[July 2024] We returned to Forio, where we were staying, from the Aragonese Castle, the most popular tourist spot on the island of Ischia in southern Italy, for lunch.
I had thought from lunch the day before that prices are high on the island and restaurants are expensive, but we found a very reasonable place.
And it was right near our Airbnb.
It’s called La Tinaia.
The entrance is small, but the inside is spacious.
We settled at a table inside, but there were many tables outside as well, and it was very popular.
It seemed to be much more popular with locals than the restaurant we went to the day before.
There were many mussels on the menu, so we got Impepata di Cozze for antipasto and shared it between the two of us.
There was a surprising amount of it.
Is there anyone who eat it on his/her own?
The black pepper was effective, and the mussels themselves had a strong flavour, and it was very delicious.
I had a grilled fish platter for the main course.
Small fillets of sea bream, horse mackerel and swordfish were grilled and served.
I thought the amount was not enough, but I was full after eating.
The taste was not amazing, but it was good enough.
It came with a salad and that was with the French dressing, which was a surprise.
I think this was the first time I had this in Italy.
The dressing for salad in Italy is usually olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
My husband had Polpi Affogati (meaning drowned octopus), which was octopus cooked in tomato sauce.
We had half a litre of white house wine, which was only €5.
It was a little heavy for my taste, though.
With coffee, the total was €59.50.
This was really good value.
After a short rest at the Airbnb, we changed clothes in the evening and went out for a walk.
It’s fun to see the bustle of summer evenings in resort areas.
As you walk down the main street, you’ll come across a round shaped church that could be described as primitive.
You’ll probably be able to see a beautiful sunset from here, though it was already after sunset that day.
On the way back, we had spritz and tagliere at an outdoor table.
A tagliere is a cutting board with a few pieces of food on it.
Usually it’s a platter of ham and cheese, but here we were served caponata, gnocchi, meatballs, and other proper dishes.
Come to think of it, the same thing happened at a southern Italian cuisine restaurant called Slow Sud in Milan.
Maybe it’s a southern Italian custom?
This is how you end up overeating every day during your holidays and becoming plump and fat.
