For those of you who follow my Instagram page, it's no secret that I ate myself through Italy. The 20 pounds I gained were totally worth it in the end. However, one of the hardest things I had to decide was which foods and restaurants were my favorite. The quality of the food was what stuck out to me the most. I could eat double the amount there that I could eat in the states without the side effects of bloating or feeling sick. This is what makes Italian food stand out the most and proves the freshness of the ingredients. That's why the decision is so tough...because everything I ate exceeded any standard that I was expecting! I've been so back and forth on my standings, but I think I finally narrowed down what my top restaurants were. 3. C.I.C.A (Amalfi) The third place standing was a close call between the best seafood and the best steak I've ever had, but at the end of the day seafood took the cake. The seafood along the Amalfi Coast was divine and restaurants typically served food that was caught that same day. The clams I had still had seawater inside of them and the octopus was incredibly tender (I mean I ate the head and everything). Although the restaurants were amazing, none of them came close to the street vendor C.I.C.A. Crispy, salty, and fresh seafood served inside these rolled up paper cones. The line was all the way down the main street so I knew this place had to be something special. Once you get to the front all you see are trays of all kinds of different seafood and it smelled like someone found a way to fry a beach. There were only women in the back who had the system down to a science pushing out orders in less than five minutes. I ordered the Cuoppo Cica which consisted of lightly fried sardines, corn dog style shrimp. beer battered fish, Italian "hush puppies," and flaky calamari. A little lemon was placed so you could cut through the fat. Even though it was fried it did not feel heavy. I almost placed this establishment as number one because I am more of a street food guy and it was an out of body experience. 2. Seu Illuminati Pizza (Rome) Most of the trip I mostly tried to stick to classical and more rustic dishes. However, on my last day in Italy I decided to venture off into the unknown. I wanted to finish with pizza and there were hundreds in Rome (I mean they are know for their pizza after all). I stumbled upon Seu Illuminati on Google as I was scrolling away in my tiny hotel room which resembled more of an upscale closet. When I looked at the reservation openings they were booked for the next week entirely. Not expecting much, I called and somehow got a reservation for 7 PM that night. The taxi dropped us off in this remote area of Rome far from all the tourist traps located directly in the city. Graffiti was written all over the walls and there were locals outside waiting for the restaurant to open. The owner lifted these garage style doors and revealed a hidden gem of a pizzeria. Now, I had a lot of good pizza in Italy and each had their pros and cons. The reason I choose this pizza heaven was because of the uniqueness of the menu. They strayed away from the usual margherita and prosciutto. We ordered the Classic Supli, Potato Croquettes, and Curry Chicken as appetizers. Street food style that was elevated ten notches. The outside was crisp from the breadcrumbs and the inside was steamy and gooey and creamy. The Curry Chicken was my personal favorite with a nice blend of curry spices and tender chicken topped with a crema type sauce.
After eating the apps, I knew this place meant business. I also forgot to mention this place had an 80 euro tasting menu. Have you ever been to a pizza place that served a seven course tasting menu? Probably not. Anyways, the star of the show finally reached our table. We ordered two different pizzas: the Vignarola (green peas cream, crunchy pork cheek, roasted artichokes, fava bean cream, crunchy onion, and grated pecorino) and the Pesto (green beans, pesto cream, oven roasted potatoes, garlic cream, parmesan chips, pine-nuts, and basil). I know what you're thinking, those toppings don't sound the most appetizing. However, the worked together in perfect harmony. There were so many textures in my mouth it was like a literal orchestra. The crust started with a crunch that quickly turned into a satisfying chew. I couldn't end our trip on a more beautiful note. Did I mention you can order dessert pizza by the slice? I obviously had to order one of each despite what my waistline was telling me. 1. Casa Mele (Positano)
Even though I said the seafood was an out of body experience on the Amalfi Coast, this restaurant was an out of this world trip for my taste buds. The best way to find the best restaurants, in my opinion, are from taxi drivers. They usually grow up in that area their whole life and know the best food around. As we were driving from Naples to Positano, I asked what his favorite restaurants were. Right off the bat he said Casa Mele hands down. So, of course, I had to try it. We almost didn't go because it was about a 30 minute walk consisting of almost 400 stairs from our hotel. I beyond stoked that we talked ourselves into it because it was totally worth the trip there and back. It's located at the end of the main strip away from the craziness in the center. There is no outdoor seating and the restaurant displays an open kitchen concept, which I love and it's like watching a live TV show. It was dead quiet inside with faint music playing in the background. We were also lucky to get a table right in front of the kitchen (Alyssa wasn't a fan because I was completely distracted the whole time). The chefs would look up and smile and wave at you which made the experience even more personable, but a the same time they were laser focused on what they were preparing. The waiters also shared the same demeanor. Already the ambiance was perfect. I ordered the six part tasting menu while Alyssa ordered a spaghetti dish with a variety of tomatoes and fresh veggies. I know I mentioned I typically like street food more than fine dining, but this experience was something else. Each meal was crafted with utmost precision and the timing was impeccable. They would make sure you were done eating each course without rushing you before they started making the next. The meal started off with a fried eggplant bite with a salsa verde underneath. Perfect. The next was a steak tartare with parmesan balls and multiple sauces. Perfect. Then a prawn and lemon risotto. Perfect. Followed by fusili and pesto with a tuna tartare. You guessed it...Perfect. Then charred squid with bread crumbs. Peerrrfffeecctt. Close to last but not yet, Iberico pork with demiglace and potatoes. So...frickin...perfect. Lastly an assortment of desserts consisting of a white chocolate lemon and pineapple sorbet. I'm more of a savory guy so not perfect, but DELICIOUS. I couldn't help but make noises the whole time because each course got better and better. I was experiencing different parts of Italy with each course. Each part of each course was cooked to perfection and was riddled with textures and flavors. I couldn't leave before giving my compliments to the chef who smiled and gave his thanks. A culinary experience I will never forget.
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