My family packed up at the last moment on Friday and headed south from our apartment in Milan. We spent a night in a small castle town, Montepulciano, and then stopped in Sorrento for three nights. Sorrento is a beautiful coastal town outside of Naples and across the bay from Pompei. They are famous for their lemons, and the groves go on for miles up the cliffs of the mountains. From the shores of Sorrento you can see Mount Vesuvious, grey and quiet in the distance and rather indistinct from the other mountains and cliffs that surround the coast.
The food here has been (predictably) excellent. That is one of the many reasons I love eating in Italy. Even in the touristy towns and areas you can still find good food. The best is a little bit harder to find, of course, but I have yet to have a bad meal here.
Of my many, many food obsessions, one of my top top favorites happens to be fish and seafood. Therefore, whenever I am visiting a beach, no matter where in the world, I feel morally obligated to eat some form seafood at every meal. It's just so fresh, why any one would order anything else while sitting and looking at the beautiful ocean is beyond me.
Tonight was our last night in Sorrento, and I ate accordingly. We split an antipasto with cheese, meats, and pickled fish and grilled cold veggies. I panicked when ordering because I can never make hasty decisions and I ordered the fried mixed fish (you never know quite what that will be until it comes to you) and a simple primi pasta of spaghetti pomodoro, just to be safe.
When my meal got to the table, I was glad I played it safe. I had a selection of fried whole fish and some calamari thrown in too. I have never experienced eating a whole fish before, so it was a new experience to check off the list. I didn't mind the fact that they were whole, but my fish were small so picking out the tiny bones became timely and a little arduous. And I don't think I'll ever fully get over having my dinner stare at me while I'm eating it.
The fish was, however, extremely fresh and cooked perfectly. I liked the taste and flavor but it was definitely work. The pasta was also amazing. I usually avoid boring old spaghetti in restaurants because, well, I can make it at home!! But the menu was limited and I didn't regret my decision. The sauce was extremely flavorful and light, it had a lot of olive oil and some cherry tomatoes thrown in for texture. Overall, simple and delicious.
