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| Phallic Phountain |
Easiest way to find it- get directions to the tourist-filled Absolut Ice Bar by Hotel 27 on Lønganstraede (the over-hyped claustrophobic little freezer-bar. Elderly tourists’ buses line up outside-and the tourists leave saying, "We got taken, paying to go in a silly, cramped freezer room"). Puk is east of it, ~650 feet down the same street (it becomesVandkunsten) on the opposite side, heading away from the City hall area. It’s pretty easy to spot- set back from the road side, the phallic fountain marking the little square in front of Puk-a tall tree or two are nearby.
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| Puk's Entrance is to Left of Rear Tables |
The Danish and English menu lists a good number of selections. Tired, we asked our pleasant server, “What’s your recommendation for first timers?” She recommended the combo of herring in Aquavit, sour cream and dill, followed by roast pork for Kr. 188, US$ 31.30 (6 Kr for a dollar now), and a couple others. We enjoyed our glasses of locally brewed Carlsberg beer (52 Kr, or US $ 8.60).
The generous portion of herring in aquavit, sour cream and dill could be a meal for some.
We were not rushed on to the second course. The plates arrived nicely paced, perhaps 5 minutes after we finished the herring. Again, large portions- we were glad we didn’t order appetizers! There’s generous sliced pork with a very good crisp-glazed salty rind of skin and fat-it's not a chicharrón or popcorn-like dry skin. I liked nibbling on the crisp skin, and set aside the subjacent rim of tasty fat. It's an art to have a crisp skin and tender meat. If it was a little less salty on the crust, I'd have given it a "best" rating.
Not surprising that visiting Puk was b’shert, or clearly “meant to be.”
Vandkunsten 8, 1467 Københaven K, Copenhagen, Phone 33-11-14-17,
A few blocks from Rådhuspladsen & Tivoli, Bus: 1A, 2A, or 6A, www.restaurantpuk.dk/
"...Lord, what fools these mortals be!" -Puck
A Midsummer Nights Dream Act 3, scene 2, 110–115
There truly are prizes here. Sample over fifteen (15) different feta cheeses alone, and a broad selection of perhaps 30 other cheeses, priced way less than at grocery stores. Muenster, Mozzarella, Swiss, Provolone, you know the ones!
Let’s talk yogurt. Yoplait and other “yogurt foods” sadly are artificially sweetened with funky chemicals. A Yoplait Yogurt product’s label discloses the presence of gloppy “high fructose corn syrup”, and “modified” corn starch as the 2nd and 3rd most prevalent ingredients. Yoplait then tosses in MSG’s controversial chemical cousin- Aspartame, and Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Yellow #5, and Blue #1 to preserve and color the corn syrup, and make it cling like mucus to your lips. “Frankenyogurts” contibute to tooth cavities. Do corn syrup and MSG-type chemicals really belong in your food? There’s an easy, healthy solution.
touch of tartness with real Bulgarian Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Live longer, avoid Frankenyogurt’s corn syrup, calories and cavities. It’s that easy.
as they buy and start drinking and nibbling, while still in the store! There are over 40 different cold cuts, at prices less than grocery stores, and more authentic in taste. I bought some Hickory Smoked Dried Beef (Suva Govedina) that is as tasty as any charcuterie from France or Italy.
The Cured Pork Loin Elena is as beautifully lean and tasty as any Pastrami imaginable. The Beef
(Sudzuk), and Pork Sausages sell fast. Take home slices of the best of Mortadella, Bologna, Dry Salami (Moskovskaya), Smoked Bologna, and Sorpressata. 
Slice these thin, have a sip of wine, and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
Like pierogies? Try these, or the similar looking pelmeni, all free of preservatives.
Have a sweet tooth? There’s rows of sweets, free of Aspartame and MSG!. 
Vegetable spreads, caviar, Bulgarian flour? All here. Soon there will be wines and beer, as the store expands its offerings and customer base.
There’s a few dozen fruit drinks like sour cherry, that others were buying by the armful. With 900 items, stock up on halva, sauerkraut, Greek and other coffee beans-you start to understand the variety that’s here!
Moe will give you recipes. Take your casserole pot from oven to table, so your family and guests know your food is cooked and served from your heart.
Sea Salt is an elegant young lady in town, the "newest kid on the block", on Naples 3rd Avenue South, a gnocchi’s toss from Campiello and just north of Tommy Bahama’s. The Sea, as in the Gulf of Mexico and Naples beach, is two blocks away. And the food? Chef Fabrizio Aielli can cook! Previously, in 1999, he and wife Ingrid opened his highly successful restaurant, Washington D.C.’s tony Teatro Goldoni, and groomed it into a “must visit” spot. They sold it in 2007, moved to Naples, and just opened Sea Salt a few weeks ago. A 2002 James Beard Foundation Star Chef Award Recipient, and a former chef at Naples Winter Wine Festival, he’s nationally respected. While Chef Fabrizio is clearly “hands on” in the kitchen, the front of the house is covered by personable, artistic Ingrid. Active partner Lili Montes minds the financials and other details.
They gutted a failed clothing store, and created an elegantly simple, beautiful setting for lunch and dinner. The patio is the perfect spot to
people watch on 3rd Ave S. The curved outside bar is a favorite vantage point. 
Inside, there's wooden floors and ceilings, and the 3 dimensional limestone wall featuring inset color photos of Old Naples. 
This is a freshly designed concept. From the white tablecloths and napkins, to the servers attractive black uniforms with striped aprons, a lot of thought has created Old Naples newest spot to "see and be seen". 
My favorite spot would be the true Chef’s Table, a table that can sit 8, smack dab in the kitchen's center. Whether you are a foodie, or just curious about the inner workings of a commercial kitchen, this is the place to be!
We sat at Table 54, to both view the dining room and look into the kitchen, ably served by attentive Gina. Ingrid told us that Chef Fabrizio has several vendors for just seafood alone, and several for primarily organic produce. A look at the fresh seafood and produce, and the lack of odors in the kitchen attest to his meticulous nature, and passion for cooking with only the freshest ingredients. He’s passionate about salts, 
with over 100 salts from around the world, and yes, you can easily taste the difference between salts! 
We started with an Italian white wine, the Antinori Vermentino. ($8), nicely complementing the Crispy Assortment, below. Sea Salt has over 500 wines, and the staff is knowledgeable on pairing.
($19). The batter had just the right amount of salt, pepper and light spicing to complement the delicate seafood. An appetizer larger than some entrées in Naples, one could not ask for fresher or better quality seafood. My dining partner said “You can taste the freshness of the seafood underneath the batter, and tell it’s good!” The wine is a great match for this and other seafood.
and creating a whole that exceeds it’s components. The calamari are sensually tender, and the cappuccino foam light, and understated. The poached quail egg tops it all off, with panache.
texture stand out, accentuated by the dried tuna roe, or bottarga, with the tomato’s richness tying it all together. We scooped up the sauce with complimentary crusty bread slices, tender and soft on the inside. 
orange balsamic soy, with red Hawaiian salt (12).
and tops it with a shaved red poached pear. The supporting veggies are roasted cipollini onions and tender turnips. The portion size is quite fine for me. 
This is a decent portion size, a better grade tuna than often offered elsewhere, elegantly presented.
at the same time. See if this special is available-well worth it!
thyme sauce, and baby artichokes (32), and Broiled Black Grouper with grape tomato pops and chives, served with shiitake shrooms and truffled soft polenta. (32). There’s also a Braised Lamb Shank with fig and fennel, served over fontina and Swiss chard mashed potatoes (28), a grilled brick pressed young chicken (27), and Five Spice Dusted Bone- in Prime Ribeye (below) with black truffle zabaglione, roasted shallots and fingerling potatoes (42). 
The Black Raspberry-Candy Orange Sorbet (above right), topped with black salt was my favorite- by a salt grain. Gelato is made with less air than American ice cream, so it's richer in taste. It's also kept not as coldly frozen as ice cream, so it stays creamy. Put any gelato in your home freezer and it turns solid-bad move!
The menu is in Spanish, and the staff is multilingual. My translation is imperfect, as some techniques and fruit names do not have a precise English counterpart. Our lunch for four started with Muleas de cangrejo al ajillo, -Garlic crab claws, with Antillean rum, garlic and ground pepper, each served over a sweet corn patty. ($USD 18, 29,000). My photo shows half of the order, and they were delicious!
I ordered a Corozo Martini, with Corozo (a palm nut) juice, Cointreau, vodka, ?currant liqueur, and lime juice-very good.
Next was Flambéd Large shrimp (Langostinos flameados) with Antillean rum over risotto, Piacuil style, with Colombian Pacific conch, garlic and parsley, served with shaved guatila ( chayote, christophene or mirliton) and its cider, with microgreens (USD $31, 49,000). Nice clean taste, with langostinos perfectly cooked.
The Tentaculos de pulpo, or Octopus tentacles and squid with shrimp($14, 22,000), grilled on coal, with garlic and lemon, and a corozo (a small palm nut) sauce, with grilled asparagus was absolutely heaven! Fresh, and tender beyond belief, Leo is the master of seafood, the grill master, letting the seafood take center stage with this succulently sauced dish. This alone would be worth your visit!
Then Tuna medallions ( Medallones de Atún) (USD $29, 46,000) seared with a crust of small red onions, chives and pink peppers, with a tower of asparagus purée, topped with crisp fried carrot threads. An avocado, and another dark fruit sauce were on the side. Again perfectly cooked, with a very tasty crust.
My next favorite was the most unusual-Róbalo fish filet-Filete de Róbalo, ($24, 38,000) (a snook or a sea-bass?), where a closed plantain leaf package is baked over coal, then unfolded at the table, releasing steam and revealing the tender róbalo within, served over black coconut rice and raisins. This is bathed with a "nectar of the gods"-like sauce that included stewed conch. This is a terrific way to present fresh fish with an incredible sauce, and the scent is wonderful.
The Carne Puyada ( 32,000) is a small portion of slow cooked cut of beef, served Cartagenian style with a rich brown sauce with white wine, cooked tomato and onions, over an orange risotto with corn kernels. (Some things do not translate accurately!)
Others nearby ordered Red snapper.
Salmon Medallions
For dessert, we had Mongo-mongo (USD $9, 14,000) a Monterian preserve of pineapple, mamey, guava, ripe plantain, coconut, pepper and cinnamon, served between round wafers of white cheese. An odd tropical blend, that defies comparison. The pineapple ice cream is delicious.
A second dessert, best for children, is Helado de kola Roman (USD$9), or ice cream from the Roman kola brand of sweet red soft drink, with a tiny Cartagenian cake, with a touch of cinnamon and brown sugar. There's also chontaduro, or a palm nut flesh, made into a sauce.
Leo's Duo de Flan with Milk and with Coco, with Caramel
The lunch for four people, including tip, was about $200, putting it as one of the most expensive lunches in Colombia. I enjoyed briefly chatting with Leo, through an interpreter. To have such a memorable meal every now and then, it was well worth it to my dining companions and me.
The Stars of Leo's Cucina!
