Alighieriβs statue at Piazza Dante
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Naples would be one of the city that surprised meβ¦and not positively. Compared to the other European cities weβve been to, it is quite unsightly β but, maybe because it is quite an old city, aged to experience and history. It has a busy urban landscape feel and you might feel unsafe as you walk by but no, we didnβt encounter anything untoward (gott sei dank!) during our stay.
Apart from wanting to see Dante Alighieriβs statue at the plaza named after him (pictured above), hubby made clear his intent to eat pizza from where it originally came from β that is, Naples. So, any pizzeria, the establishment that makes and sell pizza would do, I presume. It was unknown to us then thatΒ Antica Pizzeria PortβAlba, the pizzeria widely believed to be the very first one was just a few steps away from the plaza. π (I truly regret not having researched before this tripβ¦blame my excuse of too much blogging.)

So walk we did, as we reminisce how very familiar the surrounding ought to be. It was like walking the old roads of Quiapo. Dust clinging on to walls, clothes hanging out to dry, old buildings with peeled paints and lots of people walking around and waiting for vehicles β well buses, not jeepneys. It was all too familiar, like walking there was something I had done so many times β to buy rolls of film or just take photos of Manila life, onlyβ¦I was sure we were still in Europe.
The walking was a good idea as we were getting tired and hungry, teehee! We ended up at this bright red building, the Naples National Archeological Museum. Since it was getting late already, the museum has been closed β unfortunately so we decided to look for a place to eat instead to fulfill hubbyβs goal.

We didnβt walk far to find a pizzeria, they actually abound like lined palm trees on Santa Monicaβs Palisades Park. The first one at the corner street was rather inviting. Scroll down please to see my chunk of reality: a table setup outside the establishment, the windows and the lights coming from the pizzeria spelled cozy. Itβs sign read Ristorante Pizzeria F. Aiello, just across theΒ Museo Archeologico Nazionale.
Β So in we go, the traditional stove can be seen from the entrance along with various ingredients and from there, youβd be assured that everything would be served fresh. We were served an antipasto of crunchy tiny fish reminiscent of our dilis (anchovy) or it might actually be anchovy mixed with some others. (The menu was in Italian). This dish was served with lemon and pepper and having finished half, I already felt full.

Expectedly (or not), their serving variety is of Neapolitan. Thatβs a special blend of wheat flour,Β natural Neapolitan yeast or brewerβs yeast, sea salt and water kneaded accordingly and baked on a definite length of time and degree in an oak-wood oven to achieve that thin, crispy but tender bite. It is typically topped with San Marzano tomatoes harvested near Mt. Vesuvius and mozzarella cheese from a particular type of buffalo raised in the Campania region (Naples is Campaniaβs capital).
From this base, other variants can be made and there are only three listed official variations to it. What we had were two same variants. (Blame my lack of interest to learn Italian, I didnβt learn it before the trip,tsk!) We had wanted something different but, the server might have understood otherwise, teehee. I am not sure about the other accepted variants of the Italian food association but what we had was topped with toasted eggplant along with other veggies. It was right on the bat crunchy, thin and tasty.

Mind you, they serve pizza in a rather humongous plate, Iβm guessing 40cm (thatβs 16 inches) and I didnβt notice if they offer the 33cms. Imagine how full we were ( I had two slices) having finished the antipasto earlier and gulping a pint of iced tea (mine) and beer (hubby) as we go. We had the other whole pizza taken back to the hotel. ^_^
It was a dinner so satisfying (read: burp full), we went walking for hours afterwards. I was warned that Naples wouldnβt be so safe like other Italian cities and thatβs how I felt arriving (as mentioned above) but that night proved to be a safe and lovely one.Β Walking on long hours, we were able to capture Naplesβ beauty and charm at night, will post those photos soon.

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Ristorante Pizzeria F. Aiello
Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli 12 80135 Napoli, Italia 081 441909
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Thatβs the way pizza should be! I detest the super thick oily commercial pizzas. The best pizza Iβve ever tasted was in Assisi though.
I donβt mind olive oil on every pizza, the more, the merrier, itβs healthy anyway but other oils would be differentβ¦lol
Hayβ¦ your post reminds me of our 3-week Italian trip in 2008, although we didnβt go to Naples for reasons which you also enumerated. You know, how well meaning friends sometimes, dole out unsolicited tips (lol).
Italian food is a magnet to me and my husband. However,Iβve cut back on cheese based foods the past 2 years.
I loved food and pizza is the best of all!
i like the ambiance of the place and the red tables π i instantly crave for pizza upon seeing the pic lol
The place looks so nice and looks very relaxing, it is nice to learn where to pizza do starts.
laughing out loud reading your βblame it on blogging for lacking researchβ line in this post. i was laughing because i am the same way most of the time. oh, how i love the toasted eggplant pizza, so yummy looking!
haha, right! Time runs out coz of blogging lolβ¦
haha! blame it on too much blogging indeed. we bloggers always get distracted, teehee! now, where can i get a pizza this early? LOL
Oh my! Authentic pizza! I would agree with Doc Philip, the commercial pizza here is far too oily. This one looks ssooo good.
Toasted eggplant pizza sounds delicious and healthy! The walking really set up your appetite eh?
I love the ambiance. And no doubt about the pizza, itβs my comfort food. Yum! ^_^
I wouldnβt mind devouring one whole platter of that! It looks so healthy and thatβs simply what I want- a pizza that I can enjoy without worrying about the calorie intake. The place looks so cozy too!
I love Pizza, hope there is no lady by that name or else, patay ako sa misis ko. π
Wow! I reckoned it will be where it originated that Pizza can be munched as being the tastiest, eh? Lots of olives in my Vegetarian Pizza is a winner! π
This post made my mouth water! Youβre so lucky to be able to visit wonderful places! π
I like the pizza with arugula toppings.
The best pizza I ever tasted was in Rome. I totally fell in-love with the rich flavor yet healthy pizza there.
Wow! The places looks very interesting and the history of it.