FoodMayhem

Breakfast
Another quick breakfast and we were off to see the city of Naples.

Too Much Snacking
Shortly after getting off the boat, we spotted a cafe, which are all over the place. In Italy, it seems that cafes look a little like small bars, but people are standing around drinking cafes (what we think of as espresso). I wanted to try one so we took it to go since we don’t speak Italian. Everyone standing at the bar was chatting away.

I was afraid I wouldn’t like it since I don’t like espresso. It’s usually too bitter for me. Surprisingly, this cafe was smooth, only slightly bitter, and I really enjoyed it. My heart did start racing though -way too much caffeine for me.

A little later, Lon popped into another cafe to get Pizette. All of them had these fluffy focaccia-like breads. It wasn’t heated enough but delicious anyway.

Not very much time had passed when we spotted another cute shop, full of sandwiches, savory pastries, and antipasto. Everything looked so good and unique, but we agreed to settle on two items so we wouldn’t explode. The Spinach Ricotta Tart was soft and mild, a perfect little snack.

The Prosciutto Popover was even more unique. The mildly sweet and crumbly top was an excellent example of a popover and the bottom was soft, with a little bit of prosciutto in it. We ate the top first and the bottom was such a nice finish, something warm, moist, and savory, after a little bit of sweetness.

Fantasia Gelati
We came across some very enticing looking gelati.

We were not hungry…actually, I will still feeling very full, but Lon had to try the blue one. We couldn’t understand what they said the flavor was and Lon couldn’t tell from eating it either. He said it just tasted like sugar. I tried the pineapple flavor, as recommended by an anonymous comment, and it was bursting with yummy pineapple fruitiness. Lon and I shared a cone with kiwi and banana, both tasting like real fruit, smooth and rich, yet tangy.

Pizza & Sfizi
Right next door was a pizza shop, Pizza & Sfizi, and since Lon was walking in and inspecting every one, why not this one? He took a picture of the pie with hot dogs and french fries, one we had been seeing everywhere. Here, they called it the Viennese and at the place we had lunch, they called it the American. Haha. I convinced Lon not to get a slice though since it would be lunch time soon and we had eaten so much already!!

Lunch
Based on a local guy’s recommendation, we went to a pizza and pasta restaurant (I’m going to find the name later). It started out with a basket of bread, as you’d expect. The texture was wonderful, crusty on the outside and extremely spongy (if you press down, it springs back immediately). Oddly, it was also very salty but I ate it anyway. We were surprised that no olive oil was provided though.

After checking out the menu, I told Lon I wanted the Margherita Pizza and went to use the lady’s room. When I returned, the dishes began flowing and seemed to never end. Lon asked the waiter to choose an assortment of antipasto for us, which began with a fried plate: fried dough balls which were the savory version of zeppole, fried polenta, and fried cod. I loved the doughy texture of the dough balls, very hot, with the the thin crispy exterior, but I didn’t care for the other two. Lon likes anything fried.

The Squid and Vegetable Salad was refreshing. I really needed some fresh vegetables. The balsamic and olive oil was nicely balanced and the crunchy vegetables were nice against soft squid.

The Bruschetta was exciting for me because I had been eye-ing all the tomatoes being sold on the streets. They were so intensely red, tasting as magnificently as they looked, making me really sad about the tomatoes we have in New York.

This salmon preparation impressed both of us. We had never seen such salmon before. It was sliced thinly showing beautiful fat lines, the color looked poached, the texture seemed partially cured. We couldn’t really figure it out but we loved it.

The mussels were steamed with nothing but pepper, allowing you to taste the wonderful natural flavor of fresh mussels. These were amazing, plump and juicy, meaty yet delicate, bursting with a mild sea aroma.

The Octopus Salad was fresh and tender, but the few piec
es of mussels in it, were the pieces that wowed me. Again, these mussels were the sweetest and plumpest mussels we’ve had.

Then, there was a Sliced Octopus Salad, which was visually appealing and tasty. It presented a very different texture, a more delicate one, that I like more than whole.

I was already full by now but that didn’t stop me from eating. When in Naples, you have to have pizza right? The center was a bit too wet, softening the crust, but as you got towards the outer ring, the crust got more and more amazing. The sauce tasted so fresh, the cheese was so creamy, and I really wish I could have eaten more.

We finished with Bucatini Amatriciana, perefectly al dente pasta, packed with rich bacon and pecorino, just a bit of heat. The sauce really stuck to the pasta. Each bite was heavenly for us and we tried so hard to finish it but couldn’t.

Our waiter was very friendly and offered us two complimentary glasses of chilled cafe. It was a perfect end to our meal. The coffee flavor and sugar was balanced nicely, and the frothy and creamy texture was thick and indulgent.

Most of the food here was fantastic, exceeding our expectations, but it was heavy on the salt. It was clear that the quality of ingredients is what makes the food stand-out. We just don’t get tomatoes and mussels like this in New York.

Dinner
It was the last night on the ship and I was really sick of the dining room. The food is better there than the buffet but I just didn’t want to sit in the same room anymore. (They have two dining rooms but they are identical.) We headed to the buffet where food was less than impressive for the farewell dinner.

Lon’s plate: Veal meatballs that were gamey, dry tasteless chicken, and dry tasteless rice. Those fritters you see are supposed to be clam fritters but between the two of us, we had 7 fritters and only found two minuscule pieces of clam. The fried turkey cutlet was the only decent item. It surprised us by not being too dry.

He also picked up a seafood salad, which he said was ok.

The Curried Chicken Salad was dry, even with the mayo.

I tried the same meatballs and clam-less clam fritters as Lon, but also had extra fatty rib eye, over-cooked broccoli and cauliflower, and a penne with clam sauce that tasted like canned food. The only thing I liked was the Mushroom and Leek Ragout.

I also picked up a plate of grilled veggies that were sad and tasteless. I blame stuff like this for why some kids won’t eat vegetables. (Pic was blurry but no loss, it was regular looking.)

The chocolate Peanut Butter Pie was not memorable.

Neither was the Sugar Free Chocolate Tapioca Pudding.

In hindsight, we shouldn’t have eaten that meal at all. It was a waste of time and calories. I’m sure we ate enough for two days while in Naples so it was really unnecessary.