Cecile and I invited our friends, Bill and Sarah Rothenberg to join us for dinner at a relatively new restaurant called Locanda Sorrento located in historic downtown Campbell. Though it wasn’t stated anywhere on the menu or website, I could see, the word “locanda" in Italian means Inn, which in former times meant a house providing food and lodging for travelers. Locanda Sorrento recently took over the space that was previously occupied by another Italian Restaurant, Tigelleria Organic which Cecile and I used to frequent and is now closed. Locanda Sorrento is one of several restaurants launched in the Bay Area by Restaurateur, Enzo Rosano over the years that specializes in Neapolitan offerings based on his mamma Carmela's recipes that he learned to cook while growing up in a town just outside of Naples.
We enjoyed some beer and cocktails (Aperol) and sliced bread with a green dipping sauce and a Pizza La Florita: Zucchini Flower, Mozzarella, Pancetta & Provolone Del Monaco for the table. It has as tender and light crust that didn’t bend or collapse when picked up.
Sarah enjoyed a very colorful and tasty Insalata Locanda: Butter Lettuce, Artichoke Hearts, Watermelon Radish, Pomegranate Seeds, Toasted Almonds, Goat Cheese & Champagne Vinaigrette, and Guazzetto: Manila Clams, Peinnoplou’s Tomato, Garlic, White Wine Sauce EVOO Crostini. We ordered two dishes of Polpette Della Mamma: Wagyu Beef Meatballs, Tomato Sauces, Parmigiano—Reggiano & House-Made Crostini. Bill and I loved Enzo’s Favorite Branzino Dish: Panko Breaded Mediterranean Sea Bass filet (no bones to pick) with Lemon EVOO Vinaigrette over Tricolor Cauliflower. I was impressed that most of l the staff spoke Italian. The ambience was colorful and the presentation was excellent. Our waiter was attentive, the servers were friendly, and the most important thing is the food was delicious. The meatballs could have been hotter, and Sarah felt the clam broth didn’t have much taste. Bill agreed it was worthy of a return to try some other dishes. They even have plant-based selections.
There is a framed watercolor painting that caught my attention (see photo) of a map of Naples including of all the places I used to visit family and friends such as Sorrento, Positano, Ravello, Amalfi and the Isle of Capri, collectively known as the Amalfi Coast. The fact that Enzo named all his restaurants after these wonderful places didn’t escape me. There is also a bride and groom riding a red Vespa (I used to own one). My uncle Lillo taught me how to ride his in Sicily when I was 13 years old. Our family friends Rosa and Mimi (or shall I say Rosa’s aging parents) owned a hilltop villa in the village of "Saint Agatha of the Two Gulfs” overlooking the Gulf of Naples to the north and the Gulf of Salerno to its south. We always had an open invitation to visit.
Instead of having dessert at the restaurant, we decided to go to the Creamery down the street for ice cream. The old Campbell water tower was lit in pink, providing a nice contrast against the night sky. There was also a beautiful wall mural of LOVE on one of the buildings with the words “From Historic Downtown Campbell” that added a bit more romance to an already romantic evening.
