Secret pleasures on the Isle of Capri
Normally, we would share a story here about global accounting issues. But, sometimes it is just too irresistible to share something a little more personal. As many of you know, Rick Schenkel is a dedicated lover of Italian cuisine, wines and culture. Here is one of his favorite destinations.
If you journey to the island of Capri, off the Amalfi Coast of Italy, you will come across a beautifully restored, seven-bedroom, 19th century mansion in the heart of the town of Anacapri. Villa Le Scale radiates Mediterranean charm with white walls, a deep blue pool and terraced gardens shaded by twisted vines. One of the guestrooms even features a freestanding tub cut from a single block of stone. There are stunning fireplaces, museum-worthy paintings and Murano chandeliers. And though the staff wears starched white uniforms, Villa Le Scale feels more like a private home than a hotel.
Just when you try to imagine what it would cost to purchase Villa Le Scale so you will never have to leave the grounds, the memory of the smell of pizza being cooked in a wood-fired oven in a nearby village draws you from its regal green gate.
Ristorante Aurora and Pizzeria is the oldest restaurant on the island and has been run for over a century by members of the D’Alessio family. Try a simple pizza bianco with mozzarella and arugula or roasted local fish such as prezzogna with a zesty spinach garnish, perhaps the linguine with lobster or grilled shellfish. And who could blame you for trying a caprese salad as an appetizer while on the island of Capri?
But there is little more satisfying than sitting al fresco, devouring the thinnest crusted pizza you will ever find with a fine glass of wine. The Aurora’s wine cellar features more than 300 labels belonging to the most highly acclaimed producers of wine from Tuscany, Piedmont, Campania, Puglia, and Sicily. So, buon appetito! And tell them Rick sent you.
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