Mays Roadtrip
Anyone who knows me a little knows that you make me happiest with simple food. That I can at least trace the origin of what is on my plate. I can certainly enjoy a star, but to be honest, I enjoy more the craftsmanship and the beauty of the plates and glasses than the venison steak that is shaped like a sorbet on my plate. I am probably stepping on a lot of toes, but that's just how it is. When it comes to food, I love the kilometer 0 and simplicity principle.
That's why I immediately zoomed to ‘notes’ when our friend S told us about that little restaurant. It was deep, deep in Sicily, far removed from the world. It was located on the beach. A hotel with a room or six, at most eight, and a chef, Vittorio, who was waiting for the catch of the day to get started.
We had to go there. Someday. And someday, that was now. So we set off from the heel of the boot towards the instep right to the toe called Sicily. And once in Sicily, we headed west towards the paradise that was called Da Vittorio. Porto Palo is the name of the little town, and you shouldn't expect too much from it. A few beach shacks, a small harbor, a simple beach, but a sea so beautiful and blue that you immediately know you will long to return here on autumn days.
Our rooms are simple. My daughter calls it the Ikea room. A double bed, a bunk bed, and a spacious shower. Indeed a bit youth hostel style (did I ever sleep in a youth hostel? No. Can I imagine it? Yes. So.) But there is a balcony. And that balcony has... Right: a view of the sea. If you had done a few years of athletics, you could jump straight from the balcony onto the beach, into the coastline.
It's laid back. The hotel is a bit impersonal perhaps, but I like it. We get a beer and an Aperol Spritz for me and we sit down. On that balcony. When we take turns (Flo isn't feeling well so one of us stays with her) diving into the sea with the other girls, we meet other Dutch people. Also on a culinary pilgrimage. Because this hotel is referred to by top chef Giorgio Locatelli as his favorite address. And what is good enough for Giorgio...
An aperitif follows and then we go. To eat. There are so many tables set that I feel a bit sorry for the restaurant. It is now eight o'clock so those tables are probably set for nothing. In the meantime, we order everything that is on the menu and far beyond. We have agreed to say yes to everything. To the tuna steak, the pesce spada, the small squid, the mussels, and the vongole. Yes, yes, yes, bring it on. Just as we slowly start to lean back a bit and look contentedly at the clean plates (it was delicious, in one word), we lift our heads and look around. That terrace from earlier is suddenly full. Pieno di gente. Packed. 120 Italians know where the food is good. At Vittorio.
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Ristorante Da Vittorio
Porto Palo
Via Friuli Venezia 9
Porto Palo, Menfi, Italia
