The Vacation: Capri, Positano, Naples, and Rome

It is said that travel broadens the mind. For me, travel also broadens the palate. I have not posted in a month because I got married and went on an amazing honeymoon to Italy. My wife and I didn't have a bad meal the entire two weeks we were there, but we also did not shy away from trying new dishes as well as traditional classics. 

Our honeymoon took us to Capri, Positano, Naples, and Rome, from the fresh seafood of the Amalfi Coast to the rustic classics of Rome. That is not to say that any traveler should be tied to only what the region is known for, as our best seafood dinner was in Rome and some of our favorite pastas were rich, tomato based dished eaten on the Amalfi Coast. Below you will find some of our favorite restaurants, foods, and ideas for anyone heading to Italy.

Capri

The Blue Isle. Capri was gorgeous. Its beaches, its water, its views, its cocktails, and its food were all amazing. It is also expensive (splurge on drinks at Hotel Quisisana's front patio) but definitely a must see, especially if you have already been to Italy a number of times and worn out seeing ruins, churches, and museums again, like my wife and I.

The dish most associated with Capri (Italians pronounce  it  Cah-pree) is, of course, Insalata Caprese, a recipe I will be covering in my next post. Fresh tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil, and olive oil always hits the spot on a bright summer day. We ate it at the pool for lunch on our first day and it was so good. Let's face it, fresh buffalo mozzarella really can't go too far wrong. Also, the restaurant at our hotel, Terrazza Brunella, was very good. My wife and I ate our last dinner there and the views of Capri and Marina Piccola were almost as good as the homemade pastas and fried zucchini flowers we ate before the Torta Caprese, a cake of chocolate, nuts, and flour.

There are a number of must dos while in Capri, including organizing a private boat tour with Gianni's Boat, but a beach club is on the top of my list. The pool is great, but the clear blue water of the Mediterranean off Capri is infinitely better. There are many beach clubs with good restaurants throughout the island, but our hotel got us free entry to Bagni Internazionali in Marina Piccola as well as its restaurant Ciro di Mare. We had a great lunch of really good marinated anchovies (I ate anchovies daily throughout the trip, no exaggeration as I am still drinking water to recover), grilled calamari, and white wine with peaches while looking out on the famous Faraglioni  It was so fresh, probably caught that morning and prepped an hour or so before we ate lunch. The perfect, light beach lunch on the Amalfi Coast.

Positano

Just look at that picture! Positano lived up to the expectations set by Diane Lane ... that's right I set expectations based off of Diane Lane existential discovery movies. So what?

Here in Positano I had a food epiphany, it wasn't that dramatic but still ... a food moment. Ricci. The riches of the sea. Sea urchin. Honestly, it was soooo good, it was like I was eating the Mediterranean with fresh pasta. Simply prepared with a light tomato sauce, parsley, and breadcrumb, yet one of the best things I have eaten in my life. I am so happy I went out of my comfort zone and tried it because it was totally worth the reward. This moment happened at Lo Guarracino after we ate a wonderfully fresh seafood salad.

One of our best dinners on the trip came at Da Vincenzo. It had one of those menus where you wanted to order everything. Great pastas including a very nice zucchini with tomato sauce pasta combination which we found to be something of a staple in the region. Also, the stuffed pepper filled with fresh tuna and herbs, was a nice finale to an incredible few days in Positano.

Naples

We had to stop in Naples for pizza. We passed through Naples twice on our trip and could not justify not making a stop to grab a bite of what makes Naples famous - pizza. San Marzano tomatoes are sourced a few miles outside the city on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius and are fresher here than anywhere else in the world.

We managed to get into the pizzeria that travelers and locals alike laud as producing the best pizza in all of Naples, Da Michele. My wife and I grabbed our number and waited outside with the lunch crowd for over an hour before sitting down to order the only two pies on the menu, pizza margherita and pizza marinara. Both, while certainly different, were great. The margherita was in a sweet tomato sauce with fresh buffalo mozzarella while the marinara was cheeseless, just a flavorful marinara sauce loaded with fresh oregano. 

It was definitely worth the wait and a must do when passing through Naples, which brings us to ...

Rome

I love Rome. I have been fortunate enough to visit several times now (who knew that throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain actually works!) and have loved it every time. The history. The museums. The food. The atmosphere. It is by far my favorite city to visit when I go abroad, and as we weren't tied down to seeing every sight, my wife and I were able to focus on eating.

One of our favorite places in Rome is the Campo di Fiori. My wife lived nearby on her study abroad and I love the buzz of the daily produce market. Fresh pizza bianca from La Carbonara Forno, any type of cold cut you want sliced in front of you at Ruggeri, and of course the vegetables, fruits, spices, pastas, and so much more offered in the open air market. We bought some prosciutto, mortadella, local cheeses and strawberries, bread, and a treat or two before we headed over to our reservation at the Borghese Gallery. After our visit to some of the best Bernini sculptures in the world, we sat under a tree in the Villa Borghese and had a lovely lunch. If you are looking for a perfect mix of food, culture, and atmosphere, planning a day like this in Rome is a must for any itinerary! 

Around the corner from the Campo is one of the best, if not the best, pasta restaurants in the city. We had lunch at Ditirambo during our first stay, a great cacio e pepe and a fantastic fresh pasta with spring vegetables, before circling back again to cap off our trip with one last perfect pasta meal in Italy. 

Finally, before I ramble on more about going to the Vatican or the Colosseum or some other site, I wanted to end with the best meal I ate on my honeymoon. I wanted to end on the best seafood meal I have ever eaten ... period. Tempio di Iside was a suggestion from my new father-in-law and it was amazing. They simply bring you seafood. First raw, then hot, then whole fish prepared to your liking. It was amazing. We had 17 different type of fish or shellfish in one meal. I know, I counted. Raw razor clams and lagoustines. The BEST oyster I have ever eaten in my life! Octopus and calamari cooked in a clay pot with a rich tomato sauce. The five other things I had no clue on what I was eating because it was all local to Rome. It was all delicious.

Looking back, the whole trip was delicious, the whole trip was amazing. Next time you are traveling to Italy remember to try new foods, have a negroni or two, and enjoy more than just the sites. Ciao!