History

The family

Thanks to the zealous support of his wife and three children, Guglielmo Terminiello has creatively, professionally and thoughtfully created a food and wine estabilishment which is one of the most renowned in the Sorrento area. His children, Nino and Marco, who have taken specialised courses in wine tasting and have studied economics and marketing, passsionately follow their father’s footsteps in the family’s centennial activity.

‘O Canonico 1898 is proud of its long history. It has been a time full of passion and love which has brought the small wine cellar to become one of the most famous restaurants in Sorrento.

One used to drink the local wine at the “Restaurant del Campidoglio ‘O Canonico” 1898 which had been bought from the farmers to accompany the few local traditional farm dishes served. They were recipes of dishes that, over time, increased in number and which the owner then wrote down in a small black covered exercise book.

Over the years these recipes have been handed down to every generation and, even today, the old small black exercise book is safely kept in the hands of the Terminiello family - the family who bought the restaurant.

The recipes, clearly and orderly written, which have been handed down, give clear evidence of the gastronomical traditions of the Sorrento Coast and of the Neapolitan cuisine with dishes such as “Panzarotti con mozzarella” (fried dough stuffed with mozzarella cheese), “Alici in cartoccio” (fresh archovies oven baked), “Braciolette di cappucce farcite” (stuffed cabbage leaves), “Baccalà e patate” (dried salted cod with potatoes), “Fritto con calameretti e triglie” (fried squid and mullet), and furthermore “Candele alle Tracchiulelle” (pasta with pork ribs in tomato sauce), “Seppioline al basilico” (small cuttlefish with fresh basil), “Polipetti affogati” (octopus cooked in its own sauce), “Zuppa di scorfano” (scorpion fish soup), “Braciole in tegame” (skillet ribs), “Bucatini al cartoccio del Canonico” (Oven baked bucatini in the Canonico way).

All the dishes, which have been amended over the years and adapted to modern cuisine, have undergone the creative touch of the house chef, and are still recommended by Nino and Marco, Guglielmo’s two sons.

The basic products are always freshand come from local areas, whether they are from the sea or the countryside. This has made the restaurant ‘O Canonico 1898 a unique place where taste and tradition melts into one unique harmonious union.

Centennial 1898 – 1998

 

In 1998 the restaurant ‘O Canonico celebrated 100 years of activity. To celebrate the event the restaurant invented a series of events which included an International culinary contest which included a panel of experts. This contest gave way to the witnessing of a century of history for the restaurant.

All the information collected was inserted into a book entitled “’O Canonico 1898 – 1998 (100 years of taste)”. When in the 1920’s the French company Touring Club sent their correspondents to Italy to gather information to insert into their new guide book “L’Italie en volume”, they found some fantastic places. Even the smallest details were gathered and was inserted into the book. It has been so for all the ‘Blue Guide’ books since then. The French National Tourist Office, from which all the blue guide books depend, noted that only two restaurants in the Sorrento area were inserted. One of these restaurants was the “Restaurant del Campidoglio ‘O Canonico” 1898 situated in Piazza Tasso and, at the time of the publication, it had only been opened for 25 years.