miticodan's Profile
The best authentic pizza in the Philly area
Lidia Bastianich ???? isn't she from Austria or Croatia? what the hell does she know? Just kidding,
Are we still talking strictly about Marinara (fishermans sauce)? I stand corrected on my 'always' statement, you will be able to find some recipes for Marinara with basil vs oregano but all the ones I've seen in Italian are definately Oregano. I grew up in Naples and was always told that Oregano is what makes Marianara different from plain old tomato sauce (onions, carrots, garlic,, salt, olive oil and tomatoes). Mario Batali uses Marjoram but he learned to cook up north too, there's no telling what those people put in the pot ;)
The best authentic pizza in the Philly area
sorry bucksguy, in Italian cooking, Marinara always has oregano in it.
The best authentic pizza in the Philly area
The world has come a long way since 2009, 2Amy's used to be my favorite but I've tried a few of the restaurants listed on the following website... http://anticapizzeria.net
The one in Pittsburgh (Pizzaiolo) is pretty close to what I remember from growing up in Naples. Also, Fratelli La Buffala in Miami Beach is slightly better but not listed on the Pizza Vera Napoletana site. I think 2 Amy's crust is a little heavy but otherwise excellent.
Ordering in Rome
First of all, most Italians eat larger (three courses) at lunch and dinner is usually meat/omlette and salad (low carb). I know I'm generalizing but I think it's fairly accurate. They can eat big lunch because they don't eat much for breakfast (pastry/capuccino) and don't eat lunch until 12:30 or so. That said, it's your money, eat as much or as little as you want. You don't have to clean your plate. .
You are a foreigner, you will stick out no matter what you do so I think you should 'own' it. Just be a good foreigner. Don't order Capuccino after 10am and never, never, never put any kind of cheese and seafood together (if you put parmagianno on your spaghetti alle vongole, the waiter will cringe).
Also, when you walk into a shop, catch the shop keeper's eye and give them a buongiorno or buona sera (whichever applies) and do the same on the way out. They usually won't jump on you to try and get you to buy something but they will be offended if you don't say acknowledge them
As for tipping, there is usually a cover charge included in your bill and wait staff are paid real salaries (not like the US). It is customary to leave a small tip which keeps the cashier from having to make change. So if you'r dinner bill is 67 Euro, leave them 70. Round it up to the nearest 5 Euro.
Naples-Pizza Poll.....
I went to high school in the Vomero area and had to pass from the Mergellina train station to the funicolare all the time. Betweent the two, there's a pizzaria called 'da Pasqualino' in piazza Sannazzaro. For me that it real Neopolitan pizza. Don't compare it to NY pizza, that's a whole different thing. Plain Margherita is the way to go if you want the real thing. Eat it with a knife and fork, or just fold the whole thing in half and have at it but watch out for the olive oil on top. A little further down toward the Funicolare station (along Via Mergellina) is 'Ciro' which is a little nicer inside but slightly more touristy. If the weather is nice, I suggest getting a taxi to take you to the Marechiaro area (up on the Vomero) and hit 'dal Cicciotto'. No menu, just eat whatever they bring by and pay the man when you leave. In between you will have an unbeatable view of the bay of Naples and some of the finest food I've ever eaten.
