DINING AT A TRABOCCO ALONG ITALY’S PICTURESQUE ADRIATIC COAST IS AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE
By Debbie Stone
Though I’ve been to Italy a number of times, I’d never gone to the Abruzzo region until recently. Friends of mine were renting a place for a few months near Pescara, the largest city in Abruzzo, and invited me to visit them during my travels in Italy.
For geographical purposes, Abruzzo is in central Italy, about fifty miles east of Rome. The landscape is predominantly rugged, characterized by mountains and hills, and dotted with charming villages and vineyards. But it also overlooks a picturesque stretch of the Adriatic Sea and boasts beautiful beaches. Due to this diversity of scenery, people often describe Abruzzo as having “two souls and one heart.”
South of Pescara, one of the most breathtaking sections of the Adriatic coastline begins, a 37-mile stretch called the Trabocchi Coast. Trabocchi are wooden constructions, like pile dwellings, perched on stilts over the sea. They are “fishing machines” with elevated wooden arms, called “antennae,” that support fishing nets. And they are anchored to land via a wooden boardwalk suspended by poles and planks.
From afar, trabocchi look like giant crabs or massive spiders, creatures from some sci-fi movie. These famed historic and culturally significant structures have been part of this coastline for hundreds of years. They were built out of necessity so that men could fish without going out to sea and subjecting themselves to perilous conditions. And though crude in design, they were constructed to withstand violent gales.
From atop the trabocco, the men would have an optimal viewpoint to identify which fish were running. They would be able to assess the currents of the sea to decide where to place the nets, which are then raised and lowered using pulleys and ropes. Through experience, the fishermen gained much knowledge about the waters, weather conditions, and the habits of the sea life, without ever having to be in a boat. It was a system that worked well for centuries.
By the 1970s and 80s, however, fish populations declined, and families couldn’t afford the upkeep of their trabocchi. Many were abandoned until the early 2000s when funding for trabocco-rebuilding projects became available. Some of the families opted to convert their trabocchi into restaurants, pinning their hopes on culinary tourism.
Today, there are about thirty trabocchi that are successful restaurants. They are magnets for both locals and tourists alike who come for a unique dining experience amid the sublime scenery.
My friends took me to Trabocco Punta Cavalluccio. Built by Bernardo Veri and his family in 1887, the trabocco was then passed to Bernardo’s son, Orlandino, who in turn passed it to his son Tommaso, the current owner.
We went for lunch to be able to see the surroundings in daylight. Before we crossed the walkway to the trabocco, we admired the picture-perfect views of the turquoise-hued sea, which sparkled in the sun. The boardwalk appeared a tad rickety, but we knew the trabocco had been standing for years, and thus we trusted its irregular construction.
Though the structure has a roof, it’s open on the sides, offering a lovely al fresco setting. And as you sit at your table, it’s gently rocked by the warm breezes and water beneath it. A few seagulls perched on the lashed lines, adding their vocalizations to the auditory components of this sensory ambiance.
The fixed-price menu (excluding wine) presents dishes prepared following recipes of typical Abruzzo seafood cuisine, showcasing the flavors of the Adriatic Sea. Opt to accompany your meal with a bottle of vino from an extensive wine list boasting over sixty labels.
During the course of the afternoon, we leisurely dined on an array of aesthetically pleasing and mouthwatering dishes that appeared in succession, served by an attentive and friendly waitstaff. The food included everything from octopus salad and fried anchovies, to squid, mussels and stuffed mussels, clams, fish, and of course, sagnette, a typical Abruzzo pasta that looks like short rustic tagliatelle or fettuccine. The meal ended with a dessert of fresh cherries, local sweets, coffee, and a refreshing, lemon, granita-like beverage.
And yes, we waddled out, fully sated from this immersive and memorable gastronomic experience.
Debbie Stone is an established travel writer and columnist, and regular contributor for Big Blend Radio and Big Blend Magazines, who crosses the globe in search of unique destinations and experiences to share with her readers and listeners. She’s an avid explorer who welcomes new opportunities to increase awareness and enthusiasm for places, culture, food, history, nature, outdoor adventure, wellness, and more. Her travels have taken her to nearly 100 countries and all seven continents.
