Eating around Naples

Michele and I visit Naples and the Campania region of Italy often because they have so much to offer.  This time we went to the San Carlo Opera House and saw a unique version of the opera Pagliacci, visited Herculaneum, saw the painting “The Seven Works of Mercy” and others by Michelangelo Merisi, aka Caravaggio, and enjoyed many fine restaurants and cafes of Naples. We arrived in the afternoon and could not resist the fried pizza at

The customers put in their order and leave a small tip on the paper 

This is the fried pizza we had for lunch

Restaurant Ciro a Santa Brigida is one of our favorites.  We went there the first night and I had a fantastic seafood stew.

We wanted to go to Nannella but when we got there it was closed so Michele remembered another restaurant nearby, Hosteria Toledo. We had the assorted vegetable antipasto, which included sauteed mushrooms, several kinds of eggplant, escarole with olives and capers, friarielli with garlic and hot pepper, roasted peppers, marinated zucchini and numerous other things.  Neapolitans really know how to make vegetables.

Michele and I had  pasta patane, pasta and potatoes cooked until creamy with scamorza cheese.

Our friend Ernie had the rigatoni with ragu and ricotta

Another day we went to La Taverna di Santa Chiara, a restaurant known for using local ingredients, and I had the  pasta Genovese, pasta cooked with a meat and onion sauce.

 

At Da Ettore, we had pizza, and then the owner suggested we try his fried pizza stuffed with pork ragu.  We couldn’t resist.

At Le Parùle near Herculaneum, we had a fantastic fritto misto which included fried onion rings, a nice touch

Then the frittatina,  fried macaroni 

 

Followed by Pizza Margherita 

Friends joined us for lunch at Europea Mattozzi in Naples

Michele has the Sausages and Friarielli (a type of broccoli rabe)

At Da Umberto we had this pasta with seafood, friarielli and little tomatoes.

Another day we enjoyed this gorgeous Baba cake  with Massimo Alois, Talita de Rosa  of Alois Winery, Ilaria Petitto and Francesco de Rienzo of Donnachiara Winery

We stopped in at Gambrinus cafe at least once a day, for breakfast, snacks or cocktails.  They make excellent coffee, which we enjoyed with sfogliatelle.

Carnival Lasagna and Carnival Pizza in Naples

 

We arrived in Naples but our luggage did not. When we arrived at the hotel, the room was not ready. No room and no luggage. So, naturally, we went for pizza at da Ettore, Via Santa Lucia 56.   We had not been here for a number of years but Michele had always liked the pizza and it was not far from the hotel.

Although there is a lot of buzz in Naples now about all the hot new pizza places, Da Ettore is traditional Neapolitan pizza at it best. We started with fried zucchini flowers, which were batter fried and unstuffed. Delicious. Then I had the pizza margarita.

Michele had the margarita with bufala mozzarella. Both were light and judiciously sauced with tasty tomatoes and good cheese.

Osteria Della Mattonella Via G. Nicotera 13. Since it was Carnevale in Naples, every restaurant was serving Lasagna di Carnevale, a Neapolitan interpretation of the classic pasta, layered with sausages, tiny meatballs, ricotta, hard cooked eggs and cheese.

Michele said it was just like the one her grandmother use to make. A very old fashioned restaurant, the walls here are covered in tiles and photos of Neapolitan film stars, such as Toto and Sofia Loren. To reach it, you must take an elevator from the street below, Via Chiaia.

Da Nennella 103 Vico LungoTeatro Nuovo. This is a very popular restaurant because the food is very good and the prices are very low.

I started with Alici Fritti, and then Mezzi Paccheri al Pomodoro Fresco which was wonderful Michele had Palline di Ricotta Fritte and Mezzi Paccheri con Zucca and Provola, pasta rings with squash and smoked mozzarella. On the way out, we were given small plastic chips that we could exchange for caffe and baba. Noisy, busy and a lot of fun, plus the food was very good.

MUU_ Muuzzarella Lounge, Vico 2 Alabardieri This restaurant was around the corner from our hotel and they served mozzarella with meat, vegetables or fish. We had Mozzarella E Soppressata, Fiori di Zucca con Ricotta, and Mozzarella in Carrozza, but the highlight was the Ricotta di latte di bufala with honey, pine nuts and raisins.   I could not stop eating it, slathered on good bread. 

La Taverna a Santa Chiara 6  We started with Fried Provola and an assortment of local Cheeses and Salumi. Then I had Fusilli Pasta with Tomato and Ricotta di Fuscella, what is often sold in the US as “basket cheese”, a drier form of fresh ricotta (to die for). Michele had Maccheroncini with Eggplant, Zucchini and Small Tomatoes. Then we shared Grilled Sausages and Friarielli (the local broccoli rabe), and a half liter of Gragnano.

Da Attilio in Spaccanapoli, via Pignasecca 17 In the colorful Pignasecca Market, this small pizzeria filled up quickly at lunchtime. I had the Carnival pizza, star shaped pizza with the points of the crust filled with ricotta. We also shared a Pizza Margarita and Pizza Fresca with arugula and prosciutto.

Ciro a Santa Brigida, Via Santa Brigida 71/73  Our last meal in Naples was particularly memorable. This is a place we return to often. We began with Fried zucchini flowers, which were crisp and flavorful. Then I had the Octopus alla Luciana, with lemon and olive oil and Ziti alle Genovese, ziti with an onion and meat sauce, a Neapolitan classic.

Michele had Linguine with Moscardini (baby octopus) and tiny tomatoes, followed by a Frittura Misto di Pesce, little fish, calamari and shrimp fried in a crispy crust. With it we drank Pallagrello Bianco.

For dessert I had a classic crème caramel.