The Best Meal of My Life

Last month I ate what was unequivocally the best meal of my life

Almost as soon as my three friends and I sat down at the wooden table situated next to an overcrowded bookshelf, I knew the meal we were about to enjoy would be special. The long dining room had the air of a warm Italian kitchen with a wood-burning fire at one end and cookbooks everywhere. A window near the fireplace gave the chefs in the kitchen a view of us in the dining room. And the lights above the tables gave the illusion of candlelight. It was in the air of the restaurant: something was very different about this place. My friends and I exchanged glances; we could all feel it. I don’t know who said it first, but almost at once we all started to proclaim that this was about to be the best meal of our lives.

We weren’t wrong.

The jovial young woman wearing an apron and chef’s cap who had greeted us at the door came to our table. We were not ready to order: the menu held too many treasures, and not one of us was prepared to choose. Thankfully we didn’t have to. Silvia, who we later learned is one of the owners, chose for us.

Without even a hint of condescension or attempts to up-sell, she guided us through the menu, asking questions about what we liked and making expert decisions. Before we knew it Silvia had chosen everything for us from a local white wine to antipasti to two house-made pastas to the main attraction, the reason people make the trek up to this trattoria, the rabbit. She disappeared into the kitchen to convey our order, and we felt as if we had acquired a spirit guide for our dining journey.

Sylvia reappeared quickly with our wine, poured it, and left us to toast. As we clinked our glasses, one of my friends started to cry, overcome by the beauty of the restaurant, our great Italian adventure, and gratitude that the four of us were experiencing both together. She wouldn’t be the only one to cry tears of happiness over the beauty of the hospitality and food we were about to experience that night.

Our food began to appear, perfectly timed, beautifully plated, and piping hot all evening. But what we didn’t expect is, in the true spirit of Italian hospitality, the kitchen would be sending out lots of little extras to us all night. An amuse bouche to welcome us, some blistered peppers here, potatoes there, bread, an extra dessert. This went on all night, but we weren’t complaining— the food was outstanding.

It was topped by what happened after dinner, however.

Should you be traveling to Ischia anytime soon and want to enjoy what will potentially be the best meal of your life, the name of this magical restaurant