Italian Culinary Adventure ~ Day Twelve & Thirteen - Forte dei Marmi

Forte dei Marmi- Day Twelve
Wednesday, July 3rd. 2002

We rose early knowing we had to get down to the port to catch the 9:10am hydrofoil back to Naples, ate a quick breakfast and then waited for the hotel shuttle. Finally it arrived and we made it down to the port in good time. We were actually quite surprised when the hydrofoil both arrived and departed exactly on time, which has not been our experience up to that point. Once we arrived in Naples, our friend was waiting for us with our car, both packed with our luggage, and washed. He led us through Naples to the exit to the autostrada north, and we were on our way to Forte dei Marme, a beach resort along the Tuscan coast. Heading towards Rome, and then Florence on A-1, we stopped only once for gas, and a quick panini, and made it to Forte dei Marmi in just a little over 5 hours. We found our hotel, Hotel President, checked in and dropped off our luggage, and then went out to explore the city. At 4pm, it was very quiet, with few people out on the streets, or even down by the ocean at that time of day. There were lounge chairs laid out in rows as far as the eye can see along the beach, but most were empty at that time in the afternoon, as many folks must rest after lunch. We soon found that the shops in Forte dei Marmi kept somewhat strange hours, opening from 10am to 11:30am, again at 5:30pm until 8:30pm, closing for one hour, and then reopening once again until 11:30pm. The shopping area seemed to have all the major Italian designers from Versace to Gucci, as well as a number of local stores as well. For such a small city, there are restaurants and bars everywhere, most with attractive outdoor seating full of flowers. We stopped off at a nice outdoor bar for a cold drink, and then headed back to the hotel to escape the heat, freshen up and to decide where we would eat dinner. Click on photo for larger view!

Heading back to the shopping area later that day, we browsed through the stores until they closed, and then we headed to a covered outdoor bar for an aperitivo before dinner. We had decided to eat dinner that night at one of the restaurants recommended by the hotel that was situated on the beach called Osteria del Mare. When we arrived, it was quite packed, but we were soon seated at an outdoor table even though we hadn't made reservations. The menu was extensive, with many seafood specials that looked appetizing. I was drawn to the Gnocchetti con Scampi, while my husband decided to start with the Carpaccio di Branzino. My gnocchi were tender, small potato gnocchi, topped with a sauce made with tender shrimp, tomatoes, cream and saffron. The seafood carpaccio was thinly sliced sea bass, "cooked", by simply serving it on a very hot plate. The sea bass was topped with tiny, diced tomatoes, finely shredded basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Although the presentation was very attractive, and it was quite light and fresh tasting, I found that the sea bass paled in comparison to the full flavor of the gnocchi. Click on photo for larger view!

For my second course, I decided to try the baked sea bass with pomodorini (small tomatoes), caper berries and olives, while my husband chose branzino once again, only this time grilled. My dish was presented as two perfectly cooked Orata fillets, cooked in a white wine sauce and topped with the tomatoes, olives and caper berries. It was a perfect blend of flavors, and I added it to the ever growing list of dishes I wanted to make once I got back home. The grilled fish too was moist and fresh, and perfectly cooked.

The restaurant had an extensive wine collection in their cellar, as well as a large selection of local cheeses to go along with the wine. Instead of dessert, we decided to try a small selection of the cheese to complete our meal, and had the restaurant's cheese expert explain the various selections to us. Two of the cheeses were outstanding, including one aged Taleggio cheese. The other cheese we enjoyed had a creamy, sharp center, but unfortunately we were told it could only be found locally. I knew however, that I could find the Taleggio back in Canada once I arrived back home. We left the restaurant, and headed back to our hotel under a light drizzle of rain, looking forward to a good night's sleep after our long day.

Hotel President
Viale Morin, 65
55042 - Forte dei Marmi (LU)
Phone: 0584/787421
Amenities- American style showers, safes in each room, parking, breakfast included, private beach. Note. as with most seaside beaches, you have to pay extra for use of the chairs. Click HERE for more information!

Osteria del Mare
Viale Franceschi 4
Forte dei Marmi
Phone: 0584 83661

Buon Appetito!
By Deborah Mele 2002
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