaurant, Positano (Na)

Confession.  I have a love/hate relationship with Positano. 

Love- an amazing hot spot on the Amalfi Coast.  Great shops, restaurants, spectacular views, and a beautiful beach that welcomes travelers from all over the world.  Really, all over.

Hate – traffic, parking, and did I mention the traffic?

But as they say, love conquers all, so last Saturday afternoon I hopped in my car and headed out to Positano.  The drive was amazing, practically no traffic thanks to a little cloudy weather and a Naples soccer game.  I arrived early enough to window shop as I headed down the alleyways from the garage to Rada Restaurant located on the rocks.  On the beach.

Fitting this on the rocks, on the beach.  Fitting because when I arrived, Chef Emilio Desiderio was ready to take me on a little passeggiata sulla spiaggia.

Chef Emilio Desiderio

A walk on the beach, the affectionate name he has given to his aperitif starring his take on the sea that he sees from the restaurant’s kitchen window.

Let's go!

A little bubbly from Franciacorta...

Then, the chefs version of sea algae, reminiscent of the greenery that often washes up on the beach. Here in version 'crunchy chip'.

Next, sitting on a starfish, a smooth stone. Or is it?  Look closely.  The chef's fake stone is actually stuffed with sauro fish, dried tomatoes and oregano.

Algae is back, this time as a soft sponge topped with a salmon mousse.

Sitting inside this ceramic sea urchin, the chef served up creamed hake fish with a potato foam and Lapsang souchong black tea.

 Here a tuna tartar underneath a ginger foam.

 Inside this seashell, I not only heard the sea, but  was treated to Chef Desiderio's fusillo alla carbonara.  A puffy fusillo pasta with a carbonara mousse and Ossetra caviar.

Desiderio's bread, butter, and anchovy alongside an Italian classic - finger food style.  Spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, and chili flakes.

Our stroll continued and led us to a small fried mozzarella ball with a sprinkling of crustacean powder.

Next, onto the appetizers – brand new for the 2017 season, which for Rada opened up just a couple of weeks ago.

I think it's safe to say that my love for a great artichoke has spread throughout the region.  Desiderio's smoked version includes shrimp and a black squid chip on the side!

Shrimp bisque dripped around the side.

I hae a special name for this next dish.  I've nicknamed it my presunset seppia. An appetizer starring grilled cuttlefish.

Blessed with an amazing backdrop that only Positano knows how to give, the chef paired his cuttlefish with a creamy spring pea sauce, fake peas made with ricotta cheese and lemons, pea srouts, and an amazing sauce made with the the cuttlefish's 5th quarter.

The third appetizer - Chef Emilio's red mullet parmigiana.

The chef lightly fried the mullet in bread crumbs, and accompanied it with a sort of deconstructed parmigiana.  Creamy eggplant, parmigiano cheese,

A basil pesto, and provola cheese.

 Amazing!

Fantastic Firsts, Chef Emilio Desiderio, Rada Restaurant, Positano (Sa)

There's a saying - good things come in threes.  That's probably one of the reasons why I enjoy a restaurant's tasting menu.  There's  usually  a chance to try three first course pasta dishes.  Like last evening in Positano (Sa).  It was my first visit to Rada Restaurant - a spectacular spot on one of the hottest beaches on the Amalfi Coast.   Rada, in the capable hands of Chef Emilio Desiderio who shared a taste of his Spring 2017 menu with me.

Beginning with this rice dish.  The chef used carnaroli rice and combined it with a light touch of flavors and color.

Beginning with lemons from the gardens of the Amalfi Coast - hand picked by the chef and his brigade.

Asparagus spears, edible silver leaves, and a spectacular view of the beach/glass of white wine all combined to make this dish a memorable experience.

Next, the chef sent out his bottoni alla nerano.

Pasta buttons stuffed with cacio e pepe/pecorino cheese and pepper.

This all served on a bed of zucchini.  Each bite produced a powerful mini-explosion of flavor!

The last of the three - served right after the sun had dipped behind the hill.

Black squid fettuccella pasta and a creamy garlic, extra virgin olive oil, chili flakes and sea urchins.

A ginger foam sat high on the top like a crown.

Fantastic!