Search this blog...

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Naples: The Good, The Bad, and the Delicious

Melanie and I wanted to spend a full week in Italy's Sorrento area, but we booked our trip at the last minute and couldn't find any rooms available for seven contiguous days. Our airport was in Naples, so we thought about spending a few days there, but my research included plenty of warnings about Italy's “Città del Sole” (city of the sun), and we were a little nervous.

Though there is some debate, Naples Italy is widely regarded as the birthplace of the most popular food in the world: pizza, so being fans of this culinary delicacy we figured it was worth the risk...

While staying in Sorrento we asked the locals about our next destination, and they told us lots of stories about the Mafia-style crime syndicate known as the Camorra, which has apparently controlled everything in Naples since the late 1800's. One of our drivers (who called himself "Tony the Penguin") explained that there is no terrorism in Italy because the Mafia grabs those terrorists by the ears and "BOOM!" they're swimmin' wit da fishes! This and his other stories did not make us feel better...

NOTE: I was very entertained to learn that Italian people really do say, "Mama Mia!" and when the men get mad they go, "AYYYyyy". (This is in contrast to our recent adventure in Ireland where we never once heard anyone say, "Top o' the Mornin' to ya!")

As we neared our hotel in Naples we couldn't help staring out the window. The city offers first time visitors a strange mix of putrefaction and pulchritude. Many of the narrow alleyways are crumbling, dark, oppressive, and covered in graffiti; and yet the city has a timeless charm that is beautiful, with its brightly colored clothes hanging out windows, or on lines stretched between buildings.





Naturally, I had done some some extensive research on the best places to get pizza in Naples, so I chose a hotel near some prime targets. Our plan, after checking in, was to walk to a nearby street called Via dei Tribunali, and get pizza at either "Gina Sorbillo" or "Di Meteo". (They are only about a block apart and both show up on the "Best Pizza in Naples" lists.)

Unfortunately, Naples is a pretty confusing place and we quickly got a little lost. Seeing our frustration a woman approached us. Melanie and I immediately suspected some kind of a scam, but she seemed pretty sincere about helping us. We managed to convey the name of the street we were seeking and she motioned, "Why?" Melanie blurted out, "Pizza", which made the woman shake her head. "No no no. I take you..." Danger alarms began to sound in my head, but we reluctantly followed.

The woman lead us about a block and then pointed at a pizzeria just down the street. "You go there. They know me. Is very good pizza." We tried to give her some money for helping us but she scoffed and refused to take it. Oops, we clearly misjudged this woman. I felt bad for being so suspicious...

The pizza restaurant she lead us to, Spuzzuliamm, wasn't fancy but we were tired, hot, and hungry, so we decided to give it a try. Boy are we glad we did. The pizza was extraordinary.

Margherita pizza only has three toppings: marinara sauce, mozzarella, and a little basil

Italy actually has laws regarding their pizzas. First, you need to have a 3 mm thick disk of dough with a 1-2 cm high crust. No other working tools other than the hands of the pizzaiolo are allowed, no rolling pin or mechanical press machine can be used. The sauce must be made using San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius, and mozzarella Campana, which is made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio. Finally, it needs to be cooked in a wood-brick oven at 485°C for about 90 seconds.

Oh, and in Italy you eat your pizza with a knife and fork! That's probably a good thing because the center of the pizza is so full of sauce and olive oil that it gets pretty drippy.

When Melanie took her first bite she almost immediately said, "Oh my..." And every few bites after that she would say, "Oh my God..." I nodded in agreement.

The sauce was delicious with a lovely tang, and it blended perfectly with the mozzarella, which was still fantastic even after the pizza cooled down. The crust was light, with a slight charred taste in places (that was a good thing!), and it was a little chewy (also a good thing!). I can't really pick one reason why this pizza was so good... it was a combination of everything.

Bottom line, this pizza was downright addictive. Sometimes you eat something with explosive flavor that blows the back of your head off, but after a few bites you're kind of satiated. This was different. It was like eating potato chips or popcorn... by the time you finished one bite you couldn't wait to take the next one. Melanie was so happy with the meal she hugged the waitress/owner before we left.

Though still a little full, that night we had a nice dinner at the hotel.

The restaurant in the hotel is in an open air palatial cloister that is over 800 years old!

Large pasta with rock fish

Fried potatoes with rosemary

This Limoncello Baba looked a little dry, but it was SUPER moist and delicious

The next day, we set out again to find Via dei Tribunali, and this time we succeeded.

Via dei Tribunali is a street in the old historic center. It was the main decumanus -- that is, the main east-west street -- of the ancient Greek and then Roman city of Neapolis.

The bust celebrates a character named "Pulcinella", who later became known as "Mr. Punch" (of Punch and Judy)

We saw this bronze skull in front of an opening to some kind of underground passageway

There were countless shops and restaurants up and down the street

The Church and Convent of the Girolamini 

The Cattedrale di San Gennaro, named for Saint Januarius, Naple's patron saint

When we found Gino Sorbillo's pizzeria at the end of the street, it was, unfortunately, closed. As it was another very hot day in Naples we really didn't want to wait for over an hour, so we headed back to the hotel and had some cold drinks.

The other pizza place in Naples that we really wanted to try is called "L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele". Some people have said this is the best pizza on earth, while others have called it an overrated tourist trap. We wanted to find out for ourselves. (This is the restaurant Julia Roberts ate at in the film "Eat Pray Love").



Yelp says Pizzeria da Michele is the least busy between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Unfortunately, when we got out of the cab we found this:

There must have been 60 people waiting outside the pizzeria

Looking around we were surprised to see that Spuzzuliamm was only a block away! We thought about going there instead, but I was really curious to see how Michele's pizza stacked up, so I took a number and we got in line.

Strangely, they only call out the numbers in Italian, so we felt a little lost. After about fifteen minutes, with very little progress, we decided to get takeout instead. We were directed to another line on the left. We hoped this would be much faster, but this line was even slower than the other one. Just as we were about to get called inside to place our orders we heard our number. "Here!" we shouted in unison.

Pizzeria da Michele is a busy place

We ordered 2 cold beers and 2 margherita pizzas -- total price: 13 euros!

So what was our verdict? It was a very good pizza, for sure, but it was NOT as good as Spuzzuliamm. The biggest difference was the sauce, which wasn't as tangy. Still, we're glad we braved the long lines to try it out. Now we know!

Despite our reservations, we never felt threatened or in any danger. In the end, it's probably just like every other big city in the world. There are thieves, and pickpockets, and purse snatchers everywhere. You just have to be careful.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Naples, and when we return to Italy for our anniversary next year we will definitely spend a few more days there, eating pizza and soaking up the wonderful Italian culture and history.

Paradise, Thy Name is Sorrento

Melanie and I just got back from a week long trip to Italy and it was glorious! In Sorrento, we lucked into the nicest hotel room ever, and in Naples we had some of the best pizza in the world!

We found this pizza at a hole-in-the-wall place in Naples. It was only 4 euros and it was DELICIOUS!

Our Hotel in Sorrento

We began our Italian adventure in the town of Sorrento, near Italy's famed Amalfi Coast. Our decision to go to Italy was a bit last minute so we had a hard time finding a hotel with rooms available, but fortunately Hotel La Tonnarella had a Junior Suite that cost less than a normal room in some of the other hotels closer to town.

Much to the frustration of my wife, I over-research almost everything. While looking at information about our hotel I discovered that one of the rooms at La Tonnarella is much nicer than the others. Too bad we booked so late.

La Tonnarella sits high on a cliff, overlooking the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius

When we checked in I casually asked, "So, which room will we be staying in?" The front desk clerk replied, "Let's see... you are in room 24, sir." 

I couldn't believe my ears! I blurted out excitedly, "REALLY?? We got room 24!?!" 

The woman looked somewhat confused, "Yes, sir. Did you request... have you stayed here bef -- how do YOU know about room 24?" 

I made a typing motion (for some reason), and said, "I researched the rooms. I know about room 24! I can't believe we are in room 24!!!" Based on her sly smile the desk clerk seemed to enjoy my ecstatic reaction.

So you may be wondering, what's the big deal about room 24? Well, take a look at these pictures:

The entry to our suite

The bed is on a raised marble platform

There is an inviting shower on the balcony

We sipped early morning coffee and ate lunch at this iron and tile table

This stone bed on our balcony was really comfortable... and look at that view!

We could almost swim laps in this huge jacuzzi tub in the bathroom

If you count the little stone benches this room has 24 has TWENTY chairs/seats

The view from our balcony. (That's Mount Vesuvius in the distance.)

The other side of the balcony had great views of Sorrento and an old fishing village called Marina Grande

Dining in Sorrento

Naturally, most of the cuisine near Sorrento focuses on fresh seafood from the Mediterranean. We had some really excellent meals at the hotel, and in town:

The rooftop restaurant at the hotel was very romantic

Lightly seared scallops with fresh Sorrento lemon sauce

Lobster pasta

Melanie's seafood pasta was only 20 euros!

As the sun went down they played some light Italian jazz, and I swear I saw Melanie swoon a little bit

On our second night we ate at Bagni Delfino in the fishing village of Marina Grande

Before our meal we received a complimentary appetizer with fresh tomatoes

Sea urchin pasta

Melanie's seafood risotto was incredible. A must order the next time we're at the restaurant!

Every table at the restaurant is right on the water

Many of the boats were vibrantly colored

It was so peaceful to watch the ocean (and the fishermen) while we ate our meal

The Italians REALLY know how to make desserts. This lemon cream cake was to die for.

In downtown Sorrento we picked up some bread, cheese, and meat for sandwiches. What a delicious lunch!

On our final night in Sorrento we ate at a restaurant called 'Ghibli on the Beach'

A complimentary appetizer: fried zucchini blossoms 

My lavender shrimp appetizer was beautiful... and delicious

Gnocchi with fresh clams and zucchini blossoms

Melanie really enjoyed this fried fish and vegetable dish

The docks near the restaurant, as the sun began to set

We Are Returning to Sorrento!

After our dinner at Ghibli, a friendly cab driver drove us through some super narrow back alleys in Sorrento. Suddenly, we were on a street that felt like a Disney attraction! There were colorful restaurants, bars, people laughing and dancing, live music, and some guy in the middle of the road playing songs on his accordion. Why did we have to find this place on our final night???

We were scheduled to spend our last two nights in Naples, but we seriously considered finding a room somewhere so we could spend one more night in Sorrento. Instead, we compromised. The next morning we booked room 24 for our wedding anniversary next June!

There is an Italian saying that Naples makes you cry twice... once when you arrive and once when you leave. We found that to be true. Read about Naples here.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Ireland is the craic! (Part Two)

After our epic pub crawl the day before, we spent most of Friday recovering at the hotel.

Connemarra Tour

Early Saturday morning we took a taxi into Dublin and met our tour guide for the day at the Molly Malone statue.

The Molly Malone statue in downtown Dublin

You may notice, in the picture above, that Molly's bosom is a different color. Apparently, it is customary to reach up and grope the statue, but please be aware that I did NOT do this (Autumn... and Melanie... and Kristen and Serenity), because I respect women far too much...  Ahem.

This is probably a good time to talk about the weather in Ireland. It was cold and rainy in Dublin for the first four days of our trip, but the day of our Connemara tour it was bright, clear and beautiful! There was barely a cloud in the sky when we left Dublin, but as we headed across the island the clouds rolled in and by the time we got to our destination it was grey, chilly and wet. I asked a local about the weather and he said it was beautiful in Connemara all week. Figures.

Basically, from a weather standpoint, this was our trip:

We got kind of unlucky with regards to the weather

Despite the cold and wet conditions, our trip wasn't diminished by the weather in any way. In fact, it's kind of nice to drink Guinness in a warm inviting pub while it's stormy outside!

This boat took us on a tour of the Killary Fjord

Some parts of Connemara looked like beautiful alien landscapes

LOVED this... alone on the aft deck, cold, wet, with a hot Irish coffee to keep me warm

The water looked very cold

This picture captures how I have always envisioned Ireland

We stopped briefly at Kylemore Abbey, which was being renovated

Kylemore Abbey  
 Our bus driver told us some interesting stories about Kylemore Abbey. It was originally a castle, built in the 1800s by a wealthy businessman and politician named Mitchell Henry. Unlike most Englishmen of the time, Mitchell was a pretty good guy. He was inspired to build the castle by his love for his wife Margaret, and although it took 100 local workmen over 4 years, he built them housing with glass windows, and even constructed a school for their children.

When Margaret tragically died during a trip to Cairo, Henry was completely heartbroken and he eventually sold Kylemore to the Ninth Duke of Manchester. Today, the castle is home to an order of Benedictine nuns who took it over in 1920, after their abbey in Belgium was destroyed during World War I.

Our final stop was Galway, a charming town in the province of Connacht

Before heading back to our hotel we had dinner at M.J. O'Neill's Pub

Bangers and Mash with a rich Guinness gravy. Yum!

Brazen Head Dinner

On Sunday night we headed back into Dublin to have a special dinner at the oldest pub in all of Ireland. The origin of The Brazen Head can be traced back to a coach house established in 1198, and a number of famous patrons are known to have visited here, including author James Joyce, who mentioned the pub in his novel Ulysses; and Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels. According to NBC News, there are even claims that the folkloric English outlaw Robin Hood once drank at the Brazen Head.

The pub looks pretty small from the outside, but it's bigger than it appears

Beer barrels line the entry way to The Brazen Head

We had a pint of Guinness while waiting for our dinner to start

The dinner we signed up for, "An Evening of Food, Folklore, and Fairies", was on the second floor of the pub. This was the top-rated dinner attraction on TripAdvisor, and we were not disappointed. Oliver, our host for the evening, was a masterful storyteller and he provided the music and singing as well!

Here's a short clip:


Oliver not only told us about how the Irish used to live, their folklore and customs, he entertained us with stories. My favorite was about two Irish gentlemen who purchased a couple of coal black cows. On the way home they spied a pub but they didn't know what to do with their cows. The owner of the pub was a crafty one and he told them to put the cows in the field behind the pub, which they did. (Apparently, tales like this could sometimes go on for hours.)

The two farmers drank pints until the wee hours of the morning and when they went out back to find their cows it was pitch black. They looked and looked, but they couldn't see their cows in the dark, so they had to return home to their angry wives, while the pub owner benefited from their misery.

Eventually, the two saved up enough money to buy more cows, only this time they were smart about it and picked two heifers as white as doves. They stopped at the same pub, and with a glance up at the sky the crafty owner once again told them they could keep their cows in the field. The farmers were suspicious so they stopped drinking before it got dark this time. With smug smiles they bid the owner farewell and headed out of the pub, only to find that the field was full of snow and their cows were nowhere to be seen. Just like before the hapless gentlemen were forced to return home with empty hands and empty pockets.

Our Irish Souvenir

Melanie and I kind of fell in love with some of the old Irish folk songs, especially "Molly Malone", which is a bit easier to remember than the others. Shane taught us the chorus on our Pub Crawl, we met at the Molly Malone statue in Dublin for our Connemara trip, and Oliver sang the song again at The Brazen Head... so our Irish souvenir was pretty obvious when we saw it:

Crying "cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh..."

Some of the Irish folk songs we heard, and loved, on our trip:

Molly Malone:


The Fields of Athenry:



Dirty Old Town:


The Wild Rover:


Black Velvet Band:


Spancil Hill:


Mountains o' Mourne:


Seven Drunken Nights:


NOTE: This song has two more verses, for Saturday and Sunday, 
but they are considered too vulgar and are generally not recorded.