History
What is the secret behind the development of a skill, of an art? DNA? Education? Culture? Or the places and traditions of the artist? Or then again, is it love? Passion? History?
The answer to all these questions is simple: Livia and Alfonso Iaccarino. They are a dedicated couple, descendents of families expert in cuisine and catering, born and bred in one of the most beautiful places in Italy and in the world, eternal wanderers, lovers of their land, and most importantly, determined defenders of the flavors, colors, and products of the Sorrentine Peninsula.
Today, in the same place their forefather lived, Livia and Alfonso, with their sons Ernesto and Mario, continue the art of sublimely catering for and hosting guests who wish to experience Mediterranean haute cuisine, accompanied by refined and courteous hospitality. It was in 1890 that Alfonso Costanzo Iaccarino, the grandfather of the present-day Alfonso, returned to Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi after years of living in America. It was then that he unknowingly began what would one day become one of the most well-known restaurants in the world.
Nearly a century later, Livia and Alfonso found the first few years in Sant’Agata difficult, even though they descend from families of skilled restaurateurs and hoteliers. Why? Due to the fact that Livia and Alfonso would not settle for less than their heart’s desires, and since 1973 have been pioneering their own explorations into researching the sublime. They serve simple dishes, either vegetable, meat, or fish-based, all of which originate from the land and sea of the Due Golfi, and all served with superb extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top. It is difficult to explain, but year after year the frequent guests have come to understand that Livia and Alfonso are aiming at the essence of each flavor, following this goal with passion that only someone in love with their land can infuse into their food.
And it is his love of land that, in 1990, encouraged Alfonso to become a farmer and to set up, in Termini, which is in Punta Campanella, the country houses Le Peracciole. They are an organic farming business which supply fresh ingredients to the hotel kitchen as well as to the factory which transforms olives, lemons, tomatoes, fruit, and vegetables into oil, other products, and excellent preserves.
Meanwhile, they have been repaid for their hard work with glowing reviews, mentions in guidebooks, and prizes.
From 1999, Ernesto and Mario Iaccarino, sons of Livia and Alfonso, have joined their parents as restaurateurs of Don Alfonso 1890, after years of study at university, including specialized courses. They are currently contributing to the creation of Don Alfonso Consulting & Distribution, a restaurant consulting company which distributes Don Alfonso products, organizes international-scale gastronomic events, and provides consultancy services for restaurateurs aspiring to specialize in haute cuisine.
And now? Today the Don Alfonso Spaghetti, the amazing rigatoni, the Lucano goat’s cheese with fresh Mediterranean herbs, the lobster in sweet and sour sauce, and the impressive coffee-flavored zabaglione with cream speak for the Iaccarino family (Livia and Alfonso, and their sons Ernesto and Mario)...the rest is history!