Saturday, July 7, 2012

Once Upon a Napoli Night


I have heard from everyone- including those who live in Naples- that there isn’t much to do. There is a castle to visit, and a harbor, but honestly, most advice that I received said get out of Naples as soon as you get there. After my first night in Naples, I would strongly disagree, but instead say that Naples is full of Italian culture and a great way to experience everyday life without tourist distractions.

After a long day of exploring Pompeii, I had worked up an appetite and was ready to try some true Napoli Pizza, home of where pizza was actually founded. My parents and I headed out into the city passing by local fun shops, supermarkets, and folks just generally communing the city streets. Naples is pretty difficult to get around, so we got lost looking for our restaurant, but we finally found it nestled in a small alley way.

“Brandi,” Naples oldest pizzeria, started in 1780. The story behind the pizzeria is that a group of royals tried three meals prepared by this restaurant: the first was a “white” pizza, with olive oil, cheese and basil. The second was with cecenielle (a kind of sardines). The third was a pizza with mozzarella and tomatoes. Queen Margherita especially liked the last kind of pizza and wrote an offial letter, explaining that the meals were excellent. So, in 1889, the “Margherita Pizza” was born, in honor of the Queen.

With this this story in mind, we had to order the Margherita pizza, and also the Prosciutto pizza. The waiter must have liked us, because he even  gave us free bruschetta with out meal! The ambiance of the restaurant felt so authentic, with romantic mood lighting, and Italian men singing and playing guitar throughout the outdoor seating. The meal was excellent, by far the best pizza I have ever had- (and I even went back the last day in Italy!) It was certainly the traditional pizza made from Naples.

As we finished our meal up, I thanked the waiters and made sure to get a picture to remember the delicious meal- and a way to remember how to come back in the future!

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