BORDERS
On the border between Naples and Pozzuoli, a place without borders of taste and nationality, which combines aperitif and fine dining, kitchen and ice cream shop, Italy and Spain, intimate spaces and sea view: Borders.
A World Wide Kitchen project, to put it in the words of the owners themselves.
HISTORY
The Confini restaurant was born in July 2022 by the joint forces of three thirty-year-old entrepreneurs: Antonius Hippolytus, John Conturso and Carmine Ferrara.
Ai fornelli (and spatulas) Joseph Mellone, Neapolitan transplanted to Pozzuoli, with training as a chef and pastry chef in the bag. His experiences and his multipotentiality are found in every preparation.
THE LOCAL
A structure exactly in front of the sea: an internal room with a small size, but welcoming thanks to the warm tones and the furnishing elements; a second external veranda room and other tables in front to complete the whole, livable especially for an aperitif and in good weather.
Fifty seats in total, between inside and out.
The Confini logo itself is a deliberately undefined shape, without side dishes. Remember the sea, ma non solo.
THE PROPOSAL
With these premises, it is obvious that the menu does not have the conventional division of dishes either.
There are no limits; o, as they like to say here, borders are non-existent.
So the card is a succession of numerous receipts (an idea mediated by tapas; Spain is the country where Antonio Ippolito lived for a few years) and serving dishes.
We find traditional dishes declined in an international version and dishes from the world revisited in a Campania key.
The bread is that of the master Charles DiChrist, of the shop Foorn.
Even the section dedicated to drinking has no boundaries: bollicine, sake, cocktails and craft beers coexist here in harmony.
THE TASTING
On the occasion of the presentation of Confini to the press – organized by food and wine journalist Laura Gambacorta – we had the opportunity to taste some proposals (which should be part of a forthcoming tasting journey).
In apertura, Frozen Oyster Martini: spherification of oyster with gin, martini and passion fruit.
For vegetarians, Vegetable frozen with oyster leaf and avocado sphere; the oyster leaf with its marine taste excellently replaces the shellfish.
A seguire, Seared eel enclosed between two wafers.
As a plant-based alternative, Salmorejo smoked (dish inspired by Spanish cold soup), a cream of peppers and onions, garnished with wafer and fennel beard.
Again Spain for the third course, Béchamel croquetas with lime, ginger and basil. The spiciness is marked by the ginger syrup and candied ginger.
We arrive in Peru with the fourth course, a cold plate: Tripe Ceviche for the omnivores and Vegetable Ceviche for the non-omnivores. centipede of one part; carciofi, onion and ginger on the other.
A strictly Puteolan interlude: Lime and sulfur sorbet.
Once he moved to Pozzuoli, Mellone had to deal with the constant smell of sulfur from the Solfatara, and he wanted to enclose it in a Telese water-based sorbet and a very sulphurous salt.
Japanese Neapolitan mix for the sixth course: Gyoza Nerano e Gyoza parmigiana. Oriental ravioli, but decidedly from our parts both the two fillings and the preparation technique used, la frittura. Very tasty (maybe even too much, for someone) the Gyoza with eggplant parmesan, the one with zucchini is more balanced.
Chef's love-hate dish, Cheese spaghetti, pepper and pears. He's been offering it for years, it's always in demand and can't get away from it. It goes without saying that the pear sauce is perfect with the cream of cheese; the presence of the fruit gives a sweet tendency to the dish, despite the pink pepper. A dish that differs markedly from the traditional Roman recipe.
Per finire, Annurca apple smoked ice cream and mascarpone and black cherry dessert.
Confini is ideal for those who love to experiment, for those who want to go beyond home cooking and dare unusual combinations.
But we also gladly suggest it to anyone who wants to enjoy a drink at sunset overlooking the sea, accompanied by appetizers far from peanuts and packaged chips.
Borders
Via Napoli, 221 – Pozzuoli, Naples
such. 081/3599202
https://confinirestaurant.com/
Open Monday to Friday from 19.
Saturday open for lunch and dinner.
Sunday open for lunch.
AGGIORNAMENTO: The collaboration with chef Giuseppe Mellone ended in May 2023.