On Saturday night my friend Alexia and I visited Ristorante Museo Caruso—a mainstay in the heart of Sorrento named for the famous tenor Caruso, which is known for its creative dishes and unique ambiance.   The walls of the restaurant are filled with photos and memorabilia of Caruso himself and the air is filled with his charming songs.

We were graciously escorted to our table and without a blink of an eye, served a glass of sweet Prosecco.  With that lead, we asked for the wine list and a recommendation for a bottle of dry white wine from the Campania region.  The wine selection was a delight—dry yet a bit buttery like a Chardonnay.  Perfect for the meal we were about to enjoy.

The menu offers a choice of three set menus, either fish, meat or vegetarian, or an a la carte menu that allows you to design your own tasting of everything from your antipasti to either your cheese plate or dessert selection.  We immediately focuses in on a shared antipasti plate of Pumpkin Flowers filled with anchovies and ricotta cheese, deep fried in a sea kale batter and served with a cherry tomato veloute sauce.  My next course was that of pasta, more specifically a Vermicelli cuttle fish, a cockle pesto, and a sea urchin cream.  Following the pasta course was a tasty stack of Pork fillets with a paparacelle mousse and broccoli.  The detailed description of each dish is in perfect harmony with the attention to detail that each plate is given visually.

As if these courses couldn’t get any better, the next culinary surprise was a bowl of juicy, seasonal black cherries and a complimentary glass of Limoncello.   All just a ‘palette cleanser’ as we honed in our dessert selection and after dinner drink choice.  As in sync dinner companions we had qualms on agreeing to share a tasting of items that included a chocolate mousse, pistachio gelato, and a citrus mousse studded with peaches and raspberries.  All alongside an espresso correcto that included a splash of Bailey’s Irish cream.  Everything about the dinner was charming—the company, the conversation, the laughs, the service, the atmosphere, and as the photos are evidence of, the outstanding food.

Tagged: culinary school, externship, Italy, restaurant, Ristorante Museo Caruso, Sorrento