...pastry that is divine
let me begin by praising Roberto, the son, and Don Gerardo, the father. A nicer pair of fellows you'll not often meet. Roberto is smart, energetic and unfailingly helpful, going out of his way to make sure your stay is comfortable. Don Gerardo is a magician in the kitchen, whipping up eggs or zucchini to go with the pancetta. And he makes - every day - a cake. He worked for many years in the top pasticceria in Amalfi and he walked away with all their secrets. Generally, I am not a big cake fan but Gerardo's cakes - recollection of a lemon custard pie floats across my brain - will seduce your palate. They certainly turned me into a fan.
Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, all the ingredients are not merely locally sourced, they're actually grown by the family in the gardens. For the aforesaid lemon pie, Gerardo took the time and trouble to visit a little orchard in Amalfi. You see what care goes into his creations? This is a mentality entirely alien to the city dweller, the consumer of factory-produced human feed. This is a mentality also alien to the profit maximizing enterprise. I thought a lot about Gerardo and I came to the conclusion that this is a man who, in his retirement, is determined to continue with his vocation: creating pleasure for his friends and visitors. To my mind, that's a kind of sacred vocation, performed not through words for ears but by creating delight in the palate - giving joy to others.