Looking for pizza in Naples

The city of Naples is forever located in the shadow of Vesuvius. The inhabitants of the area have learned to embrace life and death on a daily basis, as you never know what tomorrow will bring.

As a counterpart to the looming threat of annihilation, the food culture of the regional capital of Campania is famous. The Neapolitan cuisine is heavily influenced by its surroundings. The fertile volcanic soil from Vesuvius produces San Marzano tomatoes and the buffalos roaming sun-soaked hills gives milk for amazing mozzarella. What to do with these simple yet tasty ingredients?

Street in Naples.

If there is anything that is globally associated with Naples, it’s most likely pizza. The first ever Margherita is said to have been served at Brandi, Julia Roberts had pizza at L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele in Eat Pray Love and Anthony Bourdain praised Pizzeria Pellone in 2011.

The queue at Sorbillo. (Update: This place was bombed on January 15th, less than a month after my visit.)

The narrow alleys smell delicious everywhere I go. The art of creating these dough circles is heavily regulated by the rules from 2004, and even included on the UNESCO list of culture heritage.

The queue at Da Michele.

“Pizza makes me think that anything is possible”, as Henry Rollins once put it.

The queue at Pellone.

Unfortunately the queues are simply murderous. Get a reservation in advance, or be prepared to wait a very long time in line.

The prize!

But when you receive your pizza, everything is forgotten. Buon appetito!