On a recent spontaneous trip down to Eilat, I used my Facebook for some crowd-sourcing on where to eat in Eilat. It was a quite unimpressive selection and left me wondering, is there anywhere good to eat down on our Red Sea vacation coast or is it a culinary black hole (like the Dead Sea).

Although I did find one place that sounded like the quality level of restaurant I was hoping to find, I learned from the lovely owners Inbar and Lior, that Hamasger 5 would be closed by the time we arrived to Eilat and is not open on Friday nights or Saturday. I hope to make it there on a future trip (if I end up going to Eilat again, which is debatable).

Left with some of the more basic recommendations, we decided to try out La Cuccina - an Eilat institution - for some Italian cooking. The head chef, Tomer, was busy in a heated kitchen as the tourist season in Eilat was well under way and the Italian dining room was fully packed.

As I love to eat many things, in small form, I am always a proponent of Antipasti, which in this case was a great choice. A plate of flavorful vegetables and cheeses, including grilled artichoke, goat cheese ball, mushrooms, and cauliflower, is a simple way to open up the appetite. Wanting to taste the range of what La Cuccina's kitchen offers, we tasted some seafood and pasta dishes, the best of which was the pan seared fillet of sea bream, served with fettuccine, artichoke and mushrooms.

After filling up on some seriously hearty carbs, we had no room left for dessert, though our neighbors tiramisu looked quite good - will save that one for next time!