Flavors in Love

Everything about Capri is sensuality magnified….from its clear, turquoise waters to its winding streets filled with bougainvillea…to the warmth of the Caprese people…to the fresh, simple tastes of the Italian cuisine..What an enchanting island and the perfect ending to a sublime trip.

We have been to the Amalfi coast before, but staying overnight in Capri is an entirely new experience. I can now understand the magic of this little island.

We stayed at the charming Scalinatella Hotel, which has the same owners as the larger
Quisisana, but a much more boutique-y feel. We immediately ran into someone from New York as soon as we checked in and he advised us to have lunch by the pool…a flawless meal and probably the best lunch on the Island. We had a spaghetti alle vongole, and even though we’ve had this dish a million times in the U.S., it just doesn’t compare to having it in its native land. I will re-create the dish soon and share it with you. They were kind enough to give me the recipe.

Our room was delightful, with a great view of the sea. How do I even find the words to explain the radiance of the sun setting over the island while the birds are singing and the moon is rising in the background. It is a lovers paradise. There’s nothing about it that’s not perfection.

Lo Scoglio was our favorite restaurant on the coast. The best way to go is by boat and you can even jump in for a quick swim on the way…

Lo Scoglio

We got to meet the family that owns this charming restaurant. Antonia is the daughter and she is so proud of their new and improved kitchen..she and her father showed us around and she translated for him. There is a family farm that provides them with all of their produce and meat…and of course their fish comes from local waters and absolutely everything is homemade. It is such a traditional family-run restaurant…after lunch we saw “nonna” (grandma) in the back scrutinizing the bills..

They served us a simple arugula salad…with tomatoes that were sugary sweet…and it was drizzled with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil from their own olive trees.

Then M. had the larger tomatoes, sliced and served with the freshest mozzarella and basil.

After the tomatoes we had a cooked vegetable dish comprised of six different vegetables from their farm…which was an entire meal in itself…but of course we had to leave room for pasta.  I had the special house pasta with zucchini and M. had spaghetti with seafood….while we listened to the sweet sounds of children splashing in the crystal waters below us.

Spaghetti with seafood

For dinner we went to the celeb hangout Villa Verde and had brick oven pizza…

Three days in Capri was just too short….and we loved it so much that we already booked our vacation for next year.