I arrived in Italy with the hope that I would be able to try a tasting menu in Sorrento. My intent was to make sure I had seafood since I typically don’t eat much of it. An internet search brought up Il Buco and the tasting menu octopus immediately intrigued me. RESTAURANT IL BUCO | THE PASSION OF A LIFETIME (ilbucoristorante.it). Now, I have only recently discovered the guilty pleasure of eating from a tasting menu. Tasting menus offer the opportunity to sample a variety of foods in one seating. They showcase creative chefs’ talents and are typically found in higher end restaurants. Accompanying wines typically come with every course and may be an optional but separate price. As such, I now indulge in this guilty pleasure now and again.
Unable to get a dinner booking, I settled for lunch instead Italy – HER//Excursions (cloudwaysapps.com). I had chosen a ‘land’ menu, but I was graciously allowed to substitute the first two items off of the menu, for two items on the ‘sea’ menu. The octopus dish was the second course. It. Blew. Me. Away. It’s easily one of THE best things I’ve ever tasted in my life. I know I keep saying this (especially considering I’ve indulged in a lot of, and varied foods in my lifetime), but it is true. It was slightly crunchy on the outside while in stark contrast, it was silky soft on the inside and just melted in my mouth. I’m not sure how the chef achieved this feat, but I’d be happy to learn at his feet.
Have you ever eaten something so delicious that it changed your view of the food? This amazing tasting menu octopus did it for me. It made me realize that I might just like more seafood than I thought I did. Frankly, it encouraged me to continue to try new foods, seafood in particular.
