By Chrissy Iley
Hotel Casa Del Mar smells of beautiful luxury. It started off as a beach club to be seen in in the 1920’s.
I first went there a couple of years ago, it was inviting but very dark. It has now had a total refurb, the shades inside, blue turquoise, shell match the blue sky, blue sea and pale California sand.
This season from February 4th – 11th the lovely restaurant will feature the dishes created by Chef Stefano Mazzone who is the magical chef at Capri’s Grand Hotel Quisisana.
Quisisana is an iconic 5 star hotel in Capri, a favourite of politicians and poets, Royalty and rock stars since it opened in 1845. It’s a luxurious oasis if shimmering chandeliers, marble floor and guilt framed mirrors, it is quintessentially Italian, elegant.
The menu, an essence of Italy has been transported to the Casa Del Mar where Chef Alberico Nunziata the hotels executive chef has worked in unison with Chef Stefano to make something wonderful.
It’s hard to describe the cleanness and richness of these flavours, simple yet complex, from the second I tasted my first chicken lollypop I knew it was going to be wonderful.
The chicken lollypops were small balls of slow cooked chicken with a hint of carrot sweetness in a crisp fried coating – just gorgeous. The menu really did feel like Capri was in California. I started with Eggplant Parmigiana – I’ve eaten Eggplant Parmigiana all over the world, including in Italy. A family friend from Naples often makes it for me and I have her recipe, I also have Sophia Loren’s recipe, when I went to interview her about her life and autobiography she scoffed telling me the real truth wasn’t in it, the only way we got to the real truth was through Eggplant Parmigiana. She grew up poor and it was a treat when her mother made it for her, a symbol of everything being ok in the world. A sauce that’s simple but rich and full of the sweetest tomatoes that have ripened in the Italian sun. She made it for her husband, she makes it for her sons and grandchildren. She promised to come to my house and make it for me, which is a sign of ultimate care.
This Eggplant Parmigiana was topped with a zucchini fruiti so the flavours were crisp and soft, melt in your mouth gorgeousness, The tomatoes sauce from sweet cherry tomatoes.
For the spaghetti course there was spaghetti, garlic oil and breadcrumbs. A dish stunning in it’s simplicity and heroic in the mouth when all the textures of the soft spaghetti and crispy breadcrumbs and gorgeous olive oil meshed. There was also a stunning tort with Provola cheese and lobster. This was magical, a dish that is normally heavy was miraculously light, the combinations of flavour and texture worth going across the world for.
There was a main course of scallops, artichokes and parsley with a lightly smoked anchovies sauce, heaven in the freshness.
For dessert, a beautiful ricotta cheese and pear tart and a sumptuous coffee dessert with different textures of ice cream and cake with a chocolate halo.
I particularly enjoyed the Amber wine, Cos Rami from Sicily. It’s delightfully ‘minerally’ with an important kick that goes down so well. I predict that Amber wine is the new Rose. Orange is the new pink.
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Hotel Casa Del Mar feature the Grand Hotel Quissana menu from Chef Stefano Mezano February 4th – 11th at Catch 1910 Ocean Way, Santa Monica, CA, 90045.
Grand Hotel Quisisana Via Camerelle, 2, 80073, Capri, Italy.
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