Eating Our Way Through Capri, Italy
Eating Our Way Through Capri, Italy
Capri , Italy
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VdV Rating: 5
Food: Italian
Gesù Cristo we pigged out on this tiny little island. Moo. Wait, we shoudn’t really say ‘Moo’ as we went the vegetarian route for almost the entire trip here? “Say what, meatless VdV?!” You implore. We say “Why waste a bovine’s precious little life when there’s so much killer seafood, fruits and vegetables just ripe for the pickin’?” Oh yeah, and fresh pasta. Doi. Oh yeah, and fresh Bufala Mozzarella! Doi squared.
So you really can’t go wrong in Capri. Just don’t take a wrong turn at the Marina, you’ll get wet! Har dee har har. Yuck yuck yuck. OMG, I’m holding my belly. Milk just came out of my nose. Stupid. Anyway, back to talking about something we know: eating. And like I said, it’s hard to have a bad food experience here, except maybe on some of the places around Marina Grande. Touristy and…well..touristy. I’m bummed for many of the people that think Marina Grande epitomizes Capri & Capri dining. Oh well. Screw them!
So here’s a random sampling of some of da best of da best on Capri. Hey, we’re not talkin’ pizzas here, if ya want that read our rants here.
Villa Verdé Pasta Pomodoro
Villa Verdé rocks it for lunch and din din. They have a big outdoor terrace (no sea view), a big ‘ol lista di vino and a great menu. We’ve talked about their pies, but their basic Pomodoro pasta brings it too. It’s all Dougie Fresh. Oops, I mean Freshie fresh. And simple. Fresh spaghetti cooked slightly al dente, slightly sweet San Marzano tomato sauce, a little fresh grated parmesan and lots of fresh basil leaves on top. A little sweet with attitude. Yummy.
da Giorgio, located near the main piazzetta, was a place we shied away from in the past ‘cuz, well, it’s in the piazetta, Guiseppe! Only fools eat there! Ha. “Well, well even an old dog like VdV can learn a new trick on occasion”. Hey, I heard that. This place is pretty large, with great views over Marina Grande and the sea, and some of the best seafood in town. The service is fun, friendly and professional and they have some excellent seafood dishes. Our fave was the Grilled Sea Bass with Lemon. Again, simple, people. The photo does not do the taste of this dish justice. Simplicity works when you’re blessed with good ingredients. Let the fish do the talkin’. Capiche?
Di Giorgio Sea Bass
Best Gnocchi on Capri? Ristoranté Aurora. Formerly Pizzeria Aurora. As we previously whined like spoiled little infants, we liked this place better back in the day when it was a little more casual. Waahhhh! Anyhoo, they do, at least the night we were there, have a damn good-looking clientele. Criminy! ‘Nuff said. Well, friend, the thing to get here? Wait. First. They have a relatively small outdoor seating area out front, where you can do some good people watching. They also have an outdoor patio area in the back. And in the middle? No, not a rich, creamy nougat filling. Yeah, that’s right – a dining room. And that’s the only table we could score:( Obviously VinDivine needs some help expanding it’s presence into the global market. ‘Cuz now that we rule, the U.S., it’s time!
Anyway, I’m pretty picky about Gnocchi. Just seems like a ginormous waste of carbohydrates if it is not perfection. Aurora’s Gnocchi Capresé is heavenly. That’s right, bitch. I said heavenly. I cannot, will not, ever, forgive myself for not getting a pic of this dish. But close your eyes and Go There With Me Now: Imagine tender, melt-in-your-mouth, tiny pillows of love each about the size of the tip of your pinky finger. Lovingly surrounded by just-picked-off-the vine tomato sauce, with a little Bufala Mozzarealla melted in. Drool. Topped with the perfect amount of torn up fresh basil on top, right at the end. Served spoonful by spoonful by a sexy angel. This shit melts in your grimy little mouth!
Some of da best Linguine Vongole? That’s Linguine with Clams, heathen. And I mean tiny, sweet little clams, about as big as a dime, not those gross horseneck ones they try shoving down your gullet in the States. Some of the best? Ristoranté Aurora and Villa Verdé. Perfectly prepared pasta, tender, small clams with just a little briny flavor, with killer white wine and garlic sauce. Sponge up the rest of the sauce with bread and you’re a happy camper. (I’m making up for my previous random rant with just a simple shout out here).
Da Luigi's Shellfish Pasta
And I’ve gotta tell ya, the Cheese-Stuffed Ravioli and Razor Clam, Mussles and Clams Pasta at Da Luigi kicked it. There’s a long kinda steep trail you can take, but we arrived in style (Boat. Want more scintillating details on our excursion? Read here). Anyhoo, it’s just ripe, fresh goodness, everything prepared and cooked with care and skill. And the house made pasta, just a little thick but scrumptious and a perfect balance to the sauce and shellfish. I mean, the other (hot) J, who was never that big into shellfish is now a convert. Mussels this, clams that. Can’t shut her up. Problem is, after the stuff on Capri it’s gonna be tough to keep her happy. And we like her happy. So maybe another trip to Capri, pronto!
Best Capresé Salad? Anywhere. It’s named after the island, people. Babies come out of the womb making this stuff. You sleep with the fishes if you can’t bring it. Done deal.
Other notables: La Capannina (the restaurant, not the bar we raved about here), has good Steamed Mussels and Clams with a slightly thicker than usual white wine sauce.
Sollievo's awesome Branzino
Wait! Holy carp. Or crap. Sollievo! How the hell could I forget Sollievo? This place may have been overall, well, tied with Villa Verdé for some of da best. It’s a great family-run (duh, everywhere in Capri is family run) place with lots of outdoor seating. The owner’s husband actually waited on us, and was super cool. Excellent meal! I can’t remember the exact names of each dish, but we had these big thick tubes of pasta – the widest pasta ever – with clams in a light garlic and oregano sauce. Oh yeah, with white wine as a base. We also had Sauteéd Branzino with Roasted Potatoes. Sauteéd in lemon, a pound of butter and white wine. Bada-Bing. Luscious-ness defined.
Soooo. Our humble reco? Get yer ass to Capri pronto. Eat until you want to barf. Barf, then start eating again!
