Last night I took my family to L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele in the heart of Naples. They only serve two types of pizza and it has been this way for over one hundred years.
A few months ago I stopped here on my way through for business and it was one of the best pizza’s I have ever eaten. Well last night was on par with my visit a few months ago.
What did we drink? Nastro Azzurro of course!!
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
Via Cesare Sersale 13 (39/081/553-9204).
Over the last six years I have been to all part of Italy at least once and sometimes twice a year. Italy is so diverse and different from region to region and town to town. Once city that has been high on my bucket list is Naples: and for me everyone should visit Naples at least once in their lives.
This year, the opportunity to stay in Naples for one night whilst we visited our Campanian producer Salvatore Molietierri was quickly embraced and last night Stefano, my good friend Matthew Wilson who is travelling with us on this trip and myself set ourselves the feat of eating at Naples top three pizzeria’s. No mean feat considering we had just spent the day from 10am until 5pm with Moliettieri trying many different wines and eating so much food. Not the most ideal preparation for a Naples pizza shakedown but what can you do….
The first stop of Pizzeria da Michele recognised as the best Pizzeria in the world. In the last few years it has seen it’s reputation drop a little as it has been over run by tourists from around the world.
Pizzeria da Michelle does not offer a lot of choice: buy why would you want choice when you are eating the best Pizza in the world?
A constant team of pizzaiolo work the oven and just watching these guys in action was worth the visit to Naples.
And the pizza? The best I have eaten in my life. The texture of the dough and overall taste was unbelievable. We just couldn’t believe how good it was.
Second on our list was Pizzeria Sorbillo which is rated by many pizzaiolo as the best pizzeria in Naples. Our thoughts?
We thought it was good but not up to the level of Pizzeria da Michele. The quality of ingredients was just as good, with the main difference being the texture of the dough.
And the final stop in our Pizza shakedown was Pizzeria Di Matteo. These guys use a Stefano Ferrara oven and the pizzaiolo even has a tattoo on his arm of his oven. Serious dedication I reckon!!
And the pizza? Wow!! Just a smidgen behind Da Michelle and again the taste and texture was incredible. After eating seven pizza’s between three of us in the space of an hour I felt like I was going to explode.
However, you don’t come to Naples every day and for me, this was on my bucket list of things to do when in Italy. So overall an amazing experience and Naples is a fascinating city. Once you look past the dirt and craziness of it is definitely worth a visit. As they say in the movies, ‘see Naples and die’…
Today we are up early again to drive to Puglia for an afternoon tasting and dinner a tour newest South Italian producer, Fatalone. Their wines blew me away last June when I was in Italy for Radici and the wines have just been unloaded into our warehouses in Australia yesterday. They will be available for the trade on the 15th of April. Some of the best expressions of Primativo you will try from Puglia and kick arse Greco that you just can’t stop drinking,
Anyone who follows this blog knows how much my family love pizza. My father is one of the Pizziolo’s and I can’t wait to taste his pizza’s from his Stefano Ferrara wood fired pizza oven built in Napoli.
Our ovens (mine is the oven with Forno written on it) will get lots of use as is the case with big Italian families and lots of friends!! Forza Stefano Ferrara and Napoli. We will need to christen it with a glass of Taurasi!
Last Friday night we headed round to my parents’ house for a swim, eat pizza and drink some good wine.
My father was in top form and banged out roughly twenty different pizza’s that were as good as any I have eaten in Australia. Matched with old school Australia Cabernet and old Bordeaux it was one of the best Pizza experiences (and there has been lot’s both here in Australia I have had.
In the next few months his wood fired pizza oven from Napoli will be ready and shipped to Oz for my father to work his magic.
Next year before Vinitaly I will be travelling to Campania and Basilicata to see the producers we import via @mondoimports
I will be using Napoli as my base and can’t wait to eat Pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the meantime, I will be reading about the food that I love: pizza!!
Absolutely amazing wood fired pizza’s.
Il Pizzaiolo
163 Darebin Road,
Thornbury 3071
Can you think of any better way to finish than a glass if Taurasi Riserva and a fresh wood fired pizza, made by a southern Italian trained in Napoli? Pretty hard to beat I reckon…
Today I head off to Roma before catching a late flight back home tomorrow night. It has been a fantastic experience in Puglia for Radici del Sud 2012.
And I can’t think of a better way to spend it than at the Champions League Quarterfinal between AC Milan and Barcelona. Forza Milan!!
The atmosphere was amazing, it really surprised me just how well behaved the whole crowd were: it was more like Fashion Week with so many beautifully dressed Milanese people.
After the game, the streets around my hotel were alive with people and laughter. So what better way to finish my last night in Milan than with a half bottle of Aglianico from Basilicata and a fantastic wood fired pizza.
And as I was walking back to my hotel, this message on the wall on one of the art galleries near my hotel was a great reminder about life and our role on this planet.
Tomorrow I return to Australia and to my work of promoting the great wines of Italy in a land so far away (well close to thirty hours on a plane!!).
My father Tony never had much interest in cooking until later in life when he discovered he could make some pretty amazing homemade pizza.
These are the real deal: as good as the stuff you get in Italy.
Last night he cranked out more than 30 pizza’s for the family and they were superb. We washed all these down with Jacqueson N734 Champagne, Paolo Saracco Moscato and San Felice Pugnitello.
The champagne and moscato was superb. The San Felice was quite disjointed and it will be interesting to see where it finishes up.
il vino da tavola 