The smell and the flavor of the sea

The Fisherman Burger opened its doors on February 17 in Piazza Paoli 15, between Castel Sant’Anglo and Campo di Fiori. Do not let the name fool you, this is not a fast food joint nor yet another restaurant-market, a format that has become popular in recent years. Vito Fiusco, the establishment’s director, and his father Giuseppe, who is in charge of the kitchen, are from Taranto, a place where they take fish very seriously. They explained to me that offering the possibility of buying fish and then deciding whether to take it home or have it cooked as desired, to then consume it comfortably in their dining room, was not an attempt to be trendy but to provide their customers fish of guaranteed quality and at a reasonable price.

The décor recalls an old fishing boat with a blue and white color scheme, tables made from old wood and an antique fish weighing scale. The cuisine is a cross between those of two areas famous for their fishing heritage, Puglia and New England, and which have much in common given.

Fresh fish arrives daily from the Sorrento coast, Gaeta and Terracina and is on display on a counter to show off of its freshness. Behind the counter are tanks full of live lobsters, spider lobsters and crabs with the water aeriated by a modern filtering system.

The menu is quite vast and aside from fish burgers made of salmon, cod, tuna or squid, one can also have lobster rolls, fish & chips, seafood wraps and fajitas. There are also traditional Italian first courses as well as tasty Taranto breaded mussels, steamed mussels with pepper, sautéed shellfish and a mixed fried fish sampler. One can also have salads with octopus, shrimp or squid, fish tartar and, in the best Salento tradition, raw sea urchins and fresh shellfish. The menu of the day changes depending on the catch.

Since it was impossible to try everything, Vito selected for me a wonderful sea bream that, in the open kitchen, Giuseppe prepared with the simplicity and respect that only great seafood chefs share. The result was outstanding, the meat was firm, cooked to perfection, and the aroma was that of a limpid sea with extra-virgin olive oil as the only condiment.

While waiting for the fish, I was offered an appetizer of ‘pettini di mare’, tiny flat and colorful fish that stood out on the fish counter. These were slightly dusted with flour and fried as tradition demands to best appreciate their firm and white meat. And all this was exalted by a Franciacorta Montenisa I was drinking.

I then tried the fish & chips, a rich seafood salad and a sampling of the fish burgers that were really tasty and well-made.

I drank Antinori wines with my main meal but The Fisherman Burger offer as vast wine list representing all Italian regions as well as a prestigious Champagne. The latter can also be consumed on a stood at the cocktail bar near the entrance, best accompanied by raw oysters and other shellfish. My advice to anyone who goes there is to try the cocktails prepared by Boris the barman. The cocktail selections range from the traditional ‘Classic’ to the ‘Capricci’ (whimsical) ones, which include ‘Dolce Vita’ and a ‘Whiskey Cobbler’, in honor of Rome and New England.

Also available are Birra Raffo on tap, straight from Taranto, and Lurisia soft drinks.

The Fisherman Burger offers New England traditions and the warm Mediterranean flavors and hospitality. It is open every day from 11am to 2am with the kitchen open non-stop from 11am to midnight.