TRAVEL
VILLARENA PIZZA MAKING WITH CHEF ANTONIO LUXURY BOAT TOURS POSITANO
best pasta in the region) and a selection of leather goods that tipped into the too well-priced to leave behind genre.
Our guide weaved us effortlessly from morning limoncello spritzes to artisan chocolatiers, incredible harbour views to lunch in a hidden gem. Cafe al Latino was tucked down a side street- almost nondescript gates heralding your arrival- but venture through and a hidden giardino beckons with terrace tables bursting with fresh tomatoes and burrata and where the menu felt recited rather than written. Every dish tastes like someone’ s cherished family recipe but it was the pillowy clouds of gnocchi dressed simply in tomato sauce and dusted with Parmesan that had us‘ mmm-ing’ in harmonious appreciation. We ended our tour at I Giardini di Cataldo, a lemon grove that’ s been in the same family for some six generations. Here we were expertly led through the closed gates to the bountiful gardens beyond to see the first signs of the next harvest of Sorrento’ s famous lemons beginning to bud before being treated to an intriguing tasting of limoncello that tested our taste buds from classic to aniseed varietals, all painstakingly made from the very lemons grown inside. Intensely citrus, perfectly balanced and dangerously drinkable.
Villarena Home Cooking Restaurant villarena. it / en / not-restaurant
They say that the further south you go in Italy, the more‘ characterful’ the inhabitants become. And nowhere was this more evident than at our final evening’ s meal at Villarena, a local restaurant that embodied everything I’ ve come to love about Italian dining; an actual home, converted into a restaurant, with nonnas in the kitchen and a menu that depends entirely on what was
caught that day and what owner Guglielmo deems worthy of his farm-to-table dining. We felt like we had been invited to dinner at our Italian friend’ s house- if your Italian friend just happens to be an exceptional cook with access to the finest local ingredients and an incredible wine cellar. There’ s a simple menu, some daily specials and everything delivered in rapid Italian with a nod to cucina povera- peasant cooking elevated to art form. There were fried courgette flowers, light as air, flamegrilled squid, bruschetta, melon draped in Parma ham and then more of the regional speciality of spaghetti alla Nerano, with portions so plentiful we all fought for the smallest plate in burst of giggles, only for them to be topped up( again!) when we were distracted by another glass of crisp Fiano Di Avellino Nettare Irpino. We ended with humungous servings of lemon tart, tiramisu and chocolate torte following a knowing sardonic nod from Guglielmo that we would be having dessert, too. By the time the evening ended, sometime later than any of us expected, more wine in than we anticipated and ladened with jars of marmalade to take home, we were all a little giddy, from fine food, fine company and from another once in a lifetime experience that this trip had offered.
Pizza Making with Chef Antonio chefantoniosatrianocasola. com
Culinary highlights are plentiful in this beautiful corner of the globe, but perhaps none were quite as wholesome as an evening spent making our own pizzas cooked inside Villa Delfina’ s outdoor woodfired oven.
We arrived back from a heady day exploring to be met with a warm welcome from Chef Antonio from KM0- whose
restaurant champions zero-kilometre produce- who was prepped and ready to host our pizza-making class. He had, wisely, premade each of our doughs, so all we had to do was roll and top with the bounty of ingredients that Antonio had sourced from neighbouring farms: fresh passata, freshly pulled mozzarella, sun-riped tomatoes, bright salad leaves and even potatoes made an appearance. He taught us the art of the perfect dough, the importance of a blazing hot oven and the simplicity of a proper Margherita.
We gathered around the outdoor pizza oven in turn, and as the sun began its descent, we took turns paddling our freshly-made creations into the flames, while Antonio offered guidance in that particular Italian way- equal parts encouraging and exasperated by our amateur efforts.
The pizzas emerged blistered, bubbling and utterly divine, tasting of Campania itself, bright, fresh and uncomplicated- much like a stay at Villa Defina transpired to be every, single day.
Prices at Villa Delfina start from £ 1,034pp including flights( based on full occupancy for 7 nights). Villa only rental starts from £ 10,499 per week( based on a 7 night stay). CV Villa bookings at Villa Defina include a welcome basket and personal check-in, daily cleaning service and daily concierge service( 8am- 10pm) for bespoke itineraries, reservations, and experiences. All activities as detailed above can be added onto your stay as well as a host of other memorable excursions and dining experiences.
cvvillas. com cvvillas
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