There are certain details of the Naples experience that shouldn’t be missed. The feel of an espresso cup so hot it nearly burns your lips. Comparing two types of sfogliatella – the riccia and the frolla – so you can settle the age-old controversy about which is better. Or eating a pizza folded in four as you walk down Via dei Tribunali. Wherever you go in the city, there are three stops that you just can’t miss if you want to understand Naples better and enjoy its most famous gastronomic products. But you need a good breakfast first. Ours was unforgettable, at the Grand Hotel Parker’s in Corso Vittorio Emanuele. And you don’t necessarily have to be a guest of the hotel to enjoy this morning splurge with spectacular view of the Gulf of Naples.
Via Pignasecca – Fried food and “muso di porco”
Montesanto station, funicolare exit. On one side you will see the hospital of the Pellegrini and on the other is the most famous outdoor market in the city. From Tuesday to Saturday its fishmonger stalls are replete with live octopuses that often escape and run away along the street. The ancient palazzi mostly hark back to a high-bourgeois past and today they are inhabited by university students, the best customers for the Friggitoria Fiorenzano, a must for those walking through the streets of Naples. It’s hard to choose between frittatine napoletane, panzerotti, zeppole and crocchè. The Fiorenzano family also owns the Tripperia Zendraglie, the perfect place for those who are into offal. In Naples they’re called carnacuttari. They boil the less prized parts of the pig (the foot) and cow (tripe, snout, udder, even uterus) and simply serve them with salt and lemon, calling the whole thing muso di porco – pig’s snout – even if the actual snout comes from a cow. You can take out, or you can sit at one of the few tables inside.
Via dei Tribunali – Pizza on a plate or folded like a booklet
The name of this street, close to the Decumani and a stone’s throw from San Gregorio Armeno, is synonymous with pizza. This is where you line up to eat Gino Sorbillo’s pizza, which stands out for the attention they pay to using superb ingredients, starting with the flour. However, if the line intimidates you, you will certainly not be disappointed by the pizza at Di Matteo, O' Presidente or La Figlia del Presidente. Margherita, of course, but also marinara and cosacca, the pizza of the poor folks, which is topped with grated cheese instead of mozzarella. And if Sorbillo makes only pizza at this particular point of sale, these last three restaurants are also famous for their fried food and for the pizza a libretto, which is folded into fours like a booklet and served as street food.
From via Toledo to piazza Plebiscito – Sfogliatelle, fried pizza and coffee
The iconic Italian singer Domenico Modugno once sang “Passeggiando pe’ Tuledo.” Certainly the walk on “Via Roma,” as the Neapolitans who remember its old name call it, is no longer the same today. However, among modern store windows and foreign retail chains there are Neapolitan landmarks that have remained unchanged over time. One of these is Pintauro, one of the historic locations for sfogliatelle in Naples. The other, just a few hundred meters away, is La Sfogliatella Mary. These two stores have been involved in Via Toledo’s sfogliatella war for many years. Each side has its supporters. Once you have chosen where to stop, you have to make another choice: riccia or frolla? The ricotta filling doesn’t change, but the casing is either a crunchy pastry or a fragrant shortbread. The choice won’t be easy, but it’s yours to make. If you aren’t tired of eating fried food, a stop that’s less historic but certainly satisfying – a step away from Piazza Plebiscito – is the fried pizza of Zia Esterina (also by Sorbillo), the fried food establishment that the pizza maker has dedicated to his beloved aunt, who ran the “Quattro tavoli” pizzeria. Gino has reproduced its layout in one of the rooms of his restaurant. If you meet him, ask him to tell you his story, he will be happy to and you won’t be disappointed.
And what about a coffee to cap off this itinerary? Two of the most famous places are both right around Piazza Plebiscito. The Gran Caffè Gambrinus is synonymous with refinement and culture; it’s the literary salon where Benedetto Croce, Matilde Serao and Gabriele D’Annunzio loved to sit. Take a few minutes to savor the coffee because it is served in extremely hot cups and if you are in a hurry you risk getting burned. The Caffè del Professore is a mandatory stop especially for those with a sweet tooth. The cremina (a creamy sugary sweetener) is included in the service and if you want there is also a hazelnut coffee option.