We recently had the day off & decided to take a nice drive down the coast. With summer coming to an end, we wanted to get in another day at the beach, this time the picturesque town of Portonovo (about an hour & half south of our agriturismo).
In Portonovo you park the car & then there is a bit of a walk to the beach via a web of trails through a lovely shaded park. We were wandering about the trails when low & behold we saw a sign for 'sushi' & didn't think twice - beeline! Now I must mention 2 things:
1. we CRAVE sushi, mexican, thai - any ethnic food is rare in our neck of the woods
2. as we almost ran to the restaurant - I was carrying a rather large bag filled fresh baked breads that we had just bought for lunch! Is that considered fat?!
As soon as my toes hit the sand, there it was - a super cute beach shack cafe - man, this must be fresh! As we got closer no one seemed to be eating sushi...what? Disspointingly there was none but since the place was so damn cute we just had to stay for a drink. I've gotta make another note here - Jason NEVER does this - he loathes eating at cafe's in the main square or anywhere too touristy just for the ambiance - I'm totally about the ambiance - so this was a treat!
I ordered a white wine & grilled tuna. Jason ordered the sepia & peas - he was a bit nervous because it isn't pea season & was afraid their were frozen - I assured him that I'm sure the sepia is super fresh - we are on the sea!
Shock & awe set in as the waitress set down our plates.....CANS!
Not only were the peas canned - so was the fish! And why did they give us the can? It was all so weird!
Notice the pure disgust in Jason's face as he examines the can we just ordered for lunch!
2 Cans
2 Glasses of White Wine
30 EURO
never again...
In Portonovo you park the car & then there is a bit of a walk to the beach via a web of trails through a lovely shaded park. We were wandering about the trails when low & behold we saw a sign for 'sushi' & didn't think twice - beeline! Now I must mention 2 things:
1. we CRAVE sushi, mexican, thai - any ethnic food is rare in our neck of the woods
2. as we almost ran to the restaurant - I was carrying a rather large bag filled fresh baked breads that we had just bought for lunch! Is that considered fat?!
As soon as my toes hit the sand, there it was - a super cute beach shack cafe - man, this must be fresh! As we got closer no one seemed to be eating sushi...what? Disspointingly there was none but since the place was so damn cute we just had to stay for a drink. I've gotta make another note here - Jason NEVER does this - he loathes eating at cafe's in the main square or anywhere too touristy just for the ambiance - I'm totally about the ambiance - so this was a treat!
I ordered a white wine & grilled tuna. Jason ordered the sepia & peas - he was a bit nervous because it isn't pea season & was afraid their were frozen - I assured him that I'm sure the sepia is super fresh - we are on the sea!
Shock & awe set in as the waitress set down our plates.....CANS!
Not only were the peas canned - so was the fish! And why did they give us the can? It was all so weird!
Notice the pure disgust in Jason's face as he examines the can we just ordered for lunch!
2 Cans
2 Glasses of White Wine
30 EURO
never again...
WOW... lol. At least you got a good blog post as a result of it!!
ReplyDeleteO mio Dio! Wow-without the picture I'm not sure I would have believed this!
ReplyDeleteHow was the wine?
ReplyDeleteThat is crazyness! Did you complain? Sooo weird! I am also really drawn to ambience, which my husband doesn't understand. Luckily I have never been given a can of tuna :S
ReplyDeleteThe one bad meal in Italy.
ReplyDeleteWhat a revolting development!
ReplyDeleteJim said...
ReplyDeleteI might be wrong, but I can't imagine that an Italian couple in Ancona would ever pay 30 Euros for wine served with canned fish in this manner.
It might be a good idea to make a formal complaint/denucia via the tourist office of Ancona, since Portonovo is under their jurisdiction.
This establishment has probably done this to other foreigners in the past and will probably do so again if someone doesn't sound the alarm.
OMG. i can't even IMAGINE this. crazy!!
ReplyDeleteTalk about a tourist trap! Ouch!
ReplyDeleteWhat a RIP! I love Jim's suggestion above... in all your spare time. (?)
ReplyDeletewas it really so bad? You ran into the beach place owned by the two michelin-star-chef Moreno Cedroni (the restaurant with the two stars is actually in Senigallia and is called La Madonnina del Pescatore).
ReplyDeletehe was the first to propose susci (which is actually sushi written, and coocked, in an Italian way).
He is kind of a creative guy and few years ago also started proposing some of his dishes canned in a traditinal can. But the can you had is not the same you can buy in a supermarket, he just pack his dishes there to make an unusual presentation!
Anyway, I haven't been there for years, so maybe it has now become more commercial than it was originally, but I went last year to his restaurant in Senigallia and the dinner was very good. Still, I continue to prefer Uliassi, the other two michelin star restaurant in town, a place you have to try and a guy you definitively have to know.
Bye
Antonio (the icecream guy in Fano)
Sorry I missed this earlier guys... Antonio already wrote everything there is to say about Moreno Cedroni except that his susci is not "cooked"... that's why it's susci... it's 99% raw fish prepared with an Italian & international touch.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite curious about the man and the place.
P.S. Hope to see you soon for real good old sushi in Pesaro! :)
... this makes me think about the whole thing of great chefs, molecular gastronomy, spending hundreds of euros on a dinner... if you (and I really trust your experience, wisdom and taste) didn't notice that you're having "the ultimate food experience" because you were not aware of where you were... then what's the point?
ReplyDeleteShouldn't great gastronomy be self-evident?