Santa Barbara County - Wine, pastries, and new food adventures!

Part II - Trattoria Grappolo 

Italian Food. MMMM . . . I love me some Italian food. When I think of Italian food, I think of cheesy pepperoni pizza, buttery pasta, garlic bread, and 3-inch tall lasagna. When I think of Italian, however, "healthy" is not exactly the first word that comes to mind. Now, I know it's not fair to the nice Italian people, that was just the way it had to be when I started my journey all those months ago. Italian has simply not been an option for me.

So Friday night, Bo and I start asking around for suggestions and we keep hearing about a restaurant called Trattoria Grappolo. According to every person we talked to, this place was A MUST VISIT. Now I have to say that I was a little uneasy about Italian food (given the whole "not being healthy" perception I have about the fine Italians), but I figured, "heck, I'm on vacation. Let's do it!" So off we go to Trattoria Grappolo. The restaurant is outside of Solvang, in Santa Ynez (about a 10 minute drive), and is literally a little hole in the wall in a strip mall type set up. But you have to admit that if the likes of Giada De Laurentiis and Rachel Ray go to this place, it must be pretty damn good. So once we arrive to the little bistro, we notice a line is already starting to form. Luckily, we made reservations so we don't have to wait. We go in and the place is tiny. It is definitely close quarters, but I can already tell from the dishes that we see at the various tables that the food is going to be great.

We sit down and decide that we definitely want to try the calamari for our appetizer. As for my main dish, once again, my mind settles on pasta or pizza. So as I peruse the selections, I decide on the gnocchi. For those of you who don't know what gnocchi is, gnocchi are these amazing potato dumplings smothered usually in a cheesy sauce. Bo and I were first exposed to gnocchi when we went to Italy in August 2008. I hate to admit it, but even today sitting here even thinking about that gnocchi - OMG, my mouth is watering. Sorry, I digress. So ever since Italy, I gravitate to gnocchi, and while I have found some decent comparisons, it is never the same. So our lovely waiter Eric comes over to take our order. In my mind, I'm getting the gnocchi. But I pause, and ask Eric what he would recommend.

Our waiter Eric

Eric without hesitation says that they have an "excellent salmon caruoti." Instantly, I look Bo straight in the eye. I have been telling Bo for months that I want to try salmon, but that I am scared to try it and have a bad experience. I look at him and say that it must be fate. I explain to Eric that I have never tried Salmon, but happily declare, "Tonight's the night!" Eric laughed. Bo ordered the Linguine alle Vongole (Linguine with clam sauce (red or white)). And we ordered the Calamari alla Positano (Calamari stuffed with smoked mozzarella, prosciutto, garlic, parsley and sauteed with lemon and olive oil) as our appetizer.


So let me be frank. Calamari = fish = no go. The last time I remember eating calamari, it was after dissecting it in my ninth grade biology class. I know . . . probably not the best place to be trying something like calamari. So needless to say, I labored over my main entree decision and took a gamble with salmon, but I also took a gamble with calamari. And oh, how that gamble paid off. 

The calamari was DELICIOUS. I cannot emphasize the word delicious any more, but imagine me jumping up and down shouting "DELICIOUS" a million times - that is how good it was. I have not had anything that tasted so good in a VERY long time. I mean, we're talking gnocchi good. The calamari was tender, not tough and rubbery like I remember, and it had a pleasant flavor - a taste of fish but not so bad. And OMG, stuffed with the fresh mozzarella and prosciutto? It melted in my mouth. My taste buds were singing. I then experimented and piled the fresh tomatoes and spinach on top and dragged my fork through the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and the taste became even better (I know . . . I am still wondering how that was even possible). Man, believe it or not folks, I am craving calamari. CRAVING it. Whoever thought I would ever crave a squid? So Grappolo's - I see why the foodies are in love. Now on to the main event! SALMON!

Salmon Caruoti

Now I feel like I am discriminating and making salmon the main focus of this post. I neglected to mention that it also came with artichoke hearts on top and cooked spinach on the side. It is funny, because when Eric told me that the salmon came with artichoke hearts on top, that only sweetened the deal. Coincidentally, artichokes are also on my to do list. I was going to kill two birds with one stone! In addition, I have never tried spinach cooked. I can stand spinach uncooked, but cooking it has always scared me. I am afraid that the vegetable will become slimy if cooked, or have a nasty smell or taste. Who wants some pile of limp, lifeless, slimy green stuff to eat? So this one little plate managed to help me confront three items on my scary food list. So the meal - Amazing. Everything had such amazing flavor. The salmon had a mild taste, not fishy at all. It was also moist, not dry like I imagined it would be. And the artichoke was so creamy. I have heard artichoke hearts described as the caviar of vegetables. It is a good description. Artichoke hearts have a rich texture, creamy, and a flavor that I guess I would describe as a little salty but smooth. The spinach was also surprisingly good. I am not sure, but I don't think it was just steamed, it may have had a hint of olive oil. Regardless, it was actually really great. Now I am thinking that it might be time to start branching out into cooking my vegetables. If I haven't already said it, cooking vegetables makes some nutrients in the vegetable more prevalent. I also have to say that salmon is definitely going to make its way into my protein rotation. I have moderately dry eyes, and my doctor has suggested upping my intake of Omega-3. It is always better to come by minerals and nutrients through food rather than supplements, so adding salmon to my weekly diet will help me increase my Omega-3 intake the natural way.

Bo's meal was also fabulous. I tried a few bites of it, and the clams were delicious mixed with the sauce and linguine pasta. Clams are another thing I have never tried before, but it really doesn't have any fishy flavor. I guess the lesson I learned form Garappolo's is that not all creatures of the sea taste  "fishy" and they have so much nutritious value that they need to be in my diet.

Linguine alle Vongole

Oh yeah, and what's Italian food without some tiramisu and cappuccino?? I'm sure it's no surprise, but the tiramisu was fabulous. So light and breezy - basically to die for.

Tiramisu

After such a fabulous, and (moderately) healthy meal, maybe I should start frequenting Italian restaurants more often!

Boy was that delicious!

Some fun facts about the food we ate at Trattoria Grappolo:

1. Salmon and other oily fish are the best source of omega-3 fatty acids. You can find the benefits of Omega-3s in my last post, but they aid in heart, eye, and brain health. All fish is also low in saturated fat and contains all essential amino acids. Fish are also a good source for iodine, iron and zinc. Plus, most fish are low cal!
2. Artichokes are rated as a FIVE star vegetable. They are a very good source of fiber, vitamins C and K, as well as folate, magnesium, copper and manganese. They are also a good source of iron and potassium. In addition, they contain important nutrients for liver health, and the antioxidant luteolin, which has anti-inflammatory properties that may also be helpful in relieving symptoms of allergic reactions. 
3. Calamari and other squid have many of the same benefits of other fish. However, while they are good for you, they are not as good as other seafood because they are high in cholesterol. So for those who have high cholesterol, it may be best to avoid eating calamari, prawns, etc. more than once a week.
4. I could go on and on about the nutritious benefits of spinach. Spinach is rich in antioxidants that promote eye health and can help prevent colon cancer. It is also an excellent source for beta-carotene, which can work as an antioxidant but can also be converted to Vitamin A in the body. It also is a great source of fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, and about a million other vitamins and nutrients. 

Sources:

1. 101 Healthiest Foods: A quick and easy guide to the fruits, vegetables, carbs and proteins that can save your life, Dr. Joanna McMillan Price and Judy Davie (2009).
2. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, Jonny Bowden (2007).