i keep reading about about sfogliatelle!

what exactly is it?!

Is it something we can pick up in the afternoon to enjoy on our ferry in the evening?

thanks,
dina

Dina: Sfogliatelle is a pastry composed of many thin layers wrapped around a filling of ricotta cheese which can be flavored with orange or almond paste. Even if you are not a fan of typical Italian pastry, you will be astounded by this confection. You can find it in shops all over town; look for signs announcing "Sfogliatelle caldi," which means hot from the oven.

You could pick up one for the ferry, but I would advise at least three per person!! But you should really eat these hot... Do not worry, there are many other pastry delights besides these! Baba is one famous alternative. (accent on the second syllable)

One fantastic source is Sfogliatelle Mary outside the Via Toledo entrance to the Galleria Umberto, but you will not have trouble finding other sources.

eks, which pizza place have you tried in Napoli? Or are you keeping it a surprise for your report?

Vincenzo--
My wife, here in Maryland makes the world's best panzarotti. Believe me, they are better than those made in Naples. You should know that my wife was raised in Naples, although she was born in New York. The rest of her family all resides in Naples. Her family calls her L'Americana. She also makes a great pie of same type as the panzarotti. Another thing she makes is the best pizza this side of the Atlantic, and I dare anyone to find a better fetuccini with Bolongnese sauce than she prepares. I have my little bit of Napoli here in Maryland.

ekscrunchy--
thanks for the explanation. i will have to take your word for it and trust you (and everyone else) because i am not wild about italian pastries. I will definitely try it hot!

Waldo, I am glad for you and my best compliments to your wife.
I love panzarotti but I avoid to eat it very often otherwise I will become "panzarotto" !!

Vincenzo

Sea Urchin: We only had a day and a half in Naples and we had to make time for at least a few (!) non-food attractions, so I did not get to try either Vicenzo's favorite, Ettore, or Waldo's favorite, Tutino's. But we certainly plan to be back there, so....

But we did sample pizza at three places, including two of the "big names," both on Via dei Tribunali:

Sorbillo and DiMatteo.

I will write up the details soon.

Link to my trip report where I mention various pizza places in Naples - http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34830452.

We liked Da Michele (note spelling) and there were no other obvious foreigners when we went there, at lunchtime. Of those we liked it is the only one near the main railway station.

See also my note of the best sfogliatelle place, IMO - right off piazza Garibaldi. We can get the sfogliatelle riccie (with many layers of crispy pastry) at home but only discovered sfolgliatelle frolle (shortcrust pastry & equally nice fresh & warm) there.

Intrigued, though - why will you have no luggage ?

The best place for pizza which is nearest the train station would be (from my experience) Trianon da Ciro. It's just off Corso Umberto.

It's very near one of the more popular ones - Da Michelle.

Unfortunately I can't recommend that one as it was closed when I visited last August!

I went on a pizza pilgrimage to Naples where I ate 11 pizzas in six days. My favourite was definitely Trianon da Ciro.

Please feel free to take a look at my trip report for a more in depth analysis of every mouthful! :)

http://www.colin-julie.com/napolindex.htm


The website for Trianon is:
http://www.pizzeriatrianon.com/

I've been to the Trianon, and I gotta say, they have great pizza, almost as good as Tutino's. A funny story--One day my wife and I went to Trianon with my wife's brother, Mario, who is Neopolitan. We told him that the pizza in Italy was smaller than that in the US (single Neopolitan pizza vs. Pizza Hut, forgive me, size). (An aside--when Mario visited us here in Maryland, HE LOVED PIZZA HUT!! CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?) He then asked us whether we could handle the largest pizza Trianon makes. We said "heck yes". He then ordered the SUPER pizza. Believe me, we were dumbfounded!! The thing must have been a yard in diameter! For the first time in my life, I coudn't finish off a complete pizza, as good as it was. This included my wife. That pie is enough for a party of eight. I don't know if you have read the story I posted some time ago about the pizza place in Piazza Sannizaro. It's one of the funniest stories I have relating to Naples, and depicts the true and carefree disposition of the native Neopolitan.

Waldo:
Love that Pizza story! If I ever get to Maples I would be sure to get over to Tutino's.

I am an Italian American, my Mother came over from a small town near ASTI.

I miss her great cooking. My wife makes a good 'gravy' however!

Maybe I will drive down to Maryland for your wifes..Panzarotti!!

Really, A wonderful story about those GI days during WW2!

ah you all know I meant NAPLES!

Everyone,
Thank you for the info and the entertaining responses! I am taking solace in Waldo's post that the slices are smaller in Italy ... it means I can have a few different ones!!!

bsingerline, restaurants don't sell pizza by the slice, you order a whole one - but the whole ones are a sensible size. Pizza by the slice is only sold at street stalls / sandwich shops & is usually not very good.

I must be a pizza dolt because i love those quick pick up slices bought at those ubiquitous pizza to go shops, but never having one at a restaurant i guess i can't comment on those pizzas

hoards of Italians flock to the slice shops for some reason

Caroline brings up an important point: The great pizza in Italy is at pizzerie selling whole pies. Those slices that sit on the counter in those metal cabinets are NOT the pizza that enthralls pizza-fanatics. Many places we tried did not even cut the pies into slices; you did that yourself with knife and fork.


Interesting introductory article for pizza-holics that mentions three of the big names in Naples:


http://www.wineloverspage.com/italwi...pizzerie.phtml

PalQ, the pizza slices to eat on the hoof do have a place as a fast and cheap snack - I've bought them myself. But they are not as nice as 'proper' pizza in a specialist restaurant. However my point really was just to advise the OP that pizza in restaurants doesn't come by the slice.