I'm not fancy but I got to pretend for a while

L’Antica Trattoria, Via P.R. Guliani, 33 Sorrento

I have mostly been living out of the Coop and the Despar (both grocery markets) since arriving in Italy.  My standby is the panini caprese (bread, tomato, and mozzarella).  I know you are supposed to go to Italy for the food, but I came for the art instead and that leaves me little to spend on food, which is fine by me.  My little experience with trattorias is that they serve pasta and pizza, and neither are my favorites (I know).  That is unless you want to spend some serious money for a dining experience.  So I decided, while in Sorrento, to splurge on a big dinner with three courses.  The night cost about 60 euros but was worth every $75 dollar cent. 

First course:  cream puffed cauliflower in a light tempura with steamed spinach

Second course: medium rare fillet of beef with “au gratin” potatoes

Desert: a lemon tiramisu with extra truffles with a café americano

And of course, two glasses of vino rosso

For me, it was wonderfully extravagant.  Candlelight dinner in an intimate setting.  Cloth napkins and the most extraordinary service.  A taste of your wine before the waiter (Lucca) fills your glass.  I don't know that the menu was very Italian, but it was absolutely the kind if dinner that deserved two and a half hours.

Sitting next to me were Patty and Rick, two United Statesians (?) from Phoenix and Pasadena.  We had a lovely conversation, and bless their hearts, they made me feel like a rock star backpacker with all of their questions about where I do my laundry and how big my pack is.   

Should you ever be in Sorrento, GO.  And if you have a Rick Steve's book, they give you a discount ;)