LO
SBARCO DEI PIRATI
Eraclea
Mare, Italy
Food
★★★★
Atmosphere
★★★★★
When does fancy-dress transform from the ‘done’ party
trait to a satirical, ironic quirk? Will I have to wait until a big ‘0 until I
can request (or more likely demand) my esteemed guests sashay into the garden
in a blonde wig and Cinderella drapes? The last fancy dress party I attended
was not actually one at all; my brother and I were then subjected to playing
limbo and ‘freeze when the music stops’ – which I must confess was a lot more
stressful than many realize – in Red Indian and black cat costumes. That
anxiety has subsequently plagued my school career and further: is it actually
mufti day or is it tomorrow? Chauffer-driven allowed a brief few minutes of
eagerly glancing, like a tennis match, to both sides of the road to try and
identify if that person was taking part in non-uniform or were just a wandering
member of the public. Even now, the idea of being overdressed brings me out
into internal hives, hysterically screaming at the notion of realizing everyone
else is just adhering to the ‘causal’ part of ‘smart-casual’. But, as a seven
year old, the ‘non-fancy-fancy-dress’ party hasn’t created a spiral of feverish
nightmares and, luckily, my costume was relatively low key. If I had come as
something a bit more outlandish, heaven forbid, an astronaut or pirate, it may
be the reason I would still be in therapy today. But, pirate doesn’t have to
shriek in your ears ‘argh!’ and slit your throat with swords and hooks and
frenziedly-ruffled shirts. Upon entering Lo Sbarco Dei Pirati, I was pleasantly
surprised that it was a modest ‘Land of Pirates’ and not an immature affair
with inflatable beach attire and ‘swash-buckling’ waiters. I was promptly shown
to our seat and nibbled at the light breadsticks and accompaniments which flew
onto the table; rigging was slung over a bannister and a mimic of the hull of a
ship was at the front of the central drinks area, but the minimalist decoration
– in terms of pirates – was little more. The food too was simple in
ingredients, but truly delicious. I ordered a linguine with peeled shrimps and
pistachio, which arrived in a metal pan, steaming on the table. At once the
waiter swirled up the pasta effortlessly and arranged it on my plate. Being in
Italy, you’d expect nothing less than well-cooked pasta, but the pistachio
accompaniment acted like a fresh, nutty pesto, replacing the need for any
sauce. And, they were the largest shrimps I have ever encountered on my plate:
they must have fuse two shrimps together in the cooking process.
This find was
clearly thriving in the restaurant strip, with families patiently standing in a
queue (very British; you could tell we were situated near a holiday camp) for
tables and takeaway meals of the same quality as what had just been served to
myself. It would, however, have been a shame to open my pasta pot in my
apartment and have the sudden realization no one was going to spiral it on my
plate for me. And, although busy, the tables were spread enough for
conversations to be kept at an audible level with your company, without others
unintentionally eavesdropping (although, frankly, I always do try).
For dessert, I was
lead to a literal treasure-chest cabinet, adorned with all the fresh choices. I
selected a cheesecake, sprinkled with berries. When it was placed in front of
me a minute later, it was dressed presentably, but I did notice a lack of
actual berries. Whether I was unfortunate to get a piece with fewer, or they
were merely parsimonious – I will presume the former, as I could not view this
delightful place as stingy. Lo Sbarco Dei Pirati was a pleasant surprise and
its laidback atmosphere, accompanied with real-tasting Italian food, should
entice any holiday-goer or local to visit a land of discrete pirates.
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