We're leaving on Jan 1 for a week in the Naples area and are staying in an apt in Salerno. We are looking for wonderful traditional restaurants, casual, trattoria rather than ristorante in Salerno, Naples and along the Amalfi Coast. Or anywhere in the general vicinity.We'll be going as far south as Paestum.

The LESS of an attraction to tourists the better. Our Italian is about nonexistent but we have never found that to be a problem when reading menus.

Thanks so much!

I stayed in the Naples historic center earlier this year mostly to try as much of the pizza as I could. Can't really go wrong with any of the pizza in Naples; they have some of the best in the world! Pizzeria Starita and Pizzeria Antica da Michelle were a couple of the standouts in Naples. Zi Caterina in Pompei was also really good. The first two aren't exactly off the beaten track places, but they're popular for good reason.

rcz77, I think pizza recommendations are particularly helpful. We plan to eat as much of it as we can! Thanks.

I think you will enjoy Salerno, for itself as well as for its convenient location as a jumping-off point to visit the Amalfi coast (take the ferry from Salerno to go up the coast to Amalfi and other places).

Salerno does not receive many tourists, fortunately or unfortunately. We enjoyed the city very much.

Here's my trip report, with some info about restaurants:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

I was not crazy about the pizza we had in Naples, at what is supposed to be one of the best pizza restaurants of the city. But we ;ate well at other venues, mentioned in my trip report; click on my name to find it.

I can't speak about the pizza you mentioned from your trip report in places such as Sicily since I hadn't been there, Michael, but in my personal experience of the 8 or so pizza places I tried in Naples, I thought they all were pretty excellent. Especially compared to the pizza I had in Florence and Rome. Perhaps the worst I had in Naples was at Port'Alba, which was supposed to be the first pizza parlor in the world, but still not that bad. Tastes can vary of course, just my opinions.

When I was in Salerno (2007), I had a delicious, casual meal in Salerno at Ristorante Santa Lucia (Via Roma, 182) — I enjoyed a delicious pasta outdoors at this restaurant near Piazza Amendola. It was very fresh, included a nice combination of flavors and textures, and was hearty without being heavy. I have no idea whether it still exists or is still worth patronizing.

And I agree that Salerno is vastly underrated. Among its other delights, Salerno's Duomo has some extraordinary features.

I thought the pizza margherita at Naples's Da Michele outstanding.