Me in VENICE

The DOGES PALACE / SAINT MARKS BASILICA

In WINTER

VENICE , ITALY

SAINT MARKS BASILICA

PIAZZA SAN MARCO

VENICE

2003

Grand Canal

VENICE

1995

The DOGE’S PALACE

PIAZETTA at PIAZZA SAN MARCO

VENICE

PEGGY GUGENHEIM MUSEUM

The GRAND CANAL

DELLA SAULTE

VENICE

Taken from a MOTOSCAFI

CAFFE FLORIAN

PIAZZA SAN MARCO

VENICE

CAMPARI & OJ

FRANK MYSELF and COUSIN TONY

Me and Cousin Joe

PROSECCO at a BACARO

VENICE

Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

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Harry’s Bar

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The WORLD’S COOLEST RESTAURANT

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ARIGO CIPRIANI

Son of GIUSEPPE

aka HARRY

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ERNEST HEMINGWAY at HARRY’S BAR

with Owner / Founder GIUSEPPE CIPRIANI

HARRY’S BAR was one of HEMINGWAY’S Favorites

“Me Too” !

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Old Poster

HARRY’S BAR

VENICE

The BRIDGE of SIGHS

VENICE

MANGIA ITALIANO

MEMORIES of VENICE & ITALIAN FOOD

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

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HOTEL FIRENZE

My FIRST VENETIAN HOTEL

June 1985

My HOTEL ROOM

HOTEL FIRENZE

VENICE

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MAP of VENICE

HOTEL FIRENZE

I got lost in VENICE at Night. It was my first night there and my first trip ever to Europe. I was a young man of 23 and relatively new in my travel experience, how to get around and what to do. Yes I got lost and the Magical Maze, The Labyrinth that is Venice, with its winding streets, many bridges and narrow alleyways.

I learned a very important travel lesson that night. One of the first things you should ever do as you are in a new city and check into your hotel. While you’re at the desk, make sure to take a couple Business Cards of the hotel. Put one in your wallet or purse immediately, and put another in one of your pockets. If you ever get lost, you can give it to a Taxi Driver (Not in Venice though) and tell him to go here.

Yes, I got lost in Venice. I didn’t feel it at the time, but it’s a quite Wonderful thing to do, getting Lost in Venice.

Hotel Guerrato

VENICE

1995

HOTEL GUERRATO

The BREAKFAST ROOM

HOTEL GUERRATO

My Room

Hotel Guerrato

VENICE

I found this wonderful little Hotel in 1995, on my special trip to Explore the BACARI (Venetian Wine Bars) of VENICE. I had read a tiny little article about them in the New York Times that peeked my interest and inspired me to open one in New York. I book a trip for 8 days in Venice to explore, feel, experience and find out everything I could about the Wine Bars of Venice (Bacari). And I did just that. With the knowledge of that trip and my many years experience in the restauranat business in New York, I made a business plan, found a partner to join me, and I created the First Ever Bacaro in The United States, called BAR CICHETTI in New York’s Greenwich Village. Basta !

SAN GIACOMO

The OLDEST CHURCH in VENICE

Built 1071

At The RIALTO

If You stay at GUERRATO

This is just 200 Feet Away

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The RIALTO MARKET

Over 700 Years Old

If you stay at Albergo Guerrato, you are Literally Several Feet from The RIALTO

You walk out the Door of the hotel, make a right, walk 30 Feet and you are Inside The RIALTO MARKET. It doesn’t get much Better than that.

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FRUIT MERCHAT

The RIALTO MARKET

VENICE

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BAR CICHETTI

America’s FIRST Ever VENETIAN WINE BAR

aka BACRO

Created by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

and Tom Taraci

The FEAST of The 7 FISH

with VENETIAN SEAFOOD RECIPES

FISH MUSSELS CLAMS SHRIMP

AMAZON.com

A Motoscafo Passes Through

PONTE ACCADAMIA

VENICE

View from Accadamia Bridge

TURNER

HOTEL TIVOLI

DORSODORO

VENICE

1995

The BREAKFAST ROOM

TIVOLI

VENICE

My Room

The HOTEL TIVOLIVENICE

HOTEL IRIS

VENICE

Stayed Here in 1996

View from My Room

HOTEL IRISVENICE

PALAZZO DARIO

VENICEITALY

Near HOTEL IRIS

DORSODORO

VENICE

a89f2-screen2bshot2b2016-10-302bat2b2-25-182bpm

SUNDAY SAUCE

When Italians Cook

CAFFE FLORIAN

GAIACOMO CASANOVA

CASANOVA Seduces

Trattoria Poste Vecie

Since 1500

This restaurant was a Favorite of GIACOMO CASANOVA

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Where CASANOVA Often DINED

and SEDUCED

In the fish market area, in Campo delle Beccarie, there is instead Poste Vecie restaurant open since 1500, where Casanova used to hide away with friends and especially girl friends to enjoy luxurious banquets. The whole area of St. Mark’s Square and especially the old premises, starting from Caffè Florian, have been hunting grounds of the great seducer.

DO MORI

The erotic tour of Venice cannot exclude the Rialto area and in particular the Sotoportego dei Do Mori where in the tavern of the same name Casanova liked giving the first appointment to his ladies. Who showed up strictly masked.

VENETIAN RECIPES

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Antonio Vivaldi

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See a VIVALDI CONCERT at The PIETA

Where VIVALDI was The MAESTRO

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The PIETA

On The RIVA DEGLI SCHIAVONA

VENICE , ITALY

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The RIVA DEGLI SCHIAVONI

by CANALETTO

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BACARI

The WINE BARS of VENICE

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VEDOVA

INSIDE The BAR at VEDOVA

BACARO

GONDOLA’S with Della SALUTE in Background

The MOLO

VENICE

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

SECRET RECIPE

On The Grand Canal

VENICE , ITALY

Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke

1997

MeJOEvenicePROSECCO

Me & Cousin Joe

Prosseco in a Venetian Wine Bar

Venice, Italy 2003

MeArturoLUPOvenice1995

Me & Arturo

aka “IL LUPO”

IL LUPO The Famus Venetian Gondoliere

Arturo and I are Drinking some Local Italian Wine

At Osteria Vivaldi

VENICE , ITALY

1995

I had read a little article in The New York Times about Venice, that mention the Bacari (Wine Bars) of Venice, and that’s all it took. Just a little mention (one Paragraph) of these particular type of wine bars of Venice sparked my interest, and I just had to go to Venice and find out as much as I could about them, for I instantly felt that I wanted to open one in New York (which I did).

MANGIA ITALIANO

MEMORIES of ITALIAN FOOD

READ ABOUT BAR CICHETTI

VENETIAN WINE BARS

ITALIAN FOOD in VENICE ITALY

and NEW YORK

Books by #DanielBellinoZwicke

VENICE

ITALY

And Its WINE BARS

BACARI

ALL ‘ ARCO

One of VENICE’S BEST BACARO

CICHETTI

BACARO ALL’ ARCO

VENICE

CICHETTI

at ALL ARCO

VENEZIA

One of The 1st Videos on CICHETTI

of VENICE

by Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Creator of AMERICA”S 1st Ever Venetian Wine Bar

BAR CICHETTI

BACARO

BAR CICHETTI

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

CANTINE VINO SCHIAVI

One of VENICE’S Most POPULAR

BACARI

Do MORI

VENICE

DO MORI

One of Venice’s OLDEST

and MOST POPULAR BACARI

But The Service is COLD and Un-Friendly

and The Owner is an SOB

DEMI JOHNS

VINI

DO MORIVENICE

ALLA VEDOVA

BACARO

alla VEDOVA

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CICHETTI MISTI

VENENZIA

Dining Room

alla VEDOVA

VENICE

RICK STEVES Does CICHETTI

at VENETIAN WINE BARS

VENICE

al PONTE

BACAROVENICE

al PONTE

One of My FAVORITES

CICHETTI

at DO MORI

CICHETTI

VENICEITALY

MEMORIES of VENICE

and ITALIAN FOOD

CICHETTI

PASTA and ??

DO SPADE

Along with Do MORI

One of VENICE’S Two MOST FAMOUS BACARI

Do SPADE

At The BARDO SPADE

MISTI MARECICHETTI

Due NEGRONI

MENU

POLPETTINI

DO SPADE

BAR CICHETTI

GREENWICH VILLAGE

NEW YORK

Was AMERICA’S 1st EVER BACARO

aka

VENETIAN WINE BAR

SUNDAY SAUCE

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Co-Creator of BAR CICHETTI

OSTERIA ANTICO DOLO

Dal 1400

VENEZIA

OSTERIA ANtICA DOLO

VENICE

OSTERIA

DOLO

LISTINO PREZZI

OSTERIA

ANTICA DOLO

CICHETTI MISTI

ANTICA DOLO

OSTERIA DOLO

al VOLTO

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AL VOLTO

CALAMARI FRITTI

e VINI

DO MORI

VENEZIA

Rick Steves

VENICE CITY of DREAMS

La TAVOLA

ITALIAN-AMERICAN NEW YORKERS

ADVENTURES of THE TABLE

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POLPETTINE

A FAVORITE CICHETTI

Avelino Pizza at Macari Vineyards

meeddypizza

Me with Cousin Eddie, Tommy, and Joe

AVELINO PIZZA at MACARI VINETARDS

Left to Right : Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke , Pizzaiolo Edward Macari

Thomas Macari and President of Macari Vineyards Joseph Macari Jr.

Read about AVELINO PIZZA

At a PIZZA

I Learn How to Cook Italian

John at JOHN’S of 12th Street

Best Selling Italian Cookbook Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke has quite a strong connection to DeRobertis, Lanza’s, and especially John’s of East 12th Street where Daniel worked as a waiter / bartender for 7 years in the 1980s .. Daniel lived just a few blocks away from the infamous Mafia Hot Spots / Italian Eateries … He lived on Avenue A at the corner of Saint Marks Place for 11 years from 1982 to 1994.

Daniel was a young man in his early 20s, working hard in the restaurant business. His main goals were two-fold, to become a Chef and to own his own restaurant one day ( Bar Cichetti ). Prior to moving to the East Village of New York’s LES, Daniel attended New York Technical College in the schools Hotel Restaurant Management Program, with his main interest in the Culinary Classes which were highly renowned. At the time, Daniel was actually more interested in learning and perfecting his talents in French Cuisine of the Culinary Arts and not of the Italian genre, which he would later move into.

Daniel worked in some of New York’s op French Restaurants of the day, including; The Palace Restaurant with Chef Michel Fitoussi, Lutece with Chef Andre Soltner, and The Odeon and Cafe Louxenbourg with the late great Chef Patrick Clarke, who like Daniel went to New York Technical College as well.

At the time, working in the kitchens of these restaurants, a prep or line cook could only make about $300 a week, which was not enough for Daniel. Luckily he serendipitously made the acquaintance of Myron Weiner who was one of the two partners of the old red sauce joint John’s of 12th Street. They met while having Italian Ices at a Street Fair on University Place in 1981. Myron told Daniel he owned John’s, and Daniel asked if they were looking for any waiters as he was looking for some part-time employment. Daniel started working at John’s and the rest is history. He would cook 4 lunch shifts and one dinner shift a week, and work at John’s 3 nights a week, mostly waiting tables, and once a week tending bar. In those 3 nights, Daniel made more than 5 days work in the kitchen, and it afforded him the ability to pay all his bills; Rent, Food, Con Ed, Phone Bill, etc.. And because of John’s, Daniel had plenty of money to buy the nice clothes he liked, go out to eat in restaurants, and take a nice vacation to Paris or Italy every year. This suited Daniel fine. He waited tables and had a good time at John’s, meeting celebrities along with the funky East Village characters of the day.

Daniel worked hard and played hard, chased the ladies and sewed some wild oats. Part of his socializing and enjoying life including, going out to eat at various restaurants, as well as a but of clubbin (Night Clubs), cafe and bar hopping. Two of Daniel’s favorite places for Cappucino and Italia pastries were a couple venerable old Italian Pastry Shops nearby in Veniero’s (Since 1892) and DeRobertis on Second Avenue, just about 100 feet from Veniero’s. Next to DeRoberti’s was Lanza’s an old school Italian Restaurant that was in operation since 1904 . There was a stretch of time in the early 90s when Daniel, his girlfriend Dante, and their friends John and Jorge would have lunch many a Saturday at Lanza’s before heading to work at Les Halles where they all worked at the time. They also loved going for Cappuccino and Cannoli or Sfogliatelle at DeRobertis all the time and sit in the back room with the old Subway Tiles and 1920 Silver Dollar imbedded into the tile floor. There was nothing better, and Daniel says it saddens him terribly that both Lanza’s and DeRobertis where he had countless good times, are now closed down. Daniel says, “It’s a Sin,” and it is. He also misses terribly his old friend Vinny’s place, La Focacceria, also on 1st Avenue as well as Brunetta on 1st Avenue, one block up from Lanza’s and DeRoberti’s on the block between East 11th and East 12th Street. The first location of La Focacceria was on this block as well, but they moved to First Avenue between East 7th Street and St Marks Place sometime in the early 80s .

La Focacceria was were Daniel first learned of one of his ancestral Sicilian dishes called Vasteddi (Pane Muesa), along with real Sicilian Pizza known as Sfingione. Both dishes along with Aracini (Rice Balls) are dishes of the Sicilian Capital City of Palermo where, along with Lercara Friddi are where Daniel’s maternal grandparents Giuseppina Salamei and Fillipo Bellino were born and immigrated from, to come to New York in 1904 ..

Not long after Daniel moved to the East Village neighborhood of athe East Village that was not now, but once-upo-a-time a Sicilian-American stronghold neighborhood. By this time in the 1980s the East Village had a strong Ukranian and Eastern European contingency, but remnants of the old Sicilian Neighborhood remained in the form of John’s of East 12th Street, Lanza’s, La Focacceria and Brunetta’s, the DeRoberti’s were from Puglia in Southern Italy.

So Daniel had a good time, and learned a thing or two along the way. After going to Italy for the first time in 1985, and falling head over heals in love with Italy and Italian Culture (his own) Daniel decided he wanted not to continue his pursuit of the French Culinary Arts, but authentic Italian Cuisine instead. And thus he set out to start working in an Italian Kitchen to learn from and Italian Chef. Daniel got a job as a line cook at Caio Bella Restaurant and learned from Pasquale, a very talented Chef from Brindisi, Italy. Daniel worked at Caio Bella and learned how to make the “World’s Best Bolognese,” Pasta Fagioli, Risotto, Frittata, and all the great regional dishes of Italy. He also embellished his learning, by eating at Italian restaurant in New York, but more so in Italy on his yearly travels to his mother country. Daniel bought every good Italian Cookbook he could get his hands on, he read the books, cooked many dishes and would eventually start writing his own. This is how you learn, read, watch, gain experience and grow. The education of Daniel Bellino Zwicke.

DANIEL ‘S ITALIAN COOKBOOKS

My ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER in the Restaurant Business New York City

The ODEON

The Great Keith McNally ‘s 1st Restaurant

I worked here with the Hugely Talented CHEF PATRICK CLARKE

READ the Full Story

Frank Sinatra The BEST THINGS EVER

Francis Alebert Sinatra

FRANK

Frank looks Bad Ass in this picture. It’s classic Sinatra, in a Tuxedo with his beloved Jack Daniels Whiskey, puffing on a cigarette.

Read More …

MINETTA TAVERN Steaks n Burgers

MINETTA TAVERN

MINETTA LANE

GREENWICH VILLAGE

NEW YORK

BELLINO and The MINETTA BURGER

Virsus OZERSKY and The BLACK LABEL BURGER

BURGER WARS of NEW YORK

Read About It

AT NY-Foodie

Worlds Best Ragu Bolognese

PICI BOLOGNESE

And The WORLDS BEST EVER RAGU BOLOGNESE RECIPE

by DANNY BOLGONESE

aka Daniel Bellino Zwicke

RECIPE in The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

It’s The #BestTHINGever !!!

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

And The WORLDS BEST BOLOGNESE SAUCE

by Danny Bolognese

BUY IT !

The Best Things in Life are Free … It’s a great old saying. A wonderful old song was evven written on the sbject. The song The BEST THINGS in LIFE are FREE starts out with the lines “The Moon Belongs to Everyone. The Best Things in Life are Free.” The song mentions “Flowers in Spring,” “Robins that Sing,” and “The Sunbeams that Shine.” They don’t mention Bolgonese Sauce, though they easily could, for it is without question, one the Best Things in life, and it certainly is one of “The Best Things Ever.” No doubt. And it can even be free, and if not free, and if you are making it, and paying for the ingredients to make it, it may not be free, but it’s dam near it, costing a measly .95 Cents to serve a portion of it. Bolognese the taste is so devine, almost orgasmic, “seriously, it is.” It’s that good. The taste of properly made Ragu Bolognese, dressing whatever pasta you choose; Spaghetti, Tagiatelle, Rigatoni, whatever, a proper made Ragu Bolognese is one of the most devine dishes imaginable. The great Marcell Hazan said of it, “There is no more perfect union in all Gastronomy than the marriage of Ragu Bolognese and homemade Bolognese tagliatelle.” Well I couldn’t agree more with Marcella, except that, though homemade tagliatelle is absolutely wonderful, it is not absolutely essential for the great dish of Pasta w/ Ragu Bolognese, they very most improtant element is that you have a perfectly made Ragu Bolognese, the thing that will give the dish 90% of its unmatchable sinfully luscious flavor. The Pasta and the grated Parmigiano Reggaino are great, but “it’s all about the Bolognese (Sauce).”

There are many great dishes in the World, and of many different international cuisines, but nothing quite like a well made “Ragu Bolognes,” trust me. I love a great Bouf Bourgonnone, Coq au Vin, Foe Gras, Vietnamese PHO, lush American BBQ Ribs, the perfect Hamburger, a juicy Prime New York CUt Sirloin Steak, Tandoori Chicken, a NY Pastrami Sandwich, Belgian Chocolate, perfectly Roast Chicken, I could go on and on, I love these dishes and a couple hundred more, but there is no dish that I love more than a properly made Bolognese, and no Bolognese Sauce that is better than mine, “None,” not Marcella’s, not anywhere in Bologna, Italy, nor anywhere in all of Emelia Romagna the region it comes from. I know it may sound pompous and egotistical for me to brag about my Bolgonese as I do, and I know people would call me insane, for me to think that of all the great Italian Chefs all over Italy and especially in Emeia Romagan, that I would have the nerve to think that I make “The Worlds Best Bolognese,” but it’s TRUE, “I do!” I make without a doubt, the single Best Ragu Bolognese in the entire World. Yes it may sound absurd, but absurd it’s not. Just ask the some four or five-hundred people who’ve had it, they’ll all confirm the fact that the worlds single best tasting most perfect Bolognese Sauce is made by none other than Italian-American Italian-Cookbook Author (formerChef) Daniel Bellino Zwicke of Greenwich Village, New York.

I was taught the recipe of this the Worlds Greatest Bolognese when I was a cook at the now defunct Caio Bella Restaurant, up on Thrid Avenue at 75th Street in New York back in 1987 by Chef Pasquale, sorry I can’t remember his last name. Anyway, Chef Pasquale was from Brindisi Italy, a city in the South of Italy in the region of Puglia. Pasquale started working in kitchens in Brindisi where he first honed his craft. He later went on to work in kitchens in Milan, Bologna, Parma, London, and Tokyo, Japan before moving to New York and becoming the Head Chef at the restaurant Mezzaluna, the 1st restaurant to make and serve real Italian Pizza made in a wood-burning Pizza Oven in New York and in the United States. The restaurant was a big hit, and a couple of the waiters at the restaurant, a guy named Rocco and my ex-boss Enrico Proetti wanted to go out on their own and open their own restaurant, and so they did. They got togehter with a wealthy older Italian man “Fred” who became their partner and put up all the cash to open the restuarant up the street, called Caio Bella. Caio Bella was a big success, and a quick one at that, and it was soon one of the hottest restaurant of the day, back in 1987 when I went in looking for a job. I met Pasquale, we chatted, I told him about my background and my asperations with Italian Food. Pasquale hired me, and the rest is history. I had mostly worked in French Restaurants before that, and I’d gone to New York Technical College in Brooklyn where they taught Classical French Cusisine, which is the food I wanted to cook when I first got started. Yes I first wanted to cook French. But after I made my first trip to my ancestral home of Italy in the Summer of 1985, I caught the bug, and from then on, i wanted to cook authentic Italian Food. I soaked up and learn all I could of true Italian Food, made the Italian way, and I don’t mean Italian-American, but by Italians. So I decided I needed to get a job at a great Italian Restaurant in New York that had a great Italian Chef from Italy. I went to Sandro’s and Arqua first, and they both offered me jobs, but when I went up to Caio Bella and Chef Pasquale hired me as a line-cook, I decided to take the job at Caio Bella.

Pasquale was a great teacher, and he showed me personally how to make all the dishes on the menu, including his great recipe for Ragu Bolognese. I made it just the way Pasquale showed me how to make it, and from then on, I was the person at Caio Bella who always made the Ragu Bolognese. Pasquale liked the way I made it, exactly the way he showed me, and that was that. And I’ve always made my Bolognese just like that. No matter what others may tell you, every Bolognese is at least a little different from all others, and so was Pasquale’s which latter became mine, and ever since I’ve made it at Caio Bella in 1987, I’ve never tasted one quite like mine, which as you know by now, is “The Worlds Best Ragu Bolonese Ever.” No Brag, Just Fact as Walter Brennan used to say in his Cowboy TV Show back in the 60s.

In 1998 I finally acheived my dream of opening my own restaurant. I opened up what turned out to be the 1st Ever Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro) in the United States of America in Bar Cichetti. I was the Chef / Wine Director and managing partner of Bar Cichetti. I received numerous accolades from the New York Times, Time Out Magazine, New York Magazine and other publications, including my favorite one of all, a 5 page spread about me and my restaurant Bar Cichetti, and my favvorite line of all from The Journal of Italian Food Wine & Travel Magazine which saide, “Daniel (Bellino Zwicke0 makes the Best Ragu Bolognese in America.” Yes they said that, I couldn’t agree with them more.

Thanks,

Daniel

THE BEST THINGS in LIFE are FREE

LYRICS

The moon belongs to everyone
The best things in life are free
The stars belong to everyone
They gleam there for you and me
The flowers in spring
The robins that sing
The sunbeams that shine
They’re yours, and they’re mine
love can come to everyone
The best things in life are free
The moon belongs to everyone
The best things in life are free
The stars belong to everyone
They gleam there for you and me
The flowers in spring
The robins that sing
The sunbeams that shine
They’re yours, and they’re mine
love can come to everyone
The best things in life are free
The moon belongs to everyone
The best things in life are free
The stars belong to everyone
They gleam there for you and me
The flowers in spring
The robins that sing
The sunbeams that shine
They’re yours, and they’re mine
love can come to everyone
The best things in life are free
ooh… Lord… Everything…
Every one of those good things
The best, best things in life are free…

#BestThingYouEverATE !!!

5 Star Review for The Feast of The 7 Fish From Book Goodies

FEAST of The 7 FISH

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS

“Isn’t It Time you Learned How to Make It?”

THIS YEAR !!!

BOOK GOODIES LOVES

The FEAST of The 7 FISH

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

“Thank You so much to Book Goodies for the Stellar Revview of The FEAST of THE 7 FISH. Much Apprecciated.”

“MERRY CHRISTMAS One and All” !!!

On AMAZON

I’m Back

MePiazzaPopoloROME

Me in ROME

2018

Hey Guys, “I’m Back!” Somehow I lost my password for my Dashboard that I run sever websites from, including Daniel-Bellino-Zwicke.com (this Site), Big-Lebowski-Cookbook.com , Greenwich-Village-Italian.com , Vinyl-n-Vines.com , and NY-Foodie.com.

None of the Sites were down. They were all up and running, it’s just that I couldn’t get to the dashboard of each to make Post, so consequently there have’t been any posts on any of these sites for 3 months. I started a couple of New Sites in order to make posts, as I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to get back on the sites, so I have another Author Website for myself at Daniel-Bellino-Zwicke .

I also started a new site for Positano , and The Amalfi Coast . Please stay tuned, I will start posting again on all these sites.

Thanks,

Daniel

Giulio Ferrari Amalfi Coast / Sorrento

A Bottle of FERRARI “PERLE” 2007

The First of 5 Bottles of Ferrari “Perle” we had on The AMALFI COAST 2018

Sorento18 045

Linguine with Langoustines

Lo Smeraldino Ristorante

AMALFI

The View From Our Table at Lo SMERALDINO RISTORANTE

Lunch Saturday May 19, 2018

Myself, Cousin Tony and Alan Spinelli

I had a wonderful little vacation in the Spring of 2018. Starting in Rome, then on to The Amalfi Coast; Minori, Salerno, Positano, Amalfi, Sorrento, and Frascati. The Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places on Planet Eart, “therre is no question of that.” You go for the beauty, to lie on the beach soaking in the lush Sun of Southern Italy and .AMalfi Coast. You also go to eat. You should have a nice lunch, maybe an apertivo or two in the late afternoon, take a nap, then have dinner at a nice ristorante or trattoria in whatever town you might be in; on Capri, in Amalfi, Positano, wherever, you can’t go wrong on the Amalfi Coast, in Sorrento, Napoli, or the Island of Ischia, you will eat well.

We had a wonderful lunch after cousin Tony picked me up at the ferry station after I took a boat from Minori to Salerno to rendevous with Tony. We went directly from the ferry terminal to eat lunch at La Spagnola Ristorante in Salerno where my cousins Mimmo and Marta had taken Tony the night before. Anyway, we went to La Spagnola and had a fine lunch of incrediable Polpette di Alici (Anchovy Meatballs) and Insalta di Polpo for our antipasto. Then Tony had Linguine Frutta di Mare and Alan and I both got a plate each of some tasty Spaghetti Vongole. We drank nice bottle of Prosecco and had a most wonderful lunch which along with our lunch the following day was my favorite of the entire trip. La Spagnola is one of the best restaurants in the city, so if you ever find yourself in Salerno, you might to eat there.

Sorento18 007.jpg

A Fisherman mends his Nets on The LUCIA MADRE

CETARA

ITALY

Razor Clams and Alici

La SPAGNOLA RISTORANTEO

With Alan S. Myself and Cousin Anthony

Outside La SPAGNOLA RISTORANTE

Salerno

ITALY

The Next day we decided to go have lunch in Amalfi after a stop at Cetara along the way. Cetara is the only true old fishing village along the coast. The fishermen there catch all sorts of fish, like; Pesce Spada, Tonno, Cozze, Calamari, Sepia, and other fish and shellfish, but they are most famous for Alici, which are Anhovies and when you see Alici on the menu of any restuarant on the Amalfi Coast, they most likely were caught by a fisherman of Cetara.

Alan Cousin Tony and Myself at Our Amazing Lunch

at Lo SMERALDINO

AMALFI

So when driving on the Amalfi Coast, it can sometimes be quite trying if you get stuck in traffic and then trying to find a parking space when you get into town. o Cousin Tony when he saw there was parking at the restaurant L Smeraldino, he pull in. At first I wasn’t so sure about the restaurant but I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t there too long when I knew it would be good.

One of the waiters sat us at a greaat table right next to the water with an amazing view of Amalfi. It was truly spectacular. Cousin Tony gave me the wine list and told me to pick a nice bottle of Champagne. I looked the list over and saw some of the fine Italian Sparklers on the list and told Tony why don’t we get one of them. I assured him they were really good. Tony agreed, and we picked a bottle of Ferrari “Perle” 2007 which is made in the Methode Classico which means in the style of Champagne. Champagne is usually made with 100% Chardonnay grapes or a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir or all Pinot Noir in more rare cases. When made of 100% Chardonnay grapes the Champagne is called Blanc d Blanc. Anyway, this is just a brief bit about french Champagne just to help clarify this Italian Sparkling wine we were drinking that was made in Trentino in Northern Italy. The wine is made in the style of French Champagne and is of the highest quality.

So anyway, the waiter brought us the bottle of Ferrari Perle, and we tasted it, it it tasted quite good. Well actually, more than good, this Italian Sparkling Wine was just about as good as you could get from a sparkling wine and the equal and even better than just about any French Champagne you might find. We just loved it and the wine went well with everyhthing we ate for lunch, including: Grilled Calamari, Insalta di Polpo, Grachi (Local Crab), Linguine with Langostines, and Spaghetti Arogosta (Lobster).

I think I Created a Monster that day, as Tony wanted to get a bottle of Ferrari “Perle” at almost every meal we had, he absoutely adored the wine and I was thrilled that he did.

This is our story of eating on the AMalfi Coast and having several bottles of the awesome wine Ferrari “Perle” along the way. We had vintages of 2007, 2009, and 2010, with a total of 5 bottles of this wonderful wine during our stay on the Amalfi Coast. It was great.

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke