I recently travelled to the stunning Amalfi Coast and heard of the delicious dinners a local Chef,
Rina, cooks at her B&B, Villa Rina, through my local friends. I checked out her cookbook,
which they have with them, and I immediately decided to eat at hers.
I called her to book a table for my friends and me, and she asked if we wanted fish or meat. Since
there is no online menu, we eat what she cooks for the day.
It is an uphill trek about 20 minutes from the town's centre and many steps to climb. The dinner
started at 7; luckily, the trek was not on a hot day.
Her gates open to rows of lemon groves laden with ripe and beautiful lemons that welcome you.
As you walk past them, signs tell you how many calories you have burned so far, which makes you feel better about the climb and by the time you reach the villa, you will find a sign that says, 'Now you can now eat without crying'.
A lovely smile from Rina welcomes you, and she will take you to your table. All the tables are on her terrace, and boy, does that terrace have a view like I have never seen before. It overlooks the town of Amalfi and offers infinite views of the coast, mountain stretch, and beautiful blue waters.
While we are busy taking the views, jugs of wine come out, and then the dinner starts with delicious Antipasti. Smoky aubergines cooked in tomatoes, anchovies with lemon, a small homemade bread with tomatoes and mozzarella, and a frittata, all on sharing platters, arrive. It is absolutely delicious and sets the tone for the rest of the evening.
The next course is Pasta, and it's such a simple yet delicious dish made out of local small prawns,
lemons, butter, garlic, and cream. It was the star of the show, and you can call it her signature
dish.
Then the main course followed, which was a whole grilled fresh fish, again in lemon sauce. The fresh ingredients did all the magic. Portions were quite generous, too.
We finish the meal with, of course, her famous Amalfi lemon cake and homemade limoncello. Rina comes out after every course to check on her guests and ensure we all have a good time. Not to mention the co-host, Thor, the stunning and gentle German shepherd who looks after us and entertains us by playing fetch with a lemon.
The whole experience feels like we have been to our friend's home for dinner, which is so
personal. We did not want to leave if it was not the time for our last bus. I thanked Rina and
promised to come back and, this time, stay and cook with her.
"This has to be the best food experience I've had in Amalfi and the most memorable one. Rina grows most of the vegetables she uses in her cooking, including those lovely lemons. With a big smile and a proud look, she says, 'Everything tastes delicious with a bit of lemon.'"
Heading to Amalfi? Include this dinner in your itinerary because Food heroes like her make Amalfi what it is. If you would like to stay at Villa Rina and experience the warm hospitality of Rina you can get in touch with her at www.amalfivillarina.it
She kindly agreed to let me share the recipe for her pasta dish, which you can find in my food section here.
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