CombatCritic's TravelValue™: Naples

CombatCritic™ ... World traveler - 42 countries and counting; Military Leader - Four combat operations; Amateur chef; Published author and producer - over 4 million visitors on seven platforms! Yelp "Black" Elite '14/'15/ '16/ '17/ '18/ '19 / '20/ '21/ '22 / '23 / '24; TripAdvisor ¨Local Guide¨, Zomato "VERIFIED CONNOISSEUR"; Booking.com "GENIUS"; and Foursquare "INSIDER". On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Mediocrity - Follow Me To TravelValue™ ... That's A Freakin' Order!

Showing posts with label Naples. Show all posts

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Naples, Italy: A Refuge Maybe, A TravelValue Definitely Not

Ristorante al Rifugio

Via San Gennaro Ad Antignano 119

80129, Naples Italy

+39 081 229 2213

Al Rifugio Ristorante.it

Facebook Page

Prices: €€€€

Off of a small alley on a Vomero sidestreet, we found Ristorante al Rifugio, a Neapolitan trattoria where, normally, you get an excellent meal with not much of a dent in your wallet.

We started with the Friturra all' Italiana (€10), a fried assortment of croque (potato croquettes), arancini (rice balls), peperoni (bell peppers), and carciofini (baby artichokes). They were very tasty, light and crispy, not greasy, and the portion size was fairly decent.

Not all that hungry, I decided to go with one of my favorite secondi (main dishes), Salsiccia e Friarielli (local sausage and sauteed broccoli rabe - €10 + €4 = 14). There was not a lot of sausage to be had and the friarielli was on the tiny side as well, and, as I said, I was not very hungry, they were both quite tasty. I added a side of French Fries (€4) for shits and grins, bringing the total for my meal to €18.

My better half and her friend both had the same primo, Rigatoni Guanciale (€10 ea), pasta in a cheese sauce with bacon and pecorino romano cheese. They were quite happy with the dish based on the empty plates but, again, the portion sizes were small by Neapolitan standards.

Adding a 750 ml bottle of local sparkling water and a half liter of local vino rosso (red wine), we had a slightly filling lunch for a whopping €68 ... MAMA MIA!

A comparable meal with much larger portions came to less than €50 at a nearby trattoria, so this place is NOT a TravelValue.

CombatCritic Gives Ristorante al Rifugio 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Good To Go"

Naples, Italy: Malinconico Translated - Good Neapolitan Cuisine At Low Prices

Trattoria Malinconico

Via Giovanni Paisiello 1

Naples, Italy

+390810491466

Facebook Page

Prices: €€€€

For my first course (primo), I had Pasta e Fagioli (€4), a dish my grandmother used to make me growing up and one of my favorites. Ingredients are pasta of one sort or another and white beans in a tomato-based broth or sauce. In this case, the pasta was a combination of several pastas - fettucine, farfalle, penne, and others - broken into small pieces and cooked al dente. They used small white beans, but the sauce had some tomato as a base, but was creamy, likely combined with panna. It was a large portion and was quite delicious.

My wife ordered Mozzarella in Carrozza (€5), a Neapolitan specialty where a thick slice of mozzarella is placed between two slices of white bread, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, then fried to a crisp golden brown. Eaten with a knife and fork, the melted mozzarella oozed from each piece as she joyfully devoured every bite. She also added a contorno (vegetable), which in this case was marinated carrot slices.

For my main dish (secondo), I had the Cotoletta (€6), a thinly sliced steak covered with breadcrumbs, then pan-fried in EVO to a crispy perfection ... HOOAH! The only bummer was that they offered no potato option to accompany my main.

I added two contorni, the Peperoni (sauteed bell peppers - €3) and Mellenzane (eggplant - also €3). Both portions were massive, the peperoni a mixture of thinly sliced yellow and red bell pepper, and onion and the melanzane in small slices, also with some onion, but with local cherry tomatoes from the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. The combination of the peperoni and melanzane with the EVO they were sauteed in was to die for.

Of course, you get delicious thickly sliced Neapolitan bread which came in handy for dipping in both the pasta fagioli and EVO infused with the peperoni and melanzane. Plenty of garlic was available in everything.

Adding a 750 ml bottle of local sparkling water and a half liter of local vino rosso (red wine), we had a delicious, filling lunch for under €30.

CombatCritic Gives Osteria Malinconico 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Saturday, December 30, 2023

Napoli, Campagna (Italy): Very Good Pizza, Moderate Prices, But An Aloof Server Left Me Puzzled

Pizzeria Giuseppe Vesi

Via Luca Giordano 162

80129 Naples (Vomero), Italy

Prices: €€€€

One thing you have no problem finding in bella Napoli is ¨vera pizza napolitana¨, ¨true Neapolitan pizza¨, authentic, woodfired individual pizzas with toppings you will find almost nowhere else. No, I am not talking about pineapple which is a sacrilege in Naples.

My favorite Neapolitan pizza is Salsiccia e Friarielli (€12), chunks of sausage, sauteed broccoli rabe (a local favorite known as ¨friarielli¨ that you will find in very few places outside of Naples), mozzarella (fior di latte or provola can also be used), and EVO (ask for the olio piccante - EVO soaked in chili peppers).

My pizza was delicious with loads of fior di latte, friarielli, and sausage with almost too much cheese because I could barely finish half of my pizza. The pizza was perfectly cooked, thin but sturdy enough on the bottom to pick up a piece without the toppings falling onto the plate with a thick, flakey crust with just the right amount of char from the 600-degree Celsius wood oven.

My wife's Ham, Mushroom, and Cheese ¨Chef Special¨(€9.50) was also loaded with toppings and baked to perfection, enough said.

I am surprised to say that after all the years I have lived in and visited Napoli, my Sicilian spouse ordered something for me I had never heard of or seen before. Silly me!

My Montanarina (€4) arrived, a big fluffy ball of pizza dough with a big dollop of marinara in the middle with a chunk of mozzarella on top, then baked in the wood oven and topped with a huge, fresh basil leaf on top ... HOOAH!

The place is not very big, but is tastefully decorated with rock, brick, and wood. However, there is a large tent out front with loads of tables and a couple of propane heaters, having made it a tad too warm for us.

The first waiter who sat us and took our drink order was quite aloof, so I was pleased when a much friendlier server took over for the rest of our meal. The first server is responsible for the 2 Bomb deduction and €6.50 for a 40 cl beer can account for the other, hence ...

CombatCritic Gives Pizzeria Giuseppe Vesi 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

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Vancouver, WA: No Veal, No Deal – Olive Garden Delivers Mediocrity with a Side of Sticker Shock

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Naples, Italy: A Refuge Maybe, A TravelValue Definitely Not

Naples, Italy: Malinconico Translated - Good Neapolitan Cuisine At Low Prices

Saturday, December 30, 2023

Napoli, Campagna (Italy): Very Good Pizza, Moderate Prices, But An Aloof Server Left Me Puzzled

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