A tradition, or better yet, a genuineness that denotes an entire family, that of Raffaele Ferraioli and his wife Erminia, who have made the goodness of typical products and authentic flavors, the fundamental subjects for the education and upbringing of their children: Andrea, president of the Slow Food Costa d'Amalfi convivium, Letizia head of the rooms department of Bacco, Gianmaria owner of the restaurant "Il Riccio" in Manhattan and Domenico, head of rooms at the Hostaria.
Generations, theirs, dedicated to simple work and to the preservation of the territory; people who every day open the doors of their restaurant not only on the sea but also for the wayfarer who stops in Furore in search of a masterful meal at a town "that is not there," the place of paintings, the territory that, dazzled by the sun, guards good products.
But this place was also the first reference point for Slow Food: Vito Puglia, founder of the association in the South, with the support of Raffaele Ferraioli, had in this lair all the insights that seem obvious now but that at the time, when talking about agriculture was something only for specialists, was absolutely revolutionary. The cult of the beautiful, the good, the just and the clean was born in this hotel perched on the Coast's most spectacular hairpin bends.
It was the 1940s when occupying the tables of the restaurant were Federico Fellini and Anna Magnani who, after the filming of the movie "L'amore," used to dine at Bacco's and make their own customs and dishes, so much so that a stuffed flask used to serve wine, became the protagonist of a scene in the film itself.
Since that day nothing has changed: at the stove there is always Erminia, a cook of excellence, who puts into practice the advice of her husband Raffaele, he who in life is not only a restaurateur but also a mayor, now for more than a few terms.
Raffaele is the host; he twirls around the room as a true Cicero knows how, entertaining his guests with anecdotes and bits of culture, completing the food and wine journey between history and legend.
He who may have heard the voice of the "janare furitane," otherwise we would not be able to explain his endless culture that ranges from the sacred to the profane and is encapsulated in his many books.
Erminia, on the other hand, is the ideal bride, the one who has always dedicated herself to the home and the kitchen, guarding the recipes of yesteryear, handed down from mother to daughter. A woman who has a history but also a very capable right-hand man: Pietro Cuomo, the chef of Hostaria Bacco.
Together they have put together a duo that never ceases to amaze, a combination that manages to compensate without ever losing its balance: Erminia is tradition, Pietro innovation. What emerges is a simple cuisine that is constantly growing and experimenting, where everything is homemade, starting from tomato puree, to bread, pasta, all the way to spirits.
The dinner we are served is full of history and facts, expertly explained to us by the mayor with patience and extreme eagerness to tell.
