"Life is a combination of magic and pasta." - Federico Fellini

This past Friday night I had dinner with a couple girlfriends at Positano Coast.  The atmosphere at Positano most certainly borders on kitsch -- wall-to-wall murals of the Amalfi Coast, a dining "lounge" clad with white leather couches, and a d.j. who kicked into full swing at about 9:30pm -- but the meal was reasonably priced, the waiter was absolutely adorable, and most of the patrons weren't taking themselves too seriously (least of all us - see below).

[no trendy establishment is complete without a promotional motorcycle in the front bar area]

[but-for the glare you'd swear you were in Italy...]

[this was our table in the lounge area -- when those windows are open in the summer this will probably be a really cool spot for happy hour]

We started with three shared appetizers: grilled seppia, grilled octopus, and shrimp and zucchini fritters.

With a nice char and served over a frisee and arugula salad with white balsamic, the seppia (cuttlefish) was a light and fresh companion to the shrimp and zucchini fritters.

Although the reference to shrimp in the description was pretty much a misnormer, the fritters had a great zucchini flavor and were relatively airy despite being deep fried.  They were also served with a great garlic aioli for dunking.

The grilled octopus wasn't overly chewy (a common faux pas with octopus) and it paired great with the artichoke, lemon zest, onion, and pesto.

[yummmmm]

For dinner we split three plates of pasta and a side of white bean gratin.

[bottom left - tagliatelle con funghi; top left - seafood risotto; top right - white bean gratin; bottom left - gnocchi]

The tagliatelle left a lot to be desired.  Despite being served with wild mushroom, garlic, truffle oil, and cream, it was extremely bland.  On the other hand the risotto, gnocchi, and gratin were cooked well and tasted great.  The gnocchi in particular was light, and the gorganzola sauce added an interesting flare without being overpowering. 

While the food might not have been "magical," when paired with nice prices and good friends it was a great experience nonethless.