Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. So said Harriet van Horne, whoever she was. And I'm with her 100%.They cook with gusto at Al Firenze. They do it properly and it shows.The place is always packed and the patrons feast greedily on the sumptuous Italian fare.Tony de Sousa was tutored by Italian chefs and has run the restaurant - an unpretentious, family-oriented eatery inLa Lucia - since 1988. In that time he's garnered a well-deserved reputation for tasty meals.I enjoy the trattoria decor. The red and white checked tablecloths are a comforting cliché. The big pizza oven takes pride of place at the front of the kitchen.The service is good and the prices are reasonable.It's a celebration of good, simple food, all the more enticing because it lacks ponce.We went on a billowy Saturday night, specifically for the grilled seafood platter.If you've had the misfortune of a few scrawny prawns, rubbery calamari rings and some soggy fish masquerading as a seafood platter, then go to Al Firenze.It is delicious. A discerning foodie recommended it and he was spot-on.The shellfish was fabulous. The prawns were plump, the langoustines tasty and the mussels abundant. The calamari was plentiful and the linefish was firm and fresh. I don't remember how much there was, but the platter was ample. Two of us couldn't finish it.Had it not been recommended, I wouldn't have associated Al Firenze with a seafood platter. Diners wanting fish would probably sooner look to Ocean Basket or John Dory's, or on the swanky side, Oyster Box, Daruma or Jack Salmon.But Al Firenze holds its own in the seafood department, in spite of being renowned for wintry casseroles and pizza.Need to knowWhen to goLunch and dinner.What not to doGet lost. It can be difficult to find in the heart of La Lucia suburbia.Whatever you doOrder the seafood platter. Don't be distracted by the alluring aromas from the pizza oven.How muchThe seafood platter for two was R500. Then there was R150 for a beer and a bottle of wine.Where21 Ray Paul Drive, La Lucia, DurbanPhone031-572-5559..