Centrally located in Positano, Le Sirenuse is just 656 feet from the coast and its beautiful beaches. It features an oyster bar, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and elegant rooms with a private balcony. There are also a free swimming pool, hammam, and fitness center.
The spacious and air-conditioned rooms have a white-themed décor and full views of the Mediterranean Sea. Each offers a satellite flat-screen TV with Blu-ray player, an iPod dock, and a fully equipped private bathroom with a large spa bath and soft slippers.
At the Sirenuse you can unwind at the oyster bar, where you will find a variety of oysters that you can enjoy together with champagne. The Michelin-starred restaurant has a spacious terrace overlooking the sea.
View of Marina Grande CAPRI with Sorrento in the distance, from Anacapri
Provolone, for many Italian-Americans it’s their favorite cheese. Case in point, its mine, my favorite cheese, as is with my sister Barbara, we both love it. The love of Provolone is more prevalent with Italians who are over forty years of age. The younger generation is more apt to go for Burata, something that didn’t exist in America previous to the past 15 years or so. Growing up in a 60’s 1970’s Italian-American household there were a few Italian Cheeses that most everyone ate and used in cooking their favorite dishes, put on antipasto platters and in sandwiches. There was Ricotta that went into making Lasagna and Manicotti or Stuffed Shells, Cheesecake, Cannoli, and other items. You normally didn’t eat Ricotta on it’s own as you might Mozzarella or Provolone, the ricotta was usually in cooked dishes, however I always loved taking a couple tablespoons, eating it fresh out of the container, all smooth and creamy. Yum!For many years Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano were the most popular cheeses as they were grated over pasta and used in various recipes. Mozzarella came in third in popularity in Italian-America. Mozzarella is most famous for being a topping of millions upon millions of Pizzas, or in the popular Insalata Caprese, a thing of simplistic beauty and taste. A Caprese Salad looks lovely and fresh and just like an Italian Flag, the colors are the same, the Red of the fresh Tomatoes, the creamy white Fresh Mozzarella, and bright green fresh Basil comprises the classic Insalata Caprese, which of course is drizzled with a little bit of Italian Olive Oil to complete this wonderful dish, that’s simple, yet perfect, and based on the best top quality fresh ingredients. All this being said, using the Mozzarella in this way wasn’t the most popular way of getting this cheese in an Italian household. Mozzarella in Italian-America is most popular when it is cooked (melted) into a multitude of Italian dishes like; Lasagna, Manicotti, Stuffed Shells, on Chicken and Veal Parmigiano, in Baked Ziti and on Pizza. Yes we would have a Caprese Salad now and then, but more often if we were eating fresh uncooked Mozzarella it was usually on a sandwich or in the ever popular Antipasto-Misto platter of which the ingredients would vary according to who was making it, but most often it would consist of Salami, fresh Mozzarella and or Provolone, Roast Peppers, Olives, and fresh Celery.
Provolone, always my favorite cheese when I was growing. It was my sister Barbara’s favorite as well and whenever we went to Barcelona’s Restaurant we always ordered a plate of Provolone along with Mussels Marinara, Baked Clams, and all our other favorites. Yes, Mozzarella was fine, but for my sister Barbara and I it just couldn’t keep up with the big bold flavor of Provolone.
Girl Making My PANINO
I used to love walking into Belevedere Salumeria around the street from our house. The place had large torpedo-like Provolone (weighing 40-50 lbs.) hanging from the ceiling, along with Sopresseta, Prosciutto, and various types of Salumi. The smells dominated by the Provolone when you walked through the door were intoxicating. My friends and I, when we had a couple extra bucks we would treat ourselves and run over to Belevedere Italian Deli and get an awesome sandwich of Gabagool (Capicola), Salami, and Provolone, one of the world’s great sandwiches. Oh my God it’s making me hungry just thinking of it! I want one now!
So along with those boyhood memories of eating a piece of sharp Provolone off the antipasto platter or on one of those great Belvedere Sandwiches, I now have some more fond memories of Provolone Cheese. They come from my latest trip to Italy. I was down on the Amalfi Coast for the first time in a few years, and got a nice panino at a Salumeria one day. I was looking in the refrigerated glass case of Salumi and Cheese looking over their products. I decided on and ordered a panino made with Sopresseta and Provola Afumicata (Smoke Provolone). The counterman made my sandwich and when I ate that baby, boy the combination was absolutely amazing. I couldn’t believe it. I never had this combination before and I just loved it. Simple, just some Sweet Sopresseta and Smoked Provola, the combination was out of this world. It was simple, but each wonderful ingredient of perfectly cured Sopresseta Salami and wonderful Smoke Provolone on a nice Italian Roll, it just made for a great tasting sandwich. What more can I say? I ended up eating about 6 of those sandwiches from various salumerias on Capri, in Sorrento, and on the Amalfi Coast on that trip. I’d get a sandwich or an Arancini to hold me over between meals, if I was going to the beach or taking a boat ride from Amalfi to Capri, or whatever. The sandwiches were all so very tasty and an unexpected pleasure that I hadn’t expected at all. So now after eating all those tasty Panini I now I go to Faicco’s Pork Store around the block and buy some nice Sweet Sopresseta, Smoked Provola and get a loaf of Italian Bread, and I’m all set, right back there on Capri, eating my special Panino di Provola Affumicata e Sopresseta. This brings me back to Capri, Amalfi, and memories of a trip. A trip of beauty, tasty food, and recollections, the beauty of Capri and the Amalfi Coast, eating Vongole, Pasta, Arancini, and Provolone. I tell you folks, “it just doesn’t get much better than that.”
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Panino di Proval Affumicata e Sopresseta, Minori
Now talking of these things, the Sopresseta, Provola, Capri Sorrento, and Napoli, I’ve got to bring up one more pleasure of that trip, the Aperol Spritz and Summer on the Amalfi Coast. It’s not that I’d never had an Aperol Spritz before. No, the first time I had one was way back in 1995 in Venice, the place where the Aperol Spritz was invented. I was on my exploratory trip of Venetian Wine Bars (Bacari) when I had my first Spritz. One evening I was walking around doing the Venetian Wine Bar tour. While walking on the Strada Nuova in Canareggio I dashed into a Bacaro I had spotted. I made my way up to the bar and surveyed the scene a moment before ordering. As I stood there I notice people drinking this particular drink. I asked the barman what they were drinking and he told me that it was a Spritz, “Prosecco with Aperol and soda.” OK, I said, “I’ll take one.” The barmen made me one in no-time flat, and that was my first Spritz, and I’ve had a number of them since then. Now getting back to that Summer 2015 on Costiera Amalfitana and the Aperol Spritz, they were everywhere, glasses of Aperol Spritz one after the other, bar after bar, caffe after caffe, table after table, everywhere you looked people were drinking this refreshing cocktail, the locals and tourists alike. Well I’d come back from the beach on my way back to my hotel, and as usual when on the Amalfi Coast when done at the beach for the day, I head to a nice bar or caffe for an Espresso, a glass of local White Wine, a Campari, or some other cocktail. Now all of a sudden it seemed that the Spritz had moved into high gear. The drink was quite popular, and as I’ve said, it was everywhere and everyone was drinking them. So I headed to the Piazza Umberto one day after a day at the beach (Faraglioni) as I usually do. There’s a few very popular caffe’s there, and it’s just a matter of picking one to spend your time at. I chose one of my favorites, the Bar Tiberius. I took a seat at a table outside and waited for the waiter to come over. The waiter came and I ordered an Aperol Spritz. He came back a few minutes later with a refreshing looking Spritz and a little bowl of peanuts for me to munch. Yes, it was good. My Aperol Spritz, Capri, the Piazza Umberto and all that goes with it, like a scene in a movie, set on the beautiful Isle of Capri. And you’re in it. Now that’s something.
So, I ended up drinking a good number of Aperol Spritz’s on that trip. I had them in Capri, Positano, in Sorrento, and at caffé in the piazza in Ravello. It’s a great drink that’s light and refreshing and a great way to start any evening, slow and easy, that’s the Aperol Spritz, it eases you into the evening with its lightness and refreshing taste. Enjoy one some time, I do.
So there you have it, the Provolone of my youth with those great Provolone & Gabagool Sandwiches at the Italian Deli Belveder, the Aperol Spritz, Capri, Napoli, Sorrento, and my Provola Panini on The Amalfi Coast. That’s Italy, Italian-America, Italian Food and memories of this blissful never-ending journey of Italian Food, the culture, people, places, and events. It’s all quite wonderful. Don’t you agree?
Excerpted from Daniel Bellino ‘s forthcoming book MANGIA ITALIANO …
A Negroni is a cocktail made with equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, and is often served on the rocks or straight up. It’s typically garnished with an orange slice or peel and is considered an apéritif.
The most popular story is that Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to make his favorite cocktail, the Americano, stronger by replacing the soda water with gin. Scarselli also garnished the drink with an orange slice instead of the traditional lemon slice. The Negroni family then founded the Negroni Distillery in Treviso, Italy to produce a ready-made version of the drink called Antico Negroni.
Often described as an Italian sunset in a glass, the Aperol Spritz originated in the city of Padua and has become one of the most famous cocktails from Italy. The Aperol liqueur became a beloved apéritif in Padua and out of its rising popularity the Aperol Spritz was born during the chic 1950s in Northern Italy.
In 1919, Luigi and Silvio Barbieri created Padua’s famous Aperol and as this bitter apéritif rose to fame, so did experimentation. During the 1950s, Veneto was at the peak of chic fashion and gastronomic delicacies, allowing the optimum moment for the Aperol Spritz to enter Paduan society.
Spritz is a form of cocktail as opposed to a singular drink, the term originates from the German Spritzen. The origin of the Spritz dates back to the 19th-century when the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s owned the region. When Austro-Hungarian soldiers first tasted Italian wines, they found them too strong for their taste and subsequently spritzed their glasses with water to dilute the flavor.
The years leading up to the 1950s saw rigorous advertising of the Barbieris’ apéritif, resulting in Aperol taking over Campari in popularity. Following a TV advert displaying the Aperol Spritz’s recipe, the cocktail soon rose to fame as a luxe drink for lunchtime aperitivo and summer evenings. By early 2003, the Campari Group had purchased Aperol and marketed the Spritz as a cocktail for the trendy and fashionable members of Venetian society.
The beauty of the Aperol Spritz lies in the simplicity of its ingredients, which extracts the quality of each native component. The foundation of this cocktail is Aperol from Padua, with Veneto’s adored Prosecco and chilled soda. The Aperol’s vibrant orange hue is slightly diluted with sparkling wine, painting the Spritz with a softer sunset glow perfect for summer evenings.
HOW to Make an APEROL SPRITZ
APEROL SPRITZ – Recipe :
3 ounces Prosecco
2 ounce Aperol
1 ounce Club Soda
ICE
1 Orange Slice
Fill a Wine Glass 3/4 full with Ice. Add the Aperol, then the Prosecco, and the Club Soda last. Give a little stir, and add the Orange slice. Add a straw and serve.
Make a swim into the crystal emerald water inside the green grotto
Visit the characteristic Capri town
We will sail first along the beautiful coast to reach Capri, passing in front of Positano. Once arrived in Capri the tour of the Island begins discovering the white grotto, then proceeding ahead to see the natural arch and the faraglioni rocks. Once we reach the green grotto, you may plunge into the crystal emerald water. Later we’ll reach “Marina Piccola” where you may eat in a typical restaurant and visit the center of Capri town, easy to reach just in 5 minutes by taxi. On the way back we’ll pass through “Li Galli island” before back in Praiano.
See everything the island of Capri has to offer on a full-day excursion by boat with an expert guide. Enjoy a small-group experience along with the perfect combination of a guided tour and free time to explore.Get picked up at the Parking Mandara in Positano and head to the port of Piano di Sorrento. Set off on a comfortable and elegant boat along the Sorrento coast to Capri.Along the way, you’ll pass the ancient fishing village, Marina Grande, and the ruins of a Roman villa near Bagni della Regina Giovanna. You’ll also get to admire lovely rock formations and waterfalls.Upon arrival to Capri, tour the island first by boat, making stops at the Marvelous Grotto, the White Grotto, and the Green Grotto, admiring the Natural Arch, the Villa Curzio Malaparte, the Faraglioni rocks, and the Lighthouse of Punta Carena along the way.Enjoy a couple of stops for swimming and snorkeling, and a relaxing break with snacks and drinks on board. Next, it’s time to tour the island on foot, with 3 to 5 hours to do as you please.
Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of the Amalfi Coast as you cruise across its deep-blue waters. Enjoy a hotel transfer in Sorrento and discover the quaint towns of Positano and Amalfi on a full-day boat tour with prosecco, snacks, and a limoncello tasting included.
Start the day by being picked up from your hotel and arrive at the marina. After checking in, allow the staff to help you get to your boat and set sail toward Amalfi. Sit back and admire the coastline and, if the weather allows, enjoy a swim and photo stop.
Disembark in Amalfi and enjoy 1 hour and a half of free time. Receive information about the area from your guide and stroll around at your own pace to explore the sites of your choice. Once back on the boat, begin the journey to Positano for more free time on land.
After all your sightseeing, make your way back to the boat and sail toward another idyllic swimming location. Enjoy drinks and snacks on board as you navigate back to the marina. Before docking, taste some delicious homemade limoncello, then be helped toward the vehicle that will drive you back.
Positano ? Are you thinking of going there this coming Spring, Summer, or Fall ? Be prepared. Prepared meaning, make hotel reservations months in advance. “That’s like Now” !!! Yes Now ! And if you want to stay in Positano, make sure you’ve got a good amount of cash. Most rooms, start at $600 a night, and go up from there. Yes, I’m not kidding.
You may one of millions who have seen the millions more pictures posted on Instagram, in blogs, or wherever? Maybe you’ve seen the gorgeous town of Positano and The Amalfi Coast on an enticing travel show like Rick Steves, Samatha Brown, or whoever? Yes, Positano and the Amalfi Coast are gorgeous, and on the Bucket List of many. Are you one? Well, again, “be prepared.” Go on Booking.com, Expedia, or any of the numerous hotel booking agents on the web, and get yourself a hotel. Either in Positano (if you can afford it), Praiano, Capri (island), Sorrento, as many do, or any one of the other quaint towns on the Amalfi Coast, of Southern Italy.
Yes Positano is the dream town, and top of the list on places to stay for many. But not everyone can afford the high price of a hotel room in this Dreamlike town. In this case, many will opt to stay in the much more affordable town of Sorrento, and use it as a base to explore : Capri, Pompeii, Positano, Amalfi, and the rest of the Amalfi Coast. You can take a hired-car, buses, or ferry boats to get around, place-to-place. Yes, there are several options, but one is better than all the rest. Take a Ferry Boat from town to town, as the one and only road gets packed with traffic and it can take you a long time to get from place to place. So take the ferry boats that go to all the towns on the coast, as well as to the islands of Capri, Ischia, and the lesser known Procida.
Another good alternative place to stay as a base, and explore from there, is Salerno. Salerno is a lovely little city that is the most affordable place to stay in the area. More affordable than the touristy town of Sorrento. Don’t get us wrong, Sorrento is quite nice and the most popular town to use as a base to explore the area. Salerno is another option, and is quite lovely on it’s own. And not only that, my favorite restaurant and favorite Pizzeria in the whole area, which comprises: Naples, Positano and the whole of the Amalfi Coast, and island of Capri and Ischia, my number one favorite restaurant and favorite Pizza (including Naples) are in Salerno. What are they you ask? My favorite restaurant in the entire region is La Spagnola in Salerno, and for Pizza it’s L’Archetto Pizzaria – Trattoria by Gerardo and his lovely wife. If you seek a true “Mom & Pop” place that’s authentic and the real deal, go to L’Archetto, you won’t be disappointed.
My cousin Memo who lives in Salerno brought us to Salerno, otherwise we might never have found it. La Spagnola is one of those Italian restaurants that is what one might say has caual elegance. It’s not fancy and ostentatious, nor dowdy or common, but as I’ve said it’s what some would describe as casual elegance. It’s a first rate restaurant with great service and food, and ambiance. They specialize in seafood, as many restaurants do in the area. We especially love the Razor Clams, Fried Anchovies, and the Polpette di Alici (Anchovy Meatballs) are a must. And they have a really good wine list. My cousin Tony and I love drinking Ferrari “Perla” Sparkling wine,as it has been a tradition for us, ever since our first time ding there.
My Favorite Hotel in Salerno, and a great place to make your base, exploring the beautiful Amalfi Coast and beyond. Make it your base too.
I was quite Lucky to stumble upon the Hotel Plaza back in the Summer of 2015. I had just stayed for 3 days at the awesome Lemon Farm Agriturismo Villa Maria, and was looking for a hotel to make my base on the coast, before heading to Capri for a few days stay. I looked on Booking.com and came up with the Hotel Plaza. The price was right, and I thought that it was the place my cousin Tony had said he stayed at the year before. I was wrong about that, but right about staying at the Plaza. It has turned out to be one of my favorite hotels of all-time. And I’ve done a lifetime of travel in my day.
I checked-in but my room wasn’t ready. So I went out exploring Salerno. I made another lucky discovery. Walking around Salerno Vecchia, I stumble upon L’Archetto. It looked good, so I went in. I had a wonderful lunch of Seafood Salad, followed by Spaghetti a Mare, with Mussels and Clams/ I drank a small carafe of Falanghina with lunch, and finished up with and Amaro d Capo. Needless to say it was a wonderful lunch, and I have been back to L’Archetto many times, and have sent friends there, who love the place as well.
Now back to the Hotel Plaza.
I had lunch and walked back to the hotel. They brought me to my room, I took a shower, and then walked over to the Marine Ferry Terminal. Caught a ferry to Amalfi. I figured I hang out there a bit. Of course I made my way to Pasticceria Pansa for an espresso and the World’s Best Sfogliatelle. Absolutely fantastic. I walked around Amalfi, looked in some shops, and had an Aperol Spritz, before heading back to Salerno.
When I got back to the hotel, the owner Gaetano greeted me and started up a conversation. He apologized (no need) that my room wasn’t ready when I arrived, and so my room was upgraded, compliments of the hotel. “Grazie Mille Gaetano.”
For the rest of my stay at the Hotel Plaza, I got to know Gaetano a bit. He’s a real gentleman. Every day when I got back to the hotel from a day of activity Gaetano would greet me, make me an espresso and sit down and chit-chat with me. So nice. I really enjoyed my little talks with Gaetano.
Besides having such lovely people as owners, the Hotel Plaza has a number of things going for it, that make it a desirable place to stay, especially if you want to use it as a base to explore the Amalfi Coast. Number one is its ideal location for ease of getting around. The hotel is directly across the street from main train station of Salerno. Many people taking a vacation in the area have a flight into Rome. If you have a flight to Rome, and want to go down to the Amalfi Coast, and you want to take public transportation down to the Amalfi Coast, the easiest thing to do is to take a train from Termini Station in Rome to Salerno. Express Trains take only i hour and 15 minutes to get from Rome to Salerno. If you are staying at Hote Plaza (Salerno), when your train arrives in Salerno, you get off the train, walk out of the station and it takes you 2 minutes to walk to the Hotel Plaza across the street from the station. It couldn’t be easier. Not only that, the Marine Terminal where you catch ferry boats from Salerno to Capri and anywhere on the Amalfi Coast is just 3 block from the hotel, and 4 blocks from the train station.
If you are staying in another town, like Amalfi, Minori, or Positano, you just walk from the train station to the ferry terminal (10 minute walk), and catch the next boat going to your destiantion. Simple as that.
The World’s Coolest Restaurant? Why, it’s Harry’s Bar,Venice of course. Without a doubt. There is no contest for any to compete. Well many will beg to differ, but I know better, and better than most. No Brag, Just Fact! Let me tell you why.
If you are in any of the Great Renowned Cities of the World, cities such as; New York, Paris, Rome, Bangkok, Tokyo, London, Hong Kong, wherever. There will in all these cities be a number of restaurants where the In-Crowd, the Jet-Set, Those in The Know, the Movers-and-Shakers of the World will go to. There are usually at least 6 to 12 restaurants for those in the know to go to. For example, if you are in my City, New York and you are one of these people, “Those In the Know,” you might go to any one of these restaurants. right now in the year 2011 these restaurants would be; Minetta Tavern, Bar Pitti, The Waverly Inn, Pastis, Momofuku Ssam, The Standard Grill, John Dory at The Ace Hotel, and at least 6 others. Same goes for LA, London, Paris, Rome, and so-on.
In Venice there are many restaurants, but really just one more or less that “Everyone Who is Anyone” will go when in town. One, that one is “Harry’s Bar.” No other restaurant in the World quite like it. If you are of the Jet Set, The In Crow, those “In-The-Know,” you’ll know one thing for sure, when you go to Harry’s Bar you will be amongst the all of The “in Crowd” will be there and nowhere else. Well this is a bit of an exaggeration to make a point, but this point is true 85% of the time.
And of the place, Harry’s Bar, Venice. And i keep saying Harry’s bar Venice, for it is thee only one, but there are many others around the World with the same name. There is only one Great “Harry’s Bar” and that is Harry’s Bar, Venice at the Vaporetto stop of San Marco.
Yes, and of Harry’s. The restaurant is Wonderful. It has a beautiful casual elegance in the decor. The place is always filled with the “Beautiful People,” the service is great, and the food Fabulous. Though at a price. Harry’s bar is very expensive. For some this is of no consequence, but if it is expensive for you, it is definitely worth a splurge. The place is awesome.
After-All, they invented the “Bellini” Cocktail here. And
Beef Carpaccio as well.
If you go to harry’s Bar, you will Love it. The place is filled with quite a exciting energy. It’s a experience you’ll always remember. So, do remember, The World’s Coolest restaurant, Harry’s Bar, Venice that is.
Mick Jagger did an Interview with Rolling Stone Magazine in 1995 .. This little tidbit below is an excerpt from that interview. Mick talks about being on a little vacation in Positano with Keith. They wrote “Midnight Rambler” in that little town on the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy in the Summer of 1968.
Question : Who wrote “Midnight Rambler”?
Mick Jagger :
“That’s a song Keith and I really wrote together. We were on a holiday in Italy. In this very beautiful hill town, Positano, for a few nights. Why we should write such a dark song in this beautiful, sunny place, I really don’t know. We wrote everything there – the tempo changes, everything. And I’m playing the harmonica in these little cafes, and there’s Keith with the guitar.”
The FEAST of The SEVEN FISH Italian Christmas is one of Italy and Italian-America’s most sacred traditions. The Feast, known as La Vigilia in Naples and Southern Italy is a wonderful ritual practiced by Italians in Italy, and the Italian-American Enclave of America. This wonderful Christmas Eve Feast might be very well more fervent with Italian-Americans in The USA than it is back home in mother Italy.
It is said that the 7 Fish of La Vigilia signifies The 7 Sacraments of The Roman Catholic Church. La Vigilia translated from Italian to English means “The Vigil” in which Mary and Joseph and people in Bethlehem, Jerusalem awaited the birth of the baby Jesus.
The Feast may be made with whatever seven fish (Fish Dishes) an Italian Family might choose. The most traditional dishes are Baccala (Cod Fish) and EEL.
POSITANO 