Trattoria Pizzeria Dai Medici- Naples, IT

After my semester in Rome ended, I had 3 weeks until my flight home to the USA. The first one of these weeks I spent in Naples with my roommate and travel buddy, Gina. Naples tends to have a less than shining reputation for being crime ridden, dirty, and all around unsafe, but despite this it managed to be one of my favorite destinations in Italy. Why you ask? Well, for starters, it was incredibly beautiful, especially along the coastline, a somewhat unexpected treat for us.  It also proved to be a city filled with much more than just trash (though there was PLENTY of that). Naples had art, culture, history, one of the friendliest populations we came across, and most of all fantastic pizza.

Pizza in Naples is like no other. For starters you can get a full pie for one person for 3 euro, convenient for broke college students. It just so happened that the hostel Gina and I were staying at was located on the same street as some of the most famous pizza joints in town. I think it goes without saying that for 3 euro a pie I ate more than my fill of pizza.

While the famous spots, like De Matteo, had delicious product I do not count them as the best Pizza places in Naples for the fact that their pizza wasn’t good enough to make up for the lack of customer service. Granted, Italy is not known for great customer service, but a simple smile and acknowledgement of a customer’s presence is not too much to ask for no matter the location.  Most of the famous pizzerias could not seem to manage even this. There is a place that has not only excellent pizza, but also the friendliest staff. It is the Trattoria and Pizzeria Dai Medici.   

Also located in Naples’ historic center, this family owned pizzeria is refreshingly low key with only a small sign outside and a simply decorated interior. As Gina and I walked inside, we were immediately greeted by an older Italian woman who spoke little English, but did not let that stop her from making us feel incredibly welcome. Before we even sat down, she asked us if we were staying at Robby’s House B&B. Since we were, we were brought out a special treat (apparently Bobby sends Dai Medici a lot of business and this is their way of showing their appreciation). What we were brought was an appetizer of “algae del mar,” fried balls of dough with seaweed. These salty fried pillows were so simple and so delicious. They were also a uniquely Naples treat that we never saw them on another menu anywhere else in Italy.

Then it was time for the pizzas. Oh my. For starters, they were huge. They were easily the size of the Roman style pies served at Da Baffetto in Rome, only the crust of Dai Medici’s pizza was in the true Neapolitan style: thin in the center, yet thick and chewy around the edge.  

For toppings, I ordered the mixed vegetables while Gina got spicy sausage. Needless to say, we both thought our pizzas were scrumptious.   Hers came with red sauce while mine came with only cheese. The veggies on mine ended up being eggplant, artichokes, and chicory. While I was expecting they would be mixed together on the pizza, they were all separated. I liked it this way, probably because I have obsessive compulsive tendencies when it comes to arranging food on my plate and always give each food its own space, so this pizza was just my style.

While my pizza was excellent, I did wish a little that I had ordered a pizza with red sauce on it. After having already eaten red pizza for two nights before going to Dai Medici, I had wanted to switch things up a bit by ordering a white pizza, but after trying both I decided  that I like pizza better when there is red sauce. Despite this, the veggies on my pizza were so fresh and the portion was so big that I was definitely not unsatisfied when I was finished. Red sauce or no, the pizza at Trattoria and Pizzeria Dai Medici was the best I had in Naples.

La Pizzeria Da Baffetto- Rome, IT

When in Rome, do as the Romans do… this means eat pizza. I’m not talking about the stuff one gets at Pizza Hut or Dominos. I’m talking thin crust, wood-oven baked, oozing with the freshest mozzarella pizza. I’d even venture to say that making pizza in Italy is practically an art form and, in Rome, the Michelangelo of pizzerias is most certainly La Pizzeria Da Baffetto.

Baffetto has the reputation of serving the best Roman style pizza in the city, and it certainly lives up to the hype. Located just off of Piazza Navona, the small pizzeria always has a line of tourists and locals alike waiting to be called inside. Gina, Andrea, our Roman Friend, and I saw this to be true, despite the fact that we arrived when it was still early for dinner (only about 7:00 pm). We were able to shove our way to the front of the line (or hoard of people, to be more accurate) and get seated after only waiting a few minutes.

The restaurant looks deceivingly small from the outside with only one tiny room visible from the street. There is, however, a small dining room upstairs as well which is where we were seated. The energy in the room was high as excited patrons were herded to their seats by the practiced wait staff that quickly threw paper tablecloths down on the tables and dispersed menus throughout the room, making it clear they had done this many times before.

While the waiters were experts at getting their customers in, fed, and out, the service itself was not stellar (another reputation the pizzeria has).When we finally decided what to get, we waived down our server, who was in constant motion the entire evening, and gave him our order. We hoped that he got everything down that we wanted, for his attention seemed to be focused elsewhere while he was at our table. Oddly enough, this lack of customer service made me enjoy the dinner even more. Instead of being frustrating, I found it to be entertaining. It suited the environment we were in.

First up, as per usual, the antipasti. Andrea and Gina each got bruschetta, and I got crostini. Andrea informed us that in a place like Baffetto, fried foods, like the ones I got in the Jewish Ghetto, are actually the norm, but the toasted bread starters looked too good to pass up. And good they were. Andrea got the bruschetta mista and Gina got the prosciutto mista. They both had toasted bread with tomatoes, cannellini beans, marinated mushrooms, and olives, but Gina’s also had slices of smoked ham.

My crostini was toasted bread topped with melted mozzarella cheese and anchovies, a newfound love of mine (shocking as that may be for my parents). I loved how the saltiness of the anchovies cut through the creaminess of the cheese. It was simple and delicious.

Simple and delicious seem to be the characteristics of all the food at Baffetto, for our pizzas certainly fit the description as well. Andrea’s pizza came with mushrooms and ham, Gina’s had arugula and smoked beef, and mine came with onions and mushrooms. The waiter brought them all over at once, even though they were a good 12 inches in diameter (3 proved to be nothing for him; we later saw him carry seven pizzas at once- that takes skill).

The pizzas all had a super thin, crispy, and slightly charred crust. The crust was so thin that the only way to eat a slice with your hands was to fold it in half or else the toppings would fall off.

We finished eating just as the first seating of diners was coming to an end. Most of the people who sat down the same time we did had left and new paper table cloths were being laid down. We figured we should probably leave before rush number two so that we were not in the way (and so we did not get knocked around in the chaos). As we walked out the door, we passed the every growing line of people eager to get called in to eat at La Pizzeria Da Baffetto, and I smiled knowing that their wait would be well worth it.

La Pizzeria Da Baffetto

Via del governo vecchio, 114

00186, Rome

Phone +39 06.6861617

http://www.pizzeriabaffetto.it/default.asp

Terno Secco Ristorante Pizzaria- Rome, IT

Ciao! This is my first official blog post from Rome! I have been here 3 days and am already in love with the city. The beauty and charm of this historic place have cast me into a dream I am afraid I might suddenly wake up from. My favorite part is, of course, the prominence of food in Rome and Italian culture. Its importance is evident in the number of food markets that line the streets and are scattered throughout the city. Bars (the equivalent of cafés), trattorias, and ristorantes are everywhere you look, often with food displays set outside to lure in passers- by.

I was excited to finally get my first authentic Italian restaurant dining experience. While it ended up being good, it was not what I was originally hoping for. You see, I have been preparing for my journey abroad for a few months by pouring over Italian food blogs and making a master list of the restaurants I wanted to try (I have a restaurant bucket list for Philadelphia and several other cities as well). I originally thought I was going to get to try one the places on my list for my first dinner out in Rome, but that did not end up being the case. Instead, I ate at Terno Secco Ristorante Pizzeria.

Terno Secco is on the street I take with my friends to get to school each day. We had reached the point of hunger where we would have eaten just about anything, but luckily we did not have to settle for mediocrity. Terno Secco had a full menu with smaller antipasti dishes, pastas, meat courses, and a long list of pizzas, all of which were within our price range. As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by our server and brought to a table in the center of the bright green room. We passed the antipasti buffet table and wall of celebrity patrons and were seated next to the ham slicing machine, which we saw used throughout the night to make cold cuts of meat for other tables. We were in a prime spot for observing other diners (all of whom were Italian) and for looking at the wood fire pizza oven get utilized.

Immediately, a basket of house made bread was brought to the table. We made the mistake of diving in and eating the bread. While it tasted wonderful, especially given our intense hunger, it was not complimentary like most bread baskets are in the United States. We ended up having to pay 2 euro for it.

Unlike every other table, which were all covered in multiple plates of antipasti, my friends and I chose to only order 1 main course to limit the damage to our wallets. I ordered the pappardelle verde e funghi porcini (green pappardelle pasta with porcini mushrooms), while both of my friends ordered the pizza caprese.

The pizza ended up being the wiser choice. Each was about a foot in diameter of ultra thin crust with chunks of fresh mozzarella, halved juicy cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves all drizzled with olive oil. They were truly delicious pizzas, and only 8 Euros each.

My pasta dish was fresh as well. In fact, I saw the waiter bring the pasta into the kitchen from off of the showcase table in the center of the dining room where they display their homemade ingredients. But, despite the freshness, I wasn’t blown away with the flavors. I thought too much oil was used in the dish, which overwhelmed the noodles. I also would have enjoyed a bit of shaved cheese on top.

The service had been excellent throughout the meal and when it was clear we were done ordering food, we assumed the check would be brought over. We ended up waiting several minutes without receiving a check and with no sign of getting one. We were in no hurry but were simply surprised at the lack of urgency to flip tables that is present in almost all American establishments. They were perfectly fine with us occupying their table and socializing as long as we wished. In fact, they assumed we would stay longer since in Italy, a meal customarily lasts several hours.

While Terno Secco was not where I had originally envisioned my first Roman meal taking place, it was very enjoyable. If I go back again, which I would be willing to do (although probably won’t since I always like trying someplace new), I’m sticking with the pizza.

Terno Secco Ristorante Pizzaria

Via Andrea Doria, 16

00192 Roma

06.39733477

http://www.ternosecco.com/pagine/start.html