The physical differences between the breezy lookouts of Vomero Hill and the tight alleys of the historic Spanish Quarter are so dramatic it’s hard to believe they belong to the same city, separated by only a short metro ride. Yet despite these differences, as we’ll discover over a day of eating and exploring, Neapolitans are united by good old-fashioned Neapolitan cooking. From posh cafes to street food stands, locals like their food hot, quick, loud and delicious, just like their grandmothers and grandfathers before them. We’ll begin our day the Neapolitan way, with a cup of thick, piping hot espresso and the city’s signature pastry, sfogliatella, in a Neapolitan cafe in Vomero. Then, walking through this stylish hilltop neighborhood, we’ll sample some of the area’s classic bites. At a century-old friggitoria we’ll try fried macaroni, a favorite local specialty, while at a bakery we will sample stuffed pagnottiello rolls, followed by delicate montanara, a small fried pizza. We’ll also stop by an artisanal cheese and charcuterie shop for a tasting of Campanian cheeses that go beyond mozzarella. Then we’ll take in the serene views from the San Martino terrace before hopping on the metro and descending into the bustling streets of the old city below. Down in Montesanto, the working-class belly of Naples, we’ll get a feel for the beautiful chaos that characterizes local life. At a neighborhood fishmonger we will taste marinated anchovies and freshly fried fish and seafood, then sit down with a glass of crisp white wine from a vineyard near Mount Vesuvius, soaking up neighborhood life and readying our appetites for a course or two at a classic backstreet trattoria. We’ll continue into the narrow streets of the Spanish Quarter, shaded by laundry flapping in the breeze, to visit one of the neighborhood’s classic purveyors of fried pizza on our way to a square dedicated to the legendary soccer player Diego Maradona, revered here like a saint after helping bring championships to the city. As we wind down our day with a limoncello spritz, we’ll decide between an artisanal gelato made from buffalo milk and a final bracing coffee – or, better yet, both. After all, this day is all about doing and seeing things both ways.
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