Italian Culinary Adventure ~ Day Eight & Nine - Positano

Positano- Day Eight
Saturday, June 29th. 2002

It is hard to believe that a week has past already since we arrived in Italy, but perhaps because we have been moving around every two days, we haven't had the chance to get bored in any one place. Today, after a light breakfast of fresh fruit to make up for our overindulgences of yesterday, we climb back into the car once more and head for Positano. We were moving along in great time, until we came across a very bad traffic accident that left the autostrada like a parking lot for over half an hour. We then moved along bumper to bumper for a little longer while they cleared the highway, and soon we were back on the move again. It was quite enjoyable watching the scenery change as we drove from Umbria, into Lazio, and then down to Camagnia.

We arrived at the Almafi coast between 12 and 12:30pm., and followed the signs and windy roads along the coast to Positano. Not having driven on these roads for over 10 years, I had forgotten how narrow they were in spots, allowing only one car going in one direction at a time in certain spots. The car would simply beep its horn and carry on through, while those headed in the other direction would have to wait until the other car cleared the narrow section of the road. The road ran right along the cliff in many spots, and having a fear of heights, I held my breath going through quite a few sections of road. Finally, at about 1:30pm. we arrived at our hotel, Hotel Marincanto, and checked in. Our hotel in almost completely below road level, with only the parking garage on the actual street level itself. Once your car is parked, you take the elevator down to the hotel lobby to actually check in. Being built on the side of the cliff, all the hotel rooms seem to have a nice view of the sea and a spectacular view of the city of Positano. Our room, completely decorated in white, with a balcony overlooking the sea, was extremely pleasant, and exceptionaly clean. Click on photo for larger view!

Not having lunched yet, we quickly dropped off our luggage and went out in search of a restaurant close by to grab something. The hotel had recommended Trattoria Bruno, just 50 meters down the street from our hotel, so we decided to head there. The restaurant itself was a tiny place, but across the street they had tables along the sidewalk with an amazing view. We sat down and looked through the menu, which had many fresh, homemade pasta dishes, as well as a large selection of seafood dishes listed. I chose a nice plate of grilled vegetables for my first course, as I had been craving more vegetables the past few days. They were perfectly cooked, light and delicious. My husband ordered the Calamari In Umido, which was squid cooked in tomato sauce. It was almost fork tender, and very flavorful. For my entrée, I chose Gnochetti al Mare, which was a plate of tender, tiny potato gnocchi, topped with a sauce made of the local cherry tomatoes, or pomodorini that were so sweet they made your mouth sing. The seafood in the sauce contained baby shrimp, mussels and clams, and all were tender and tasty. As well as the seafood, the dish contained fried eggplant pieces, which made a nice contrast. As a bonified gnocchi "snob", I must admit that this was one of the best plates of gnocchi I had ever tasted! Click on photo for larger view!

My husband chose the Aqua Pazza, which consisted of a small, meaty whitefish coked to perfection in a light, spicy tomato broth. He found the dish full of flavor, and was looking forward to trying to duplicate it as soon as we arrived back home. We rounded out the meal with two mixed salads, and some, light, local white wine, and paid only 56 Euros for the entire meal. After lunch, we decided to explore the city itself, and I found photo opportunities around every corner. The place was absolutely beautiful, and I think the beauty and serenity we found there helped my husband forgive me for the long drive it took to get there. Later, I laid down for a nap with the balcony doors open, the sound of the waves crashing along the shore, and the fresh sea breeze blowing through the room, and wondered to myself if life could get any better. Once I awoke, I was drawn to the balcony with its spectacular views, and I sat in the sun luxuriating in the solitude, and caught up in my journal.

Later that afternoon, we showered and changed, and walked down towards the beach area, stopping for a before dinner glass of Prosecco in an outdoor bar surrounded by lush greenery. As the sun began to set, the vibrant backdrop of flowers that flourished along every street took on even more color. We made our way to Chez Black, a beach restaurant that had been packed earlier that day when we had walked by, that served many varied seafood dishes. We were seated immediately, and we quickly noticed all the waiters rushing around the restaurant so quickly they were almost running. Although they were very pleasant, and never made you feel rushed, they certainly hustled. We both chose the seafood antipasti to start with and it turned out to be a great choice. It was fresh and light, and contained marinated octopus, scampi and shrimp, salmon "cooked" in lemon juice, and marinated anchovies. Once I saw one of my favorite dishes on the menu, I had to have the grilled scampi. Fresh from the local seas, they were grilled to perfection, sweet and moist. My husband chose the grilled Orata, and it too was cooked exactly how it should be. For our side dish, we had a helping of pomodorini, the sweet, ripe tomatoes I had savored at lunch, and they were brought dressed as a salad. We accompanied our dinner with a nice bottle of white wine called Tufo di Grecco, which was light but full of flavor. To complete our meal, we each had a tiny glass of Limoncello, a liqueur made locally from the lemons that grow all along the coast. To make your own Limoncello at home, click here! We made our way back to our room, and fell asleep to the sound of the sea crashing along the shore. Click on photo for larger view!

Hotel Marincanto
Via Colombo 36
Positano
Phone: 089 875130
Amenities- American style showers, safes in each room, balcony overlooking the sea, parking, breakfast included, and steps down to a private beach. Note. as with most seaside beaches, you have to pay extra for use of the chairs. Click HERE for more information!

Cucina Locale di Bruno
Via Colombo

Ristorante Pizzaria Chez Black
Via del Brigantino 19/21
Phone: 089 875036

Buon Appetito!
By Deborah Mele 2002
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