Stayed in Siderno for 15 days with my family and went daily to the Acqua Azzurra for the beach..which is by far and away the most beautiful, unspoiled and clean beach we have ever been to. Located right on the lungomare. As americans, we didnt take the cue to go home and eat every day at 1-2pm, so we would stay as the beach cleared out and our kids would get hungry. Thinking this was more of a beach joint for fries/dogs, we went up and were greeted by the friendliest, most accommodating people outside of our family. Ordered the crudo y meloni [proscuitto and melon] and it was served on a huge pizza dish with a whole melon cut up and wrapped in like a pound of the best procsuitto we've ever had. Hot dogs [wurtzel] were these massive pigs in blankets baked in homemade bread and the fries were, i think, fried in olive oil which made them taste amazing. Kids forgot about McDonalds almost immediately. Fast forward to the weekend and we had a family dinner for 12 where they set up tables for us on the beach not 100 feet from the sea, They could've served pb&j and stale chips and it still would've been an incredible setting as the red moon rose over the Ionian Sea. Thing is, the dinner matched the incredible ambience. All fresh, local seafood[ mussles, clams, shrimp, sardines, scungili, octopus, and fish i dont even know how to describe] were prepared from cold seafood salads with lemon, olive oil and garlic to sauteed over pastas to lightly fried and salted. This was serious, SERIOUS food simply, yet perfectly prepared. No crazy sauces. No adding 20 incredients. No pompous chef being cute infusing uncessary enhancements to food that stood quite well on its own. Don't like seafood? Their pizzas make Pepe's in New Haven taste like Domino's. From proscuitto, pancetta, salami to fresh local eggplant, artichokes, zuccinni, and tomatoes to tonno [tuna--yes.. i was a little reluctant but it tasted awesome] and one kids pie that had hot dogs and fries baked into it, for 4 or 5 euro[$5-$6], in New Haven it would cost $15...if they made it. Throw in the staff which are all to keen to help you pick out exactly what you want and nutella gelato to finish, and it became clear we didn't need to stray to get one meal that was better than the other each time we went back. read more

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