Eating in Naples

 Ahhh.. after hours in the air we are in Italy.  My daughter and her family are stationed in Naples.  They live in the town of Maddaloni in the Campagnia region, in southern Italy.  To the left is a shot of some of the town from their roof top patio.
After picking us up from the airport we stopped at a shop that sold bufala mozzarella, cheeses, prosciutto and charcuterie of all kinds, pastas and breads.  My daughter bought some mozzarella and prosciutto and headed home. 
Of  course my main reason to be here was to see my granddaughters.  BUT...I have to say the food was incredible and there was lots of it!

My oldest granddaughter Tianna.

The little ones.. Ariana and Lana

And... lunch.  Prosciutto, mozzarella, tomatoes and bread.  Simple and delicious.  Welcome to Italy.

After lunch and getting settled we were going to a local restaurant for a birthday dinner for my granddaughter Lana.  We were going with my daughter's landlords, Michelina and Johnny.  The restaurant was within walking distance and it was a nice night for a short walk and gave us a chance to get a glimpse of the town.  I could not believe the amount of food we had!! 

appetizers of french fries, fried potato balls, and different fried pieces of dough

salami type sausage

Antipasti, prosciutto, olives, seafood

bruschetta - baked pizza dough topped with mozzarella cheese and tomatoes and basil

another bruschetta of lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella and tuna

pasta course

I have to say that after this pasta course there were two large pizzas.  I think I was so full that I didn't even want to take a picture of it!

Lana with a birthday cake the restaurant presented to her with a birthday song.

After all that food it was good that the restaurant was with in walking distance.  We sure needed to walk off all that food and of course wine.  What a great start to our first day in Naples.

Day 2 Easter..

Lana and Ari with their Easter masks

After opening Easter gifts and dying eggs we were going to Michelina's for lunch.  I was thrilled to be able to have a real authentic Italian lunch..It was quite a lunch that she had.

table set for lunch

Michelina and Johnny

bread with eggs,ham and cheese

broccoli rabe  with pork, sausage, pork tripe

pasta with a meat sauce

roast pork

roast lamb and potaotes

barbecued aritchoke stuffed with parsley,garlic and cheese

Easter cake and chocolates

a custard like pie and a traditional Easter cake

There were several other plates but I probably was busy eating and forgot to take a picture.  What a delicious lunch Michelina and her family had.  It was a great glimpse into a traditional Easter meal.
I think after all this eating it was time for a nap.
Though the weather was rainy off and on we took advantage of the sunny days to do some sight seeing.

We took advantage of a nice day and went to the city of Naples. It is crazy busy there. I have never seen a place with so many people walking the streets and cars everywhere!  In the narrow alley ways and side streets you had to watch out for the cars and the motor scooters.  It was an experience.
Of course when your in Naples you HAVE to have pizza.  My friend Marlena Spieler recommended Sorbillo Pizzeria.  Great suggestion... delicious pizza.

my pizza with prosciutto, onions, mozzarella and gorganzola

a happy pizza face

Another stop was Positano on the Amalfi Coast..beautiful!  We had lunch at the Risorante Il Capitano that had a beautiful view of Positano below and wonderful fresh seafood.

Kobie and Summer at the Il Capitano Ristorante

fried seafood

gnocchi with clams

prawns

octopus salad

Our last stop was the medieval town of Sant'Ageta.  The restaurant we originally wanted to go to was closed but we found this one, which I can't remember the name of but again more food than you can  imagine.  No menu, they just bring out food.  There were 7 of us five adults and two little ones.  They brought out two portions of each of these dishes, one for each side of the table. Again it was a good thing that there was walking involved.

Sant'Ageta

appetizer- focaccia bread

one of the salami plate appetizers

fried potato balls, kind of like tater tots but better

cheese plate, kind of like a dry ricotta  with different flavors

garbanzo bean soup,there was also a split pea soup

pasta course, gnocchi and a peperoncini pasta

grilled veal

desert~apple strudel with poached pears

Our 9 days went too quickly and it was time for us to leave.  I will be going back in August and this time I'm going to be babysitting.  I will have time to discover more about the town and see how I do communicating.
We had a wonderful time with my family.  The food was abundant and delicious and the towns we visited were beautiful and interesting.  It always amazes me to see the medieval towns and wonder how they were built and how all the artwork was done and how it could all still be standing and beautiful.
I love Italy..I hope I get to go back a few more times while they are stationed there.