Anna Magnani is in Furore with Federico Fellini (an actor for the occasion!), busy acting in one of two episodes of the film L'Amore, directed by Roberto Rossellini. The scenes take place at the fjord, a deep cleft in the rock overhanging the sea, hides a small beach and is crossed by the Schiato stream, which slides fast from the Agerola plateau: magnificent landscape (the Magnani also bought house among those of the fishermen, the so-called monazenes, his son sold it not long ago).
Once the filming is over, the crew goes to the village for refreshments. It often chooses theHostaria di Bacco, opened 18 years earlier, in 1930, by Raffaele Ferraioli, great-grandfather of the youngest generation - the fourth - now engaged between the dining room and the kitchen. It is a simple place, like everything then around here. He loves, the Magnani, one dish above all: the ferrazzuoli, classic pasta format made with the ferretto that Letizia, wife of the Ferraioli, prepares every day and then seasons with fresh swordfish and arugula (today, i Ferrazzuoli a la Nannarella predict smoked swordfish bacon, pine nuts, raisins, arugula and cherry tomatoes). He loves this dish all too much: so much so that he often regrets it as soon as he orders it and so chases the patron around the restaurant who has just taken the order, shouting the perennial recommendation "Raffaé, I only get half a portion!". In front of a portion (or half?) of ferrazzuoli also consumes the jealousy of the actress, who lives a tormented love affair with Rossellini, while the latter receives letters from Ingrid Bergman, who knows what the two were saying to each other....
Distant stories, even too distant. So much so that those of us who seek mainly contemporary declinations of cuisine, now crossing the threshold of theHostaria di Bacco, of being induced to a fear: of entering a kind of time machine that is so fascinating in itself, but a bit dusty at the table, inevitably bound to the past, stuck in faded frames, unable to renew itself.
Fortunately, prejudice seems to be made to be disproved, if one is intellectually honest. And we must therefore give credit to the Ferraioli of having been able to cope well with the passage of decades; in short, of having adapted their work at the stove, which today sees engaged Peter, young face, and aunt Erminia Cuomo, wife of another Raffaele Ferraioli, third generation, and sister of Marisa, that of wine, the winery is just across the street.
In short, in the year 2019-that is more than 70 years the events we told you at the beginning of this story of ours-. Hostaria di Bacco is a place of pure pleasantness: 20 rooms for overnight stays with a view of the blue, a large hall, even outdoors, that can hold up to a hundred covers, and offers cuisine that is certainly tied to local tradition, as is right; certainly bluntly Mediterranean, in the best sense of the word. But rather evolved.
First and foremost, it is the result of the great passion that animates the family: the same passion that shines through in the extensive but carefully curated and tasty menu; in the fine selection of breads and yeast products (breadsticks with pink pepper and oregano or with butter, salt and poppy seeds; milk sandwiches with ham or black olives; homemade and five-grain breads...); in the well-stocked wine cellar, which is nevertheless worth pairing with the labels of Marisa Cuomo; from the coffee list, selected, true gems; from the liquor offerings maison; from the oil as good as the homemade desserts; from the attentive service, coordinated by the good Domenico Ferraioli, that is, the mind and pulse of the club.
You eat well with the territory, stay well with the surrounding area. Excellent the Liquid escarole with shrimp tartare, Cetara anchovies and stracciatella di fiordilatte cheese, truly an elegant and balanced preparation (the most contemporary proposal of theHostaria di Bacco is in the appetizers), as well as the Beer-battered tempura mussels on Controne bean coulis, confit tomato and wild fennel. Also of interest is the Bluefin tuna tartare with lime and Sichuan pepper on jersey bluefin drippings and coconut crumble, particularly effective coconut, we only suggested adding a liquid, acidic part (tomato water?) to give more smoothness and flavor complexity.
I Ferrazzuoli a la Nannarella are reviewed in their current dressing formulation, as already mentioned: well here, too, the smoky part of the swordfish, the sweet part of the raisins and that other sweet-sour part of the cherry tomatoes prevent it from remaining a dish that is always mouth-watering but a bit monotonous.
Sweet Buffalo, "the only dessert that is not of our own design and production. It is the work of the chef Nino Cannavale, of Aversa." This is a Sicilian cassata revisited with products from Campania: mozzarella puff pastry, sponge cake, buffalo ricotta, chocolate chips, pistachio, candied
