Recommended by our friend Eva whose family lives in the area, we arrived for lunch and greeted by Barbara who led us to a picture perfect table by the window overlooking the beautiful beach and stunning Monte Conero. Surprised with a chilled bottle of Verdicchio di Castello di Jesi that Eva had organized for us upon our arrival, we put ourselves in Barbara's culinary hands who suggested we start with the six-course 'degustazione di antipasti', followed by her Mamma Anna's homemade pasta and finishing with 'pesce in potacchio', a classic preparation of fish cooked in white wine, olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs. I have an obsession with fish and seafood, which has led me on great adventures up and down the coast of Italy and elsewhere around the world, with a potpourri of special places laying claim on my culinary heart. Great chefs and restaurateurs never stray from their route; it’s all about passion. Ristorante Dario was beyond exceptional — the best restaurant of our trip to Italy and one of the best meals we've ever had. Grazie Eva for shining your light on this culinary gem.
Ceramic plaque at entrance to Ristorante Dario celebrating the family's surnames
A vase full of lilies and arrangement of shells greet guests as they enter Ristorante Dario
The place setting with fish knife and shell
Coral, sand and shells - a wonderful sight
Glorious lavender coloured Lisianthus
A delicious bottle of Verdicchio di Castello di Jesi was brought to the table when we arrived,
a very thoughtful gift from Eva — Grazie mille!
Kept chilled in a wine bucket placed on our table, the Verdicchio was sublime
Paintings of Dario, who started the restaurant with his wife Nora in the late 50's,
repairing his fishing nets on the beach
Marcello on the beach fixing the nets
An amuse bouche of a profiterole filled with fish mousse
The first dish of our incredible 6-course 'degustazione di antipasti': Il Crudo - panocchia e triglia - raw mantis shrimp and filet of red mullet
Filetti di triglia con rabarbaro e crema di pisello
Alici fresche con olio d'oliva e le erbe - fresh anchovies with olive oil and chopped herbs
Piccolo calamaro in crema di piselli con timo - calamari in a creamy pea soup with thyme
Piccole vongole saltate - tiny sautéed Le Marche clams
Buccini in salsa piccante - little local whelks in a spicy sauce
Polenta di Granoturco Marchigiano con Razza - polenta with skate
Co-owner of Dario, Barbara serving my Tagliatelle con sugo bianco di crostacei e molluscs
Tagliatelle con sugo bianco di crostacei e molluscs made with pasta made by hand very day
Tagliatelle con sugo di scampi al cognac e pepe nero di Sarawak
View from our windowsill table over the beach of Porto Recanti
The pretty town of Numana on the far side of the beach
Our server brought over 'il pesce' San Pietro
Marcello, the patriarch of Dario, then came over and served our fish by hand
John Dory and Calamari 'in potacchio', a classic culinary preparation of the Marche in which fish is cooked with a small sauce of white wine, olive oil, garlic and herbs
With embarrassing memories of our experience at Uliassi a few nights earlier,
we knew the tablet placed before us was not to be ingested
With some warm water poured overtop from a small decanter,
the tablet immediately puffs up into a wet hand towel
Dolce of lemon curd made with Limoncello topped with a single perfect blueberry
A hot Macchiato - the perfect end to an absolutely perfect lunch
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