The pictures from the blackberry don't do this meal justice.
It was the biggest spread of wonderful aroma fuelled local Ligurian cuisine served family style and the platters just kept on coming!
The pictures above and below, are from our dinner in La Spezzia Italy at Dario's Trattoria. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, like you were being welcomed into a family dinner, a large Italian family dinner that is.
The host and proprietor, a multitasking, incredible chef (who you wish was your aunt) ensures you are seated no longer than mere seconds before your first taste of home cooked goodness arrives at your table.
The staff (all family and friends of the chef for sure) were quick working and efficient. They maneuvered their way through the busy restaurant with serving style dishes galore, like a finely tuned orchestra, never missing a beat.
Antipasto selections of tuna, sardines, salmon and more were followed by penne pasta and mussels, gnocchi, octopus (that had the texture of soft butter; delicioso) calamari fritte, potatoes seasoned with olive oil and after gelato, walnut pastries, espresso and the finishing touch....Grappa!
This was a trattoria bottled concoction in Grappa style made from currents that was so thick it barely poured. Foolishly we gobbled up the tiny spent fruit from our glasses as a fitting end to the evening. Wine was free flowing from the pitchers and for one of the few times on the trip it poured white, to pair with our bounty of fresh local sea fare. A local men's football team all decked out in suits were at a huge family table near us, as was a big table of local officials discussing and sharing a meal. This warm little trattoria was packed with locals and we all stayed well into the late night. It was here we discovered how far a belly can expand when faced with a happily daunting task of eating for 18 when you are a mere group of 7.
Oh my, oh my, I will not forget the tastes, the smells!
MMMMMM good.
"Mange, Mange!"
