Seaside Winter Lunch

RISTORANTE FORESTA

The winter Mediterranean has its charms, even in out of the way places like Marina di Pisa, a small and strangely forgotten little town at the mouth of the Arno river. The distant views are of the port of Livorno and here, in stormy weather, the open sea rips into the coastline with a harsh relentlessness. But things are quiet today under a dark gathering of clouds—it's a nice day for a lunch in a cosy and warm place like Foresta.

There's nothing extraordinarily stylish about it, in fact an odd old dowdiness prevails. But the view of the sea and the wonderful food are enough to bring us back often.

Such as this antipasto of stoccafisso alla Livornese.

Fried dough is a Sunday treat—it's like the days when mama was still in the kitchen from morning till night.

We ran into an old friend there, a Lucca wine producer, and he recommended this great Riesling fron the Italian Val Venosta.

An antipasto of mini sandwiches: scampi, salt cod and scallops.

A mixed seafood pasta.

Sea bream with local winter artichokes—sorry I ate most of it before I remembered to snap a picture.

And mama made these delicious almond Christmas cookies just before we arrived, how thoughtful!