So I finally visited the city that has been on my travel list for a long time – Naples. And, of course, what would be a trip to one of the main spots of Italy without its delicious pizza?! Let me share with you what pizzas in Naples to order, why seafood ingredients can never be found in Marinara, how Cossacks are connected with pizza and Naples, and which of the oldest pizzerias in the city locals advise.
A Legendary Location
It goes by legend that King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy had been in Naples in the late 19th century. The call came to the renowned pizza-maker of the city, Raffaele Esposito, to make a spectacular entry on the occasion of the royal couple. He made a pie of ridiculous simplicity, tomatoes and mozzarella and fresh basil, waving the hues of the Italian flag. The queen smiled all over, and the pie was named Margherita in her honor. The king even sent Esposito a thank-you letter, now suspended at the Brandi pizzeria.
Surprisingly, I bumped into this legend by mere chance as I was playing MrPlay Casino on the go. I struck an odd slot game that substituted numbers and letters with images of fruit, beverages, and pizza slices. I went to Google and typed in pizzeria and got a little bit of information about Naples and this entire story. That’s where I found the place I came to like the best, but you will hear of that later.
The Most Legendary Pizzeria
The most legendary pizzeria in Naples is L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele. This is the one where people wait in line hours before it opens. It has been operating since 1870. For more than 150 years, the pizzeria has been in the hands of the same family and has been handed down from generation to generation. And incidentally, Julia Roberts herself ate a Margherita here in the movie “Eat Pray Love”! That’s why there are waits of around an hour at the door. They have two lines: to eat in, and to take pizza away for convenience.
The pizzeria has been offering the same two types of pizza, Margherita and Marinara for years. Long-time tested, these two recipes are superior to many others. There is a reduction in the toppings of the Marinara as compared to the Margherita. It contains tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. It’s also inexpensive, easy, and rewarding at just 6 euros!! SO good.
The last decades have added to the menu Cosacca and Marita, the latter being a 50/50 blend of Marinara and Margherita. Essentially, it’s the perfect pizza for those who would like to enjoy the two but might not be able to. It consists of minimal ingredients: dough, San Marzano tomatoes peeled to create the tomato sauce, grated pecorino cheese, olive oil, basil, and salt. No mozzarella.
Other Oldest Pizzerias in Naples
Some say L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele doesn’t serve the best pizza and that something better is just around the corner, but you should try a few for sure, and decide for yourself! Here are two additional older pizzerias in Naples that I also visited and greatly enjoyed.
Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba
Another legendary spot: most likely the first pizzeria on earth, founded in 1830. I was told that originally it was a trading stall where pizzas were prepared in wood-fired ovens right on the road. But then someone suggested eating the pizza at a table and in silence. And so the very first pizzeria appeared. The place quickly became a hit among students and artists because of the convenient pizzas and the “pizza a otto” payment system, where people can pay eight days after they eat it.
Starita a Materdei
Since 1901. It was becoming popular with the Neapolitans after the film “The Gold of Naples,” where Sophia Loren sells “pizza an otto.” You have to go to this pizzeria to try another strictly Neapolitan pizza – the Montanara.
The major difference between Montanara and the classic pizza is that the dough is shaped into a flatbread and fried. It’s then topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil and immediately cooked in a wood-fired oven. Starita’s take on it is to add the twist of serving it with smoked mozzarella.
In Conclusion: I Will Certainly Be Back for More!
This is how my week in Naples was. I will never forget this beautiful city and the well-known L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele. Go see the things I said – they are all good and worth seeing. Take pleasure in eating and have a nice vacation!
LL x
*This is a contributed post. As ever, all opinions are my own.
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