Now, to be transparent, I am not a meat-eater, which in some Italian regions is a near-impossible dietary restriction to follow. However, on Ischia, almost every restaurant offered several vegetarian dishes; the land is as much a part of their specialities as the sea is, and antipasti, especially, were almost always meat-free. My partner, as we travelled around the Neapolitan island, sampled the dishes I couldn’t, like Coniglio all’Ischitana. But, at almost every trattoria and traditional restaurant on Ischia, there was a parmigiana di Melanzane on the menu. This is the perfect vegetarian comfort dish. This classic Southern Italian baked casserole is one many will be familiar with, and I sampled four during my time on the island – each distinctive, some favouring smoked garlic mozzarella, others relying on the abundance of herbs that grow in the volcanic soil. We saw aubergines growing across the farmlands, their deep purples contrasting against the lemons and limes that pepper the roadsides. Another popular aubergine-based dish on Ischia is the melanzane alla funghetto, a more rustic preparation in which the vegetable is cut into chunks and pan-fried in olive oil with garlic, tomatoes, and basil. The aubergines are delicate and earthy, the tomatoes impossibly sweet, the basil so aromatic I found myself stopping to smell it wherever we found it planted.
If you’re searching for sweet treats, there are plenty to try, like a La Pastiera, the ricotta-filled tart traditionally eaten at Easter, but available all year round. One of the best mouthfuls we had was spoonfuls of tart lemon gelato, available at every gelateria we visited (of which there were many).
Editor’s picks: Where to eat on the island of Ischia
Trattoria Il Focolare
Trattoria Il Focolare, one of the island’s most renowned restaurants, is located deep within the hills of Fijian, between Casamicciola and the village of Fiaiano. If you’re looking to taste an array of local dishes, steeped in history, this is the place. It’s a family-run restaurant, with multiple generations of the D’Ambra family overseeing it; Riccardo D’Ambra and his wife, Loretta, started Trattoria Il Focolare, and now it is currently run by their children and cousins, with brothers Agostino and Francesco leading the kitchen, while their sisters manage the front of house and hospitality. The restaurant found an international audience after Stanley Tucci visited to try the rabbit for ‘Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy ’ and has been popular ever since.
The restaurant is sprawling and rustic, perched atop a hill with sunset views, and has an outdoor bar area complete with games (like ping-pong and a basketball net) if you find yourself needing a break during the long evening of eating. Inside, the walls are decorated eccentrically: near the kitchen, photos of the chef and famous faces who have visited hang, like Michael B. Jordan, and, of course, Tucci is very present. In another corner of the restaurant, film posters hang, like one for the TV adaptation of My Brilliant Friend, the acclaimed first novel in the Neapolitan Quartet by pseudonymous author Elena Ferrante.
Expect dinner to become an entire evening. After eating, the family takes you through the property, into the kitchen, and feeds you (we were literally fed a bite of cheesecake off a fork by Agostino).
Dish to order: The antipasti multi-plate feast.
Address: Via Cretajo, 3, 80072 Fiaiano NA, Italy
Website: trattoriailfocolare.it
Jack all’Epomeo
