Naples (Italy)

Italy, Naples, Uncategorized 2 comments

Our three months in Italy has come to an end.  During these three months, we were able to experience the perfect mix of weather, from the cool spring leading into the heat of the summer.

We are closing out our extended stay in Italy, with a week set aside to explore the southern city of Naples.  A gritty urban jungle is the best way to describe Naples.  It reminded me so much of Bangkok as the city had a distinct traveler/backpacker vibe to it.  Palermo has a similar reputation, but in my opinion, Naples delivered the grittiness on another level.  The locals in Naples are passionate and you can hear it in their voices when they are screaming at each other in the streets.

The food options in Naples have been some our favorite from all the places we visited during our three months in Italy.  However, I may be biased as a self proclaimed die hard pizza lover.  Naples, in southwestern Italy’s Campania region is known as the birthplace of pizza.  The pizza Margherita is considered to be the classic Neapolitan pizza.  While it has come to be a famous dish all over the world, some say its story began in a narrow alley in Naples.  According to the popular legend, the pizza Margherita was invented in 1889 by Raffaele Esposito, chef at Pizzeria Brandi.

The regular Margherita pizza (BFD’s fav) and Pizza Fritto, which is fried (Barbie’s fav) from Naples are simply in another league.   Months prior to our trip to Italy, I told Barbie to be prepared as I planned on eating pizza every single day and that is precisely what I did.  They really have mastered the art of frying in Naples.  Fritto Misto, fried pasta, fried pannelle, fried croquettes, fried Arancini,  fried Zucchini flowers, fried mozzarella.  I think they would fry a kid if they could. They have a philosophy in Naples that eating healthy makes you sick.

Here are some of the best Pizza and Pizza Fritto joints in Naples:

Pizza:
Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba 
Concettina ai Tre Santi 
Pizzeria Trianon Da Ciro 
Pizzeria Da Attilio 
50 Kalo di Ciro Salvo 
II PIzzaiolo del Presidente (aka Dai Presidente)
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele 
Pizza 3.0 Ciro Cascella 
Pizzeria la Notzia
Pizzeria Brandi

Fried Pizza (aka Pizza Fritto) :
Antica Pizza Fritta Da Zia Esterina Sorbillo
D’e Figliole
Sorbillo Piccolina Gino e Toto
Michele Tutino
Antica Di Matteo
Passione di Sofi
La Masordona
La Figlia del Presidente

Barbie and I both loved Naples despite its sketchy reputation.  We allocated a full week in Naples and being seasoned travelers, we were able to get off the main drags in the more touristy city centre (Centro Storico) and out into the local neighborhoods (Rione Sanita, Posillipo, Quartieri Spagnoli, Santa Lucia).

Seeing the frenetic local life on the outskirts of the city centre reminded us of the very similar organized chaotic street life in Bangkok, Thailand which we have grown to really appreciate.  The speeding motorbikes creeping down our backs honking their horns in the narrow alleyways.  The abundance of street food and outdoor food markets around every corner.  The energy and summer heat of the city just reminded us of our time in Southeast Asia.

Our time is up in Italy and we are sad to leave.  However, we plan on returning at this same time of year in 2024 to explore, in a rental car, the Puglia region (the heal of Italy) to sample the unique food in this region and hang out on all of the beautiful beaches lining the Puglia coast.

We are now off to Turkey (aka Turikye) to spend the summer road tripping around all of the renowned beach towns lining the Mediterranean Coast.

2 comments

  1. Doug, your blog is amazing!! So much detail while bringing back my memories of eating the fried pizzas from street vendors when I was there with my mother!! Like you, Pizza Margherita is my favorite stone oven baked. But . . . everything FRIED! Io sono con te!

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