A rosé pizza, do you like it?

With its idyllic setting, Il Parasole di Marco offers a trip to the Amalfi Coast of the 60s. Between sun, seaside, umbrellas revisited in lightings, interior in white lime and a certain popular elegance, the restaurant reproduces the dolce vita of Italian coasts in Toulon.

At the helm of this brand new concept: Marco Casolla, a pure Neapolitan, in love with his native cuisine, who was lulled by the dishes of the mother . In the restaurant, the chef greets us with a "Ciao!" benevolent. Behind the stoves, he is busy. We hear him speak in a half-French, half-Italian dialect. His soul gives life to the place and plunges into a come a casa atmosphere. With his project, Marco has only one idea in mind: to offer a place that combines the popular side of his city, Naples, the simplicity of human contact, with the subtlety of its cuisine. A successful bet for the pizza chef who succeeds in sublimating each product on his menu with humility.

A unique setting and cuisine

Installed on a south-facing terrace facing the sea or under a shaded pergola, we begin our taste journey with a typically Italian Limoncello that awakens the taste buds with its lemony flavor. Then let yourself be tempted by the object of curiosity on the menu, the famous Château Léoube rosé pizza, a dry wine from Provence considered one of the best rosé wines in the region. A meeting between exceptional Italian products and a domain in constant search for excellence, with the purest respect for the wine-growing tradition of the land. The association surprises and delights the palate. The dough, all in finesse, reveals the subtlety of its accords. More digestible, it goes well with a wonderful cream of smoked fennel, cetara anchovies, and a few slices of grilled fennel arranged here and there. We gladly close our eyes, just to fully appreciate this moment out of time. Then, to complete your Neapolitan stopover as it should be, we treat ourselves to a last pleasure with an exhilarating Babà mi su, topped with a mascarpone cream on which is poured coffee.

For the alcohol-free version, we opt for an aperitif washed down with a contrasting Spritz senza alchol , between lightness and a touch of bitterness. We continue with Delizia al limone, a signature pizza embellished with a basil and arugula pesto, Fior di latte di Sorrento mozzarella, a hint of 36-month-aged Parmigiano, then topped with a zest of Sorrento lemon and walnuts. Once again, the chef selects the ultimate in products from his country. Special mention for the Sorrento lemon, which the chef claims to be the best citrus in the world, but which is also the variety used to produce the famous national limoncello. And since we never tire of Italian gastronomy, we order a last Cappuccino del nonno, a typical dessert of the country which promises to end his lunch with an iced coffee cream topped with a generous whipped cream.

Finally, take a digestive break with your feet in the water by reserving one of the deckchairs from which the place benefits. Installed on an almond-green lounge chair, let yourself be permeated by the solar heat, you are speechless in front of the dazzling reflections of the sea, and you polish your tan, rocked by the song of the surrounding cicadas. In short, we let ourselves be intoxicated by this break under the sign of idleness ...

A pizza dough with a well-kept secret

With Marco Casolla, pizza is sacred. This is why the pizza chef makes his dough in the pure Neapolitan tradition, with a blend of several flours. After a little levitation, the magic of its dough lies in a long maturation, the mixture resting up to 96 hours in the cold. Then he finishes his work with a cooking of barely a minute in an oven at 450 ° C. Another particularity: at Marco, no dough base will be the same. Because if one thing is important to the chef, it is the fact of adapting his cuisine to the products he wishes to highlight. Thus, each dough will be prepared according to the condiment it is intended to receive. A detail, almost of goldsmith's work, which makes all the difference on the plate.

Exclusively for L'Officiel, Marco has lifted the veil on the mystery that surrounds his haunting pizza dough. The secret ? Use very little yeast ... And as the Neapolitan chef is generous, the latter gave us the recipe to adopt for a good homemade pizza dough. Take note :

- 500 g of the flour of your choice;
- 340 mL of water;
- 3 g of yeast;
- 10 g of salt.

And it does not take more to reach nirvana ... !