How do people discover amazing foodie places??

So it was a productive unproductive day today. Meaning that I didn't get any work done (gasp.) but I did get to drive up to the Dandenongs (pretty boring but nice crisp air) and have the best Italian food at the beachside town of Sorrento.

No pictures to brag about, and I don't expect for this entry to be anything but a documentation and memory of this amazing meal. I'm even too lazy to describe the food... This is purely for myself to remember what we had.

The restaurant is so popular that table reservations are back-to-back and patron turnover is fast and furious. The owner is very friendly in the typical boisterous Italian way, greeting everyone with HELLO HOW ARE YOU DARLING! and you depart to an energetic CIAO DARLING!. Si, muchos gracias.

She must be doing well, because the restaurant is only open in Spring/Summer, and only Thurs-Mon dinners. If she feels like opening for lunch she will. But the rest of her year is spent back home in Italy. How shiok is that, to work because you want to and not because you need to.

The food is just...amazing. I tried the lamb and couldn't believe how something can be so juicy, oily, fragrant and flavourful. How the hell do you cook a piece of meat so perfectly?! It's just inconceivable. The desserts are....I don't know, really, I was just rendered speechless. I also came to a realisation about the difference between a good dessert and a GOOD dessert: a good dessert makes you want more because you're not truly satisfied, but with a GOOD dessert, even just one mouthful can go a long way.

***

la dolce vita

***

ACQUOLINA SORRENTO RISTORANTE

For starters:
Pate
Sizzling prawns

For mains:
Organic spaghetti napoli
Risotto of prawns and zucchini
Baby lamb

For dessert:
Creme caramel
Lemon crostata

For drinks:
Hot chocolate