As promised in my last post (see: terrific trofie) I’m back from a weekend in the lovely city of Naples (my first time out of Rome in months).
Napoli and I go way back; I first traveled there for a day trip in 2012 mid-way through my first year in Rome. Not yet used to living in a big city – adjusting to Rome had thus far been rocky and I very much missed tiny Bologna – Naples thoroughly knocked me off my feet. It was chaotic, and noisy, a place where families of four rode helmet-less all on one motorino and sidewalks seemed to be non-existent; even the pizza in Naples was over-the-top, larger than life with a thick, fluffy crust, nothing like the cracker-thin pizza I’d been eating in Rome. My experience in Naples as 23 year old (newly settled in Italy) was overwhelming, and I was relieved to get back on the train at end of the day. Though I was happy to be able to say that I’d visited it, I concluded that Naples wasn’t really for me.
When I visited Naples again a few years later, I found that the city itself had stayed the same (Naples doesn’t change for anyone) but I, apparently, was different. What had startled me about Napoli initially was no longer off-putting, but rather endearing; this city was overwhelming and rough around the edges, yes, but this simply meant that it had character, self-confidence, spirit. To be honest, I’m not sure what this change of heart on my side can be attributed to -- I’d since thoroughly adjusted to living in a bigger city? I’d matured as a person? I can no longer be adverse to a place that cares so much about pizza?! all of the above? – but I can now safely say that I love Naples. It’s unabashedly, unapologetically itself; to put it bluntly, it gives zero f*cks what you think. The city could be a little cleaner, yes, and its got its share of overzealous drivers; they fry their pizza and soak their cake in rum; they speak in a dialect that is all their own, and have a penchant for clothing with lots of sparkles, bright colors, and patterns (some might call it tacky); the city is decidedly chaotic, and fast-paced. On top of this boisterous, distinct personality, the city also boast incredible food, art, history, and music. In any case: you can take it or leave it. Naples won’t be offended if you opt for the latter.
So! If you’re in the Eternal City like me and are thinking to take a step out of Rome post-lockdown, or if you’re planning to visit Naples again whenever you can get back to Italy, orrrrr if you just want to look at pictures of really good food – read on.
A couple of notes on traveling to Naples following lockdown: Trains are stocked with sanitizer, you’re asked to wear your mask at all time, and in the case of Italo, social distancing is put firmly in place, even for those who live together in the same household (this was a first for me). Stores and restaurants were stocked with hand sanitizer, had masked staff, and practiced social distancing. Having said this: Neapolitans in general don’t seem to wear masks (we actually felt a bit funny wearing them out on the street, as we were in the clear minority) and social distancing in social settings (in the piazza, for example) appeared to be non-existent. On the upside, most all the sights that are hard to access too/that require waiting time or lines were mostly free, and I can’t say that at any point in time we felt unsafe or at risk. Onwards!
WHAT/WHERE TO EAT
PIZZA (obviously): I was accompanied on this trip by a fellow foodie (FF) who thankfully cared as much about what we would eat in Naples as I did (phew!) First on our list was pizza – the city’s specialty -- but where?! After consulting our lengthy list of candidates (Fratelli di bufala, Pizzeria Sorbillo, Starita) we decided on Concettina ai Tre Santi (Via Arena della Sanità, 7 Bis), a place where FF had eaten last summer and still talked about with a dreamy look in his eyes. We weren’t disappointed: we split two pizzas, one a simple Margherita (always a good benchmark to judge a pizzeria by) and one called Il Sole della Sanita’. Both were divine, to die for, possibly the best pizza I’ve ever had; the ingredients were of the highest quality (Naples is the place to go for mozzarella and tomatoes, btw – will get to that) and ridiculously fresh, the crust was fluffy and tall and proud and delicious, and the yellow tomatoes on Il Sole della Sanita’ were a thing of true beauty, cooked in the oven until soft and collapsed and sweet. To finish it all off: a slice of giant baba’, cut like a cake and dipped lightly in rum (not soaked) – my preference. Off to a good start, no?
FRITTI: Neapolitans are not afraid of frying their food (like I said: they even fry their pizza) and this means that lucky for us, they offer a vast selection of fritti that we were eager to try. We were pleased with the street-foody selection from Passione di Sofi’ (Via Toledo 126) not far from where we were staying, and opted for a fritto misto, or rather a cone filled with arancini di riso (tiny fried rice balls) zeppolette di pasta cresciuta (fried pizza dough) and crocchè di patate, (potato croquettes), among other things. Long story short: pure carb bliss. Happy face as proof, below.
SFOGLIATELLE: On to the sweet stuff! There are two types of these classic Neapolitan pastries: sfogliatelle made with frolla (sweet dough) or sfogliatelle riccia (thin, crispy, layered, my preference). After careful consideration and review-reading, we headed to Attanasio (Vico Ferrovia, 1-2-3-4, conveniently located near the train station). We were met with a long line of Neapolitans – good sign – and after a short wait were served sfogliatelle, still warm, stuffed with a cinnamon scented, canditi studded, ricotta filling. They were too good for words, and the same can be said of Attanasio’s baba’ al rum, a dessert that isn’t exactly my favorite (see above) but was made to perfection at Attanasio. The sweets didn’t last long enough to photograph, so you’ll have to settle for these two photos here and go see for yourself. Side note: My nonno honeymooned here back in the 1940s; while he rarely if ever spoke about his first wife (who passed away suddenly not long in to their marriage) he did speak once about their trip to Naples, and the immense quantity of sfogliatelle they both ate. The thought of my nonno – young, tanned, a newlywed, enjoying a sfogliatelle in a piazza somewhere in the same city as me -- delights me.
A GOOD NEAPOLITAN TRATTORIA
With pizza crossed off my list, I was ready for some pasta (no surprise there, right?) Full discretion: Naples is known for its seafood, but I can’t say that I’m much of a fan of fish and shellfish (this blog attests to that; I think I’ve posted maybe 4 recipes in 6 years). We headed to Signora Bettola (Vico Satriano, 3B) where I opted instead for another specialty, Spaghetti alla nerano (aka pasta with lots of thinly sliced zucchini cooked until silky + Provolone del Monaco). It was too good for words (I’ll be trying to recreate this one, stay tuned) and preceded by a mozzarella di bufala each and an expertly made bruschetta – perfect summer tomatoes tomatoes, good olive oil, toasted bread, and a sprinkle of salt – it was a pretty faultless meal.
WHAT TO SEE
When we weren’t eating, we did some sight-seeing, too! Highly recommended: Palazzo Reale, aka the Royal Palace of Naples, which we pretty much had to ourselves on a Saturday afternoon. The palazzo was one of the four residences near Naples used by the House of Bourbon during their rule of the Kingdom of Naples and later the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and it’s pretty cool to walk around and look at how the other half lived (complete with a private theatre, chapel, larger than life paintings, and a ballroom).
I could’ve spent hours at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (i.e National Archaeological Museum), which boasts works from Greek, Roman and Renaissance times, not to mention Roman artifacts and mosaics from nearby Pompeii, and a vast collection of marble statues from Villa Farnese. My favorite? The museum’s Egyptian collection, which displays 2,500 different pieces.
Cappella Sansevero contains works of Rococo art by some of the leading Italian artists of the 18th century, including the famous Cristo Velato (Giuseppe Sanmartino, 1753) a ridiculously realistic statue of Christ veiled in a shroud, not to mention about 30 other works of art. The basement of the chapel houses two “anatomical machines" (macchine anatomiche) created by anatomist Giuseppe Salerno (1760) from a commission by Raimondo di Sangro, an attempt to understand and display the workings of the human body. Photos were not allowed in the chapel (boo) so I don’t have anything to show you, but a quick google search to see what I’m talking about will do.
FINALLY: good for working off your pizza/fritti/baba’, a walk along the lungomare, or seaside, where you can easily get a glimpse of Vesuvius.
WHERE TO SHOP
To absolutely no one’s surprise the souvenirs we took home from Naples were all edible. We headed to Sogni di Latte (Via Cavallerizza a Chiaia), a cheese shop my travel companion had meant to visit during his last trip to Naples but hadn’t gotten around to and sorely regretted this. Though the Campania region is known for its mozzarella di bufala, we opted for cheeses that could be taken home easily and would hold up better during a long trip; after some tasting and thorough questioning of the shop’s expert, we walked away with a caciocavallo (di savoia di rocca bascerano, long name) that tasted deliciously like an Italian version of cheddar, and a super rich taleggio capano. Our only regret was not buying more to take home.
I looove visiting a market wherever I’m traveling (see this post here, and here, and here!) and Naples was no exception; per the advice of a local, we headed to Mercato Pignasecca (Via Pignasecca 14). Tomato season is upon us, and Naples produces particularly delicious tomatoes, an accomplishment attributed to the volcanic soil they grow in near Mount Vesuvius and a particularly suitable climate (in fact, the famous San Marzano tomatoes come from Naples). Inspired by our pizza at Concettina, we thus stocked up on lots of might-as-well-be-candy yellow tomatoes to bring back home with us. Also spotted: the tomato rainbow (orange! red! yellow! green!)
WHERE WE STAYED
Airbnb has lots of available apartments these days – to be expected with no tourism – but we found a particularly nice one near Piazza Matteotti (near the Toledo subway stop) that was within walking distance of most everything we wanted to see. Our host was also a foodie and provided lots of suggestions and advice – if you’re looking for a good apartment then, I’d recommend this one here, which gets extra points for the, um, optional disco style lighting in the shower.
Any more questions about Naples? Feel free to send an email to pancakesbiscottiblog@gmail.com, or leave a comment below. I’ll be back next week with a summer-y recipe!
