So, first they tried to kill me, but then they made up for it, I guess…read more
This family run restaurant is located at the edge of Follonica, near its industrial area. This is actually more charming than it sounds, as it has a pleasant garden (particularly nice and breezy in the evening, less so during the day) and ample parking. Its menu includes both fish and meat options, and food is ample and of good quality.
I'd had take-out fried calamari from this restaurant numerous times as it's near a relative's house, but I hadn't yet visited to eat in. We were seated in the garden for lunch (after some confusion when they gave away our table for 7 to another family who had reserved indoors - I think the waiter already hated us for this) and put in a pretty simple order: 4 "tris di primi" and 2 grilled fish. I said to the waiter very clearly "please do not use any garlic on my fish. There should not be anyway, but please write it down because I am allergic to garlic". He did write this down, and assured me that they would respect this request.
My grilled fish arrived and the first thing that was apparent was a big clove of garlic in its "pouch". I pointed this out and he said "oops" and switched it with my mother in law's, saying he inverted our dishes, this one was for me. So i cut off the head, ate a little piece, and then out fell... a clove of garlic. I guess that was a special gift because I was a bit of a pain in the ass, having allergies and asking to sit somewhere less hot... Anyway. Luckily my allergy does not involve anaphylactic shock, and I'd only had a small bite, so I only suffered for a few hours. The waiter apologized, said the kitchen was at fault, and didn't charge. I unfortunately went hungry.
You can imagine my joy when the family decided to reserve here for a big Ferragosto family dinner. After initial concerns, I was assured that the staff had been properly warned and would provide me with a garlic free fish! In the end, the fish was good. I wasn't able to try any of the other dishes, which were all made with garlic, but the family loves it, and the prices are good - 10-12 euros for primi like spaghetti alle vongole, etc. The fried calamari are really good, as are the desserts! The kitchen is not very good at dealing with changes or special requests, but if you can eat anything, you can eat well here.