Mark on the Shore

Mark’s Score   9.5

One of my great frustrations living here in Delmarva is the shortage of good Italian restaurants. Good Italian restaurants in Boston can be found on almost any street corner. So, when I find a good Italian restaurant, it is an occasion to celebrate, and one of the best Italian restaurants on the Delmarva is the Amalfi Coast in Stevensville. 

Amalfi Coast is a relatively new restaurant, having opened in 2021 in the location once occupied by Rustico.  I had been to Rustico on several occasions but this was only my second time eating at Amalfi.  They claim that their culinary inspiration is southern Italian cuisine, particularly the cuisine found along the Amalfi Coast, the stretch of coastline just north of Naples and the home of the Italian liqueur, limoncello

It was a cold winter’s day in February on my last visit. Though Amalfi’s décor is evocative of sunny shores and warm summer days, there was just no escaping Maryland in February. But I was determined to give it the old college try, and the hearty beef risotto with gorgonzola and mushrooms accompanied with a glass of my favorite Italian wine, a Nero d’Avol, seemed the perfect meal on a cold day. Nero d’Avola is the most important wine grape of Sicily. It is a robust wine with strong plum and peppery flavors very similar to an Australian Shiraz. It was the perfect wine for the hearty beef risotto.  I think it one of the very few wines that can stand up to the earthy musky flavor of gorgonzola. 

On this particular day, probably because of the cold, I had the restaurant to myself. Even though I had arrived at 12:15, I was the first customer of the day. In the six months that I have been doing this blog, this is only the second restaurant that has gone to the effort of linen tablecloths. Yes, it is a small thing, but I appreciate the extra effort. And in the end, isn’t that what dining out is all about? It is not about merely eating; it is about making the experience memorable. On a cold and blustery February day I also appreciated the restaurants warm and sunny décor. The combination of colors, linens, and sleek style gave this restaurant a European feel. You could almost imagine yourself sitting in a restaurant in southern Italy. 

I don’t do this often, but on this occasion, I let the waitress choose my meal. Everything on the menu looked marvelous so I asked her what she would choose. She chose the risotto; she also ordered a slice of the Limoncello cake and espresso to end the meal. Though I only eat deserts on rare occasions, it was worth paying the price and the additional calories just to see the presentation. It was almost too beautiful to eat. The desert at the end provided a nice little touch of la dolce vita and it was a perfect ending to an excellent meal.