2/24/23 Naples Italy, Pizza

Ok, I freely admit it, I’m a pizza addict! I love everything about pizza, the ingredients, the preparation, the baking and most of all the EATING!

I baked my first pizza when I was 12, and have been baking pizza ever since!

I’m lucky, I’ve been to the great pizza hotspots of the world and ate pizza there. New York ✔️ Chicago ✔️ New Haven ✔️ Detroit ✔️ Los Angeles ✔️ Portland Oregon ✔️ Rome ✔️

Before we start our tour a few things about Neapolitan pizza.

Neopolitan pizza is a TSG, traditional specialty guaranteed food. It’s also a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage food. They take pizza very seriously in Naples.

Next, what is a Neapolitan pizza?

The flour can only have 20% hard protein flour, never any oil. That’s the big difference between Roman style and Neapolitan style, Roman adds oil, Neapolitan doesn’t! The sauce only stewed tomato’s from two sources ground up with salt added, no spices. The cheese, mozzarella from two sources, cow’s milk or Buffalo milk.

Then the make up, always hand made, never rolled out. The baking, 900 degrees 60-90 seconds. That’s the basic Neapolitan pie. You can add ingredients, but these are the fundamentals you must follow to be a real Neapolitan pizza.

The result, traditional Neapolitan margarita pizza

Is Neapolitan my favorite pizza, no I enjoy a crispy crust pizza. But as my father used to say “When in Rome “

I’m seeing a major hole in my resume here, I’m missing Naples, home of the Neapolitan pizza. Ok, with a little trepidation we headed to Naples from Tuscany. Easy trip, Chiusi to Rome, Rome to Naples, four hours.

First up, Pizzeria Tutino dal 1935, 15 blocks from the train station and into another World!

Tour guide Cindy and I have been staying in the Tuscan countryside the last four weeks and this walk, with our luggage took us right into Naples neighborhoods. Wow, crazy!

Old school pizza place, you eat outside on a standup table.

Fun place, the crew here was a hoot and we became part of the family quickly.

Before I get into scoring ( we always keep score in the Trafton family) I note that Neapolitan pizza scoring starts at 6.8, we like it don’t really love it. Pizza and coke €5.50

Pizzeria Tutino dal 1935 6.85

Fun place, pizza crust good, bake/ undercarriage good ambience of the place, a little rough.

Walking to the hotel to drop bags off then on to the next spot.

Old school spot, away from tourist crowds. Fantastic ambiance and service

Excellent pie, this one had the addition of Ricotta cheese, decadent!

Lombardi 1892 7.65

Wonderful ambiance, great service and delicious pie.

Ok, my plan to eat 9 pies in two days is falling apart. Two pizzas in I’m comatose. I say let’s go to the room and nap, tour guide Cindy says no, walking tour, ok here we go.

Ok, 12,000 steps later, we’re ready for more pizza.

Gino e Toto Sorbillo 7.00

Gino’s receives great hype, they have them in Rome and Milan. Highly recommended by our Hotel. Lots of tourists, ok ambiance, crust didn’t have a lot of flavor. Two pies, two beers €25

Ok, we’re comatose, take one pie to go. My specialty pie with the Buffalo Mozzarella and parm over the top with olive oil sprinkled after baking.

Back to the patio life, a little vino and some more pizza later

Ok, great nights sleep, nice walk to get the day started and one more stop on the way to the train station. My brother, it all starts with the dough. 24 hours fermentation!