Rudygia In Francavilla al mare

Excellent fish and excellent staff...very kind and helpful.

We returned to Rudygia in Francavilla after some time, last night, for a challenging challenge for the chef and his team, which they overcame with apparent ease. There were 16 of us for a gathering of childhood friends from various places, eager to rekindle old experiences with fish soup. The large number of guests did not suggest a successful outcome was a given, yet chef Michelone Di Somma's organizational skills managed to satisfy all participants. Four large pans of each fish, as per the regulations, were spaced out across the long table in groups of four, offering cuttlefish, skate, weever fish, angler fish, smooth dogfish, scorpion fish, medium-sized scampi, and a happy discovery of vocc'n cap, the white-fleshed priestfish perfect for this recipe, which also relied on the perfect amount of tomato. In addition to the mussels, clams, paparazze, were a must-have to complete the dish. After savoring the fish, after a well-deserved pause during which the pans were removed and the remaining seasonings were filtered, Michelone proposed tubettini in the brodetto sauce, which were a resounding success, demonstrated by the constant flow of generous spoonfuls from all participants, some even tripling their portions. A few were left with the lingering desire to try linguine instead of tubetti, as had been envisioned, but I personally hope to complete this experience soon. Even the wine pairings proposed by the chef satisfied the diners, thanks to the qualities of a multi-award-winning Cerasuolo with a strong alcohol content and the less celebrated, yet perfect, Trebbiano from the same cellars as Cerasuolo, with balanced and harmonious notes of fresh and slightly aromatic notes of white fruit and a hint of almond blossom. A note not to be underestimated, coming from those accustomed to paying attention to budget requirements, a truly fair price for food and markups for vintage wines. This last point is absolutely not to be underestimated given the general trends, which are sometimes truly unacceptable and damaging to the entire wine and restaurant industry. .