Napoli For My Birthday

I’ve been craving pizza and a new city to explore.  Napoli was the perfect destination.  We were all very nervous about going after all the horror stories we heard.  The first thing we did was get a pizza each from a little hole in the wall place called I Decumani.  There was no point in waiting.  I ate most of mine on a park bench.  It was mediocre but still SO satisfying.

Pretty soon after eating our pizzas and checking into the Hotel Neapolis (a great hotel, 87 euro for three beds, one large enough for two people), we made our way over to meet Giovanni and his family at a little place called Europeo di A. Mattozzi.  We started with two cheese: mozzarella di bufala and a smoked provoletta.  The mozz was incredible.  Next we had a margarita pizza and a marinara pizza, both were the best pizzas I’ve had in Italy thus far.  On the side we had some croquette filled with potato and the smoke provoletta, along with some sauteed escarole.

Next, the pastas.  We started with a hot and spicy pasta called Spaghetti Sufrito.  The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce, made from various Vitello insides, was pretty interesting.  Each bite offered a different texture and flavor.  Pasta number two was a Paccheri con vongole, tomato, scampi and angostine.  Again, the pasta was cooked perfectly and the fish was delicious.

For Secondo, we split some alici fritti and some carciofi.   I think fried anchovies are my favorite kind of fried fish.

For dessert, we had a flourless chocolate-almond cake, perfect for the non-gluten eaters among us, along with a torta di fragolini, babas with rum, cream puffs, limoncello, grappa and one last prosecco to celebrate the owner’s birthday and our birthdays before leaving.

After we walked to the famous cafe Gambrinus for espresso and more little treats.

We walked around Napoli a bit and were slightly sickened by tripe hanging in well lit display cases on the streets.

The next morning we got up and out really early.  Our first stop was across the street from our hotel to get some hot and fresh sfogliatelle.  Then we walked down Via Petrucciani and went into a bunch of the nativity scene stores to look at all the dollhouse sized stuff.  Pretty amazingly detailed stuff.

This was followed by a visit to the Gesu Nuovo,  Santa Chiaia, an old cloister still in use today, and then the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli.  We had an interesting time in the room with all the forbidden art.

We were particularly interested in the giant statue of Hercules.  And his… features.

Next stop was Pizzeria Brandi for some very disappointing pizza.  Maybe because it was still early in the day or maybe they just aren’t as good as the guide books say they are.  Whatever the reason, it was a let down.

We went for a long walk after lunch had some coffee and more sfoliatelle and came across someone putting their work van to good Sunday afternoon use — moving their sailboat.

Our last major cultural stop was the Palazzo Reale, a ridiculously ornate and grand old palace.

And of course, one last baba for the road.

Hotel Neapolis
Via Francesco dei Giudice, 13
081 764 9752
87 euro for 1 night, 3 beds