Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Found! The best pizza in Napoli. . .

Napoli, (aka Naples on this side of ‘The Pond’) is the birthplace of pizza.

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For that reason, we told ourselves prior to last fall’s cruise, that we would eat pizza there during our few hours in this ‘love-it or hate-it’ Italian town on Italy’s western coast.  (The photo above of Mt. Vesuvius was taken during our Celebrity Silhouette’s early morning approach to the harbor.)


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We’d braved the morning’s rain and set out, umbrellas unfurled, to explore the dizzying, congested streets, and by noon had worked up a pizza-sized appetite. We were far off the main road on one of our direction-less wanders off-the-beaten-tourist-path, when we happened upon this place:

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It was one of a trillion or so similar Pizzaria’s that line the sidewalks of this ages-old city.  What made this place stand out for us, was the crush of customers inside. Tiny tables within elbow’s reach of each other were filled. We were tucked into one of the last remaining in a snug corner of Ristorante e Pizzeria da Attilio* .

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While most dishes were prepared in an industrial looking kitchen in the back, the pizzas were prepared by a culinary artist (as I prefer to think of him) just  inside the front door.

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And since every artist needs an admirer or two, I headed to his gallery to watch him prepare our pizza.

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Dough was stretched, toppings in place and he turned the creation over to his assistant whose job it was to cook our pizza in his incredibly hot oven. And within minutes. . .

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. . . Mama Mia!  Our pizza was served; the best pizza we have ever eaten, perhaps the ‘best in Napoli’! Or was it?

 That afternoon, back at the ship and resting up from that pizza, we headed to the pool and hot tub.

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That’s where we struck up a conversation with a couple who told us they had just eaten ‘the best pizza in Napoli’ for lunch and described a place no where near where we had eaten.  They said they knew they had eaten ‘the best pizza in Napoli” because that is what travel guru Rick Steves had said of the pizzeria located on one of his guidebook’s ‘on-the-beaten-tourist-path walks’. . .

Hmmm. . .I wonder who did eat 'the best' pizza in Napoli that day?

Are you one who ‘goes by the guidebook’?  If so, what guidebooks do you use? Or do you allow yourself the opportunity to make discoveries on your own?

SilhouettePt12012 039That’s it for this week’s Travel Photo Thursday – head over to Budget Travelers Sandbox for more photos today and stop by here this weekend when we will have more tales and tips for you.

*If you get to Napoli, try Da Attilio Pizzeria, Via Pignasecca, 17, http://pizzeriaattilio.jimdo.com  - we think you’ll like it!

28 comments:

  1. I remember the frenzy and chaos of Naples when I was there 40 years ago (gulp)...trust me I was a kid (teenager) haha.

    My experience with the guidebook or Trip Advisor recommendations is that they are often not nearly as good as reported. Not always, but enough to make me a little leery. I think it's fun to find your own "hidden" gem!

    (Believe it or not, I still cannot post a comment here unless I am in FireFox!)

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    1. I don't know why it won't let you post a comment in anything other than FireFox. . .mysterious, for sure. Naples is as chaotic as your remember it. I also look at Trip Advisor and guidebooks but follow my nose to the best eateries.

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  2. I can't remember a bad pizza anywhere in Rome either!!! Need to go back!

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    1. You are right - I don't recall any Italian food as being bad in Rome (or anywhere else for that matter in Italy). Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. So enjoyable post, Italy is a gastronomic paradise! I know that very well!
    Greetings! Olympia

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    1. Olympia, I will soon be writing about the gastronomic romp we took through Greece . . .it was equally as delightful!

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  4. I've been to Napoli on a cruise but we didn't have time to eat. I can't tell what your pizza tasted like but it LOOKS absolutely yummy. Is it like American pizza? We are just about to head out on a trip, and my husband basically handed me the Rick Steves book and said I should select a restaurant. I myself was planning on just seeing what we discovered as we walked around.

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    1. The thing we've found with Rick Steves recommended restaurants is usually a gaggle of Americans filling it with copies of Rick Steves guidebooks on their tables. I'd vote for finding one on your own and then telling all of us about it on your blog!

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  5. When the moon's in the sky like a big pizza pie, it's.....

    Pizza Night!

    Mangia bene!

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  6. That pizza looks might good to me and I agree that a full restaurant - especially if it's full of locals - is a very good sign.

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    1. Yes, I am with you Leigh. The more the locals, the more likely we are to eat there. Kind of like the old rule-of-thumb on road trips: if the truck drivers stop there you know it is good food.

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  7. Sometimes when a cafe or restaurant gets into a well-known guide book the quality starts going down and the prices start going up. I do not have a strict rule on it though. We tend to choose places that have a lot of customers and whose prices are affordable, regardless of whether they are in the guide book or not.

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    1. That sounds like the best way to approach it Jan. Glad you stopped by this week!

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  8. Hi Jackie, your pizza definitely looked yummy. I heard pizzas in Napoli are really great. But which one is the best? I guess it will always be subject to debate.
    You made an interesting question about guidebooks. We normally used Lonely Planet. But when it comes to picking the best place to eat, we normally go with the recommendation of locals and not the guidebooks.

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    1. I have to admit that Lonely Planet is our favorite guidebook and has helped us find a number of good accommodations and eateries on occasion as well.

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  9. I love touring with you - your Pizza certainly looked like the "best pizza in Napoli". You always know you are on a winner when the restuarnt is full. A couple of years ago we found a little Italian restaurnat tucked away in Fremantle - magnificent authentic Italian food.
    Have a wonderful week and thank you fro sotpping by my blog today.

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    1. Hi Jill - thanks for returning the visit to our blog. Look forward to seeing you again next week - if not before (I hope!). . .

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  10. I haven't had breakfast yet, but I'm ready for pizza now! Isn't great the places you come across when you're wandering around? That's my favorite way of exploring a new city. Naples isn't on the agenda for my upcoming trip to Italy, but I'm sure I'll be back some time for pizza.

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    1. I bet you'll find some good eats anywhere in Italy. While you are in Milan try one of their tavernas that have a Happy Hour spread that looks like buffet-dining in the U.S. and comes with a glass of wine!

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  11. Luckily, I just ate lunch since that pizza looks delicious. I've heard some great things about Naples pizza. I guess it's all subjective. I go with Rick Steves sometimes too but rely much more heavily on locals' recommendations. Hole in the wall places full of locals are always great places.

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    1. I am with you Mary - it really is subjective, isn't it?

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  12. Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by. I love the Bird of Paradise photo on your blog Kalyan!

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  13. And that is why I really want to go to Italy! I am tried of my partner saying that pizzas in Melbourne are bad!

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    1. No better reason than to eat pizza, right?! Thanks for your visit today Denise.

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