Arienzo, Saint Alfonso passed here

Via Camellare 8
Phone +39 0823 805649
Open all year, closed on Wednesday evenings

by Tommaso Esposito

I went to Arienzo, the village where Saint Alfonso retired. I walked among narrow and long alleys. Here there is also Basilio Puoti's house and the one which belonged to Nicolò Valletta.

In short, this is an interesting village.

There was a trattoria where it was possible to find draught wine, fried eels, peasant bread and stockfish. It was patronized by young people attracted by the style of the Seventies.

I had been here more than thirty years ago.

Angelo Bizzarro succedeed Mr. De Nuptis who was the cook and the owner.

The trattoria was renovated and the sign was changed but the cuisine is still the same.

The starter including salamis and "caciocavallo" cheese

There are good salamis and cheeses.

His wife is in the kitchen. I ate pasta with beans.

Pasta with beans

The pieces of pasta were the big ones as suggested by tradition.

The I had potato gnocchi with mozzarella and tomato sauce. Good.

The gnocchi

Then I ate grilled lamb chops which were tender and tasty. The lamb was bred here, where the Samnites subjected the Romans.

Fried cod with pickled round peppers

The cod was crisp and accompanied by pickled round pepper.

I couldn't resist the stockfish with olives from Gaeta and capers.

Stockfish with olives from Gaeta and capers

The stockfish was tasty but Angelo told me that his masterpiece is the stockfish with potatoes. I will eat it next time, in a short time.

The Gragnano wine from the province of Benevento

Un bicchiere di Gragnano, ehm ehm, sannita, oltre confine. Va bene per l’aglianico, ma la vite di sciascinoso non so come sia arrivata quassù.
Insomma un buon pasto poco sopra i 20 euro.
Da tenere in conto per una gita fuori porta.

Traduzione in italiano su http://www.lucianopignataro.it/a/arienzo-caserta-trattoria-bizzarro-da-angelo-sant%E2%80%99-alfonso-passava-di-qua/22627/