I first went to Trattorea Pandomonio way back in the Spring of 1996. It was before I opened my restaurant Bar Cichetti which was to be the 1st ever Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro) in the United States. This was an exploritory trip to do more research on the Bacari (Wine Bars) of Venice, as well as check out a few wine properties and explore other Italian Food since I would be in Liguria and Tuscany as well.My partner Tom T. was going to Florence on a business trip and I would meet up with him in Florence. I got a cheap flight on TWA to Milan so I flew there. After landing in Milan, I made my way to Vernazza on the Ciinqueterre on the Ligurian Coast of Italy where I stayed for tow days before moving on to Florence before meeting up with Tom and Moran. Since after being to Italy six time already and not seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa I decided to stop off in Pisa on my way to Florence to see the famed leaning tower, so I got up early and caught a train to Pisa. I rode a bus from the train station to the Piazza Miracoli to see the tower as well as the Duomo and Baptistry. These three structure on a lush green lawn made for quite a wonderful sight. I'm glad I went, but now it was on to Firenze.I arrived at the Santa Maria Novella Train Station in Florence and made my way to my hotel a few blocks away. Later that night I made my way to The Grande Hotel in Florence to meet up with Tom and Murat. Wow, this Hoel was amazing, one of the grandest lushest hotels I'd ever seen in my life, and I've been in a number of the best. I still think the Grade Hotel in Firenze, Italy was the tops. I met tom and Murat in the lobby and we had a couple Campari's and some chit-chat. Tom told me the hotel concierge recommended a great little restaurant for us to have dinner at that night, and so after enjoying our apertivo in the plush surroundings, we hopped in a cab and made our way to Pandomonio and one of the greatest most wonderful dinners of my life.We entered the restaurant (trattoria) and was immediately greeted by Momma who sat us at a nice table and gave us menus and a wine list. We were in Florence so it was either Chianti or Brunello. We opted for a bottle of Fattoria di Bari Brunello di Montalcino. Mamma rolled a cart over to our table with some wine glasses and our bottle of Brunello. She opened it, poured us each a little of wine, then said, "a little for Mamma," and proceeded to pour herself some of our Brunello, who were we to disagree with Mamma. We laughed, she laughed, Mamma toasted us "Chin Chin" and she took a gulp of Brunello. Don't you just love it?We ordered a plate of Salumi and some Crostini Toscana for our antipasti. We had a little protion of Paradelle con Sugo di Corniglio, and we split a nice big juicy Beisteca Firoentina, what else?We had a most wonderful dinner. The food was awesome, we had a great bottle of Brunello, each others company, we were in Pandomonio and we had Mamma. She was awesome and more than anything, the great bottle of Brunello, tasty food cooked my Mamma's son, and everything else, it was Mamma who made the night.We finished eating and Mamma wheeled over a cart with about 10 different Grappas on it, and preceded to pour us each a glass and one for herself. We all toasted each other and laughed once again.The trattoria cleared out and there was only our table and a table where a famous Italian Artist was at. Mamma had the boys push all the tables together and we all drank wine, chit-chatted and had a most wonderful time. That was my first night at Pandomonio. t wasn't the last.
We knew this a little while ago with a message we did not even believe. E 'died Ciro De Martino, the owner of the homonymous bar in Via Pasitea (where is now the Cafè Positano) that was considered the "good retreat" of artists, writers, intellectuals. The "world" of culture and the real "aficionados" of the pearl of the Amalfi coast "recognized" in this place where time flowed with the slow rhythms typical of that atmosphere of timeless Mediterranean places. Here you happened to meet the great showman, like the poet Gregory Corso (pictured) or artists like Ibrahim Kodra and beyond. You could stretch out from the nightlife of the big beach, then very busy for the by night, climb to "La Scalinatella" and drinking a gin and tonic the time passed chatting until dawn, between adventures and winking, reflections or discussions, a guitar playing and two laughs, when Ciro churned out the hot croissants and, without ever complaining about a presence beyond the maximum term of common tolerance, you could taste them at sunrise. . I remember when he told me about the Beatles, who still owed him something for drinking a latch, or the many artists and painters Hundertwasser, Corsa, Lieto, Rudi and Vali ...... Peter Thomson .. He, like the many operators of the past, with a big heart and hands incalled by the hard and honest work of a life, he always welcomed everyone with kindness and humanity. From his bar passed and met the world .. so many stories, unfortunately, we can not hear them anymore ... Now Ciro, who ended his days in his little house in Praiano down the stairs of Gavitella, in the "heart" of the coast of Amalfi, it's not anymore.
Michele Cinque
TERRACE of BAR DeMARTINO
Sadly is No More
It's Now BAR POSITANO
A Much Differrent Place
THE DEMARTIN BARWAS THE TERRESTRIAL PARADISE OF GIRITIELLOOF HIS SOLITUDE SECRETFACEVA THE PASTRYAND IT WAS THE MOST SWEETING PERSON OF HER DESSERTS ... ..
LOVE!
WOMEN WITH SIMPLICITY
GIVEN EVENING MUSIC TO ALL ITS CUSTOMERS.
GUITAR AND MANDOLINI ALZAVANO ANIMI.
I saw you ALL EXCITED, MELODIE BREEDS.
They WERE WITH THE MIND IN ESTASIS IN THE HIGH SKY.
AND WITH HANDS STRINGED IF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN ....
KNOWN IN THAT MAGIC BAR OF GIRITIELLO !!!
YOU WANT ALL A FAVORABLE LIFE TO THE SENSES ...
ACTORS POETS AND ARTISTS COME FROM EVERY PART OF THE WORLD
EVERY YEAR THEY WENT AND RETURNED TO FIND AGAIN THERE ....
