My Puglia Road Trip (Part IV) – Bari

 

My Puglia Road Trip [Part IV] — Bari

Over So Soon?!

puglia (apulia)

The region of Puglia (or Apulia), Italy

[from part 1]  
We embarked on a 9-day road trip throughout one of the most scenic–and criminally underrated & unheralded–regions of Italy. A coastal region in the southeast “heel” of the country, Puglia (also known as Apulia) remains a hidden gem of sorts as tourists flock to the more well-known cities. After meeting in Bari, our itinerary would take us to Polignano a Mare, Ostuni, Alberbello, Matera and finish with a couple of nights back in Bari.

As we drove back to where we started, the capital city of Bari, the realization that our epic road trip was nearing its end started to dawn on me.

Isn’t it kinda crazy how you can spend a week on a vacation somewhere, and even with some days feeling like they last forever (as you get up early and stay up late, somehow taking in both the sunrise and sunset lol), towards the end of the trip you inevitably think: “Wowthat week just flew by!”

Bari is an interesting city. To be honest, I have to admit that I kinda had preconceived notions about it, I just figured it was a port city like any other along this stretch of coast. Its old-world architecture, ample marinas playing host to schooners and sailboats and yachts, and idyllic weather combine to almost invite these notions…I mean, if you judged the “book by its cover” I think it’d probably get a one line review of “Peaceful, tranquil, boring.”

Of course, that’s why Meredith and I made it a point to not just let Bari be our roadtrip’s pushpin starting point on a map–instead ensuring this university and port city of a quarter-million people (nearly 1.5 million across the metropolitan area) received the time and attention it deserves. 

Bari is almost a split personality, one young and vibrant, one older and esteemed. The latter can be encapsulated by Bari Vecchia, the historic old town, a city center filled with countless trattorias, piazzas and shops. This invokes, for Americans like me, a sort of downtown “Main Street, USA” vibe…except it’s backdrop is picturesque lighthouses overlooking the Adriatic Sea and too many museums to count.

When you combine this sort of dual-personality with that idyllic weather, along with the sea dotted with boats large and small, it really seriously reminds me of Florida. I mean, palm trees? Check. Sunshine and cool breeze? Check. Seems boring yet peaceful when you first arrive? Yep. Perfect place for retirees…okay you get my point.

But even further than that, the way Bari can almost separate its identities, like with that downtown, historic setting of Bari Vecchia on one hand, and perhaps the nightlife near the Norman-Hohenstaufen Castle on the other…it feels like Miami, honestly.

So…the end is near. But not…quite….yet

We girls had 2 days left on this incredible journey. And as we entered the city, equal parts exhausted and excited, the anticipation that comes from getting to explore a new place for the first time fueled us (Well, that and caffeine, of course). No time to waste…Bari awaited us.


Bari


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The Food. OMG…The Food.


I mentioned Bari Vecchia, and the tons of little cafes, shops, trattorrias, etc etc. 

Well, by now you all know how I love me a Street Food Tour. 

You can see where this is going. 

We did this tour, and it was amazing. Our guide was knowledgable, and the food….well, let me just reiterate the OMG…THE FOOD headline now. 

[Side Note: AirBnB has really become an irreplaceable resource, especially for international travelers/vacationers. Obviously many people (like my brother) associate them with just “renting someone’s bedroom” (his words), but damn, they’ve really expanded their portfolio of options as the company has exploded worldwide. You can not only find some great accommodations, but some of the best walking and street food tours I’ve taken have come from using the site.]


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Strada delle Orechiette


In Bari there is a famous street called “Strada delle Orechiette”, where you can find a ton of Italian Nonnas (Italian word for grandmother), sitting in the street making a type of pasta called Orechiette. 

[Another sidenote…I was watching Friends the other day–I mean is there any where on Earth you can’t watch that show?!–and the episode with Joey Tribbiani’s grandmother was on. Now knowing “Nonna” means grandma was like a lightbulb moment watching the episode haha. Also….I’m thinkin I know where the usage of “nana” comes from…]

Yeah, so, anyway, you should definitely check the place out is all I’m trying to say.


Accomodations

For our accommodations in Bari we again went with an Airbnb. Close to shops, restaurants and within walking distance of many piazzas and photogenic destinations, it was exactly the kind of central–and most importantly, safe accommodation that really highlights some of the benefits of using sites and app platforms like Airbnb.


It’s Over? awww

Hopefully you got a little insight into Puglia through these posts. It is mindblowing how much culture and history Italy has to offer; I mean, its smaller than several US States and yet it feels like, one way or another, the entire history of man traces through this country at some point.

I sincerely hope you get a chance to visit this eden. Whether you opt for Florence, Naples, Venice or any of the other numerous visitor staples–Rome? Milan? There’s so many!–you simply can’t go wrong. Everybody needs, and deserves, to visit this country at least once in their life.

Remember that I’m available to help prepare you as you plan your Italian vacation…Or you could even travel with me on our next group trip!


And that wraps my Puglia Road Trip blog series! You can see some additional videos & photos on my social media pages, especially TikTok & Instagram.

Stay Tuned for more…Coming throughout the fall I’ll have new posts like Street Food Tours, Tips & Tricks, Shopping Guides and more!

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Puglia Road Trip III — Matera (Basilicata)

 


My Puglia Road Trip [Part III] — Matera (Basilicata)

puglia (apulia)

The region of Puglia (or Apulia), Italy


[from part 1]  
We embarked on a 9-day road trip throughout one of the most scenic–and criminally underrated & unheralded–regions of Italy. A coastal region in the southeast “heel” of the country, Puglia (also known as Apulia) remains a hidden gem of sorts as tourists flock to the more well-known cities. After meeting in Bari, our itinerary would take us to Polignano a Mare, Ostuni, Alberbello, Matera and finish with a couple of nights back in Bari.

Before we continue on to Days 6 & 7…
I should point out that Matera is actually in the region of Basilicata, to the southwest of of Puglia. 

Matera is in Basilicata, bordering Puglia to the south

Just wanna try and make sure I don’t offend or slight any lucani 😉


After thoroughly enjoying our Day 5 “lazy day” at the Trulli Ad Maiora –check out this Tik Tok for a peek at these gorgeous accommodations– it was time to get back in the saddle again (its a road trip, of course, but ‘back in the car again’ doesn’t exactly pop quite the same) and continue on this epic journey we had embarked upon.

We were headed south, to the region of Basilicata, a mountainous, Gulf of Taranto-bordering “instep” of Italy. 

[Random info I find funny… because Italy is shaped like a boot, the 3 southeastern regions of Italy are colloquially known as The Toe (Calabria), The Heel (Puglia/Apulia), and between them lies The Instep –Basilicata!]

Here we would visit Matera, currently home to the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the region (although rumor has it there might be a couple more getting some recognition at some point). 

Not as populated as neighboring regions, Basilicata has a complicated past. It hasn’t been until relatively recent times that the region was even open to traditional tourists. And it didn’t happen overnight for the economically depressed area, neither. I mean, in the years after World War II the Italian Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi actually referred to Matera, Basilicata’s capital city, as a national disgrace!

Oh how far we’ve come…

Matera, simply, is the oldest city in Italy, the oldest city in Europe, and one of the 3 oldest cities in the entire WORLD. No offense to Mr. De Gasperi, but any city with that resume gets a mulligan for a decade or two of disrepair. 

While still lacking easy accessibility, Matera is slowly gaining traction amongst vacationers for its absolutely one of a kind cave dwellings, aided by the 1993 naming as a European Capital of Culture by the EU. Known as “sassi”, these rock-cut & excavated habitations are believed to have been resided in as early as 7000 BCE –or even a few millennia before that! 

And, alas, a mere 900 centuries or so later the sassi are once again called “home” by some. The history of human civilization really does seem to often revolve around the regions of Italy (and Rome, of course).

Okay, history lesson over. Lets get to the good stuff.


Matera



Days 6…My-Oh-My, Matera!


The immediate feeling you get when you step foot onto one of the narrow, stone and brick streets throughout Matera is almost indescribable. 

For one thing, you literally feel the history around you. The awe-inspiring views cause almost automatic introspection…honestly it’d be a helluva place for some group therapy if it wasn’t for the panic inducing cliffs, heights and seemingly 90 degree drops around any random corner. 

It’s crazy to think a stone bench you sit on could have literally been sat on seven, eight, nine thousand years ago. The Sassi you walk in could have been inhabited by people that history doesn’t even recognize or know about. It brings you a sense of closeness to the historical people of he region and yet reminds you of the vastness of time & human experience. 

The history is just so impressive.


I’ve said this about a lot of places throughout Italy, but it may be most true in Matera, a city comprised of extremely narrow walking paths that occasionally pass for roads:

The best way to see and explore Matera is by walking tour.

This is what we chose, and I highly recommend it.

Besides, I couldn’t imagine a traffic jam of tour buses navigating around these cliffs & mountain tops. That’d be more scary than those 90 degree drops. 

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For accomodations, we decided that it’d be fitting to stay in a cave home. Not quite the Sassi of millennia ago, but not exactly a Holiday Inn Express, neither.

We ended up staying at the Locus Amoenus.

Essentially within a stone cave, I’d recommend it–though the rock-hard (see what I did there?! haha) beds were a little too firm for my liking.  Noteworthy, too, was the host and staff–very attentive and kind. 

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Here in Matera we ate at by far our favorite restaurant of the entire trip, Radino Wine Bistrot. It’s a restaurant located in a cave from 600BC and the food was absolutely incredible

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Day 7…A Free Day of Exploration


I know, I know…

You’ve heard me say things like “OMG, you have to see this place!” a million times already in this Puglia blog series, let alone the blog in general.

Sometimes there are places in Italy that are obvious, yet so one of a kind they can’t be overstated, like the Roman Coliseum or ruins of Pompeii. It’s, of course, one reason why I always encourage people to “get off the bus” and do walking tours, or street food tours for city-specific culture & cuisine. 

I mentioned in Part 2 how sometimes you just need a “decompression” day in your vacation. Well, sometimes you also just need that “free” day without a set itinerary of tours and stops, despite how beneficial the aforementioned tours can be. 

The best part of these “winging it” types of days is you sometimes come across people, or scenes, or buildings, that you probably would have missed…and they can be the most memorable experiences of a trip.

For us in Matera, there was two specific places this can be said for… 


On our free day in Matera, we decided to visit the Cathedral of Matera, which was breathtakingly beautiful.

Then we spontaneously made a visit the Casa Grotta in Sassi Matera.

Amazing.

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And there you have how we spent two days in one of the oldest cities of the entire world, Matera! You can see some additional videos & photos on my social media pages, especially TikTok & Instagram.

Stay Tuned for Part 4, Bari, coming next week!

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My Puglia Road Trip (Part II)

 

My Puglia Road Trip [Part II]

puglia (apulia)

The region of Puglia (or Apulia), Italy

[from part 1]  
We embarked on a 9-day road trip throughout one of the most scenic–and criminally underrated & unheralded–regions of Italy. A coastal region in the southeast “heel” of the country, Puglia (also known as Apulia) remains a hidden gem of sorts as tourists flock to the more well-known cities. After meeting in Bari, our itinerary would take us to Polignano a Mare, Ostuni, Alberbello, Matera and finish with a couple of nights back in Bari.

Meredith and I continued our epic 9-day Puglia, Italy road trip with a visit to Alberobello, the third city on our itinerary.  Alberobello is a small town (or commune) of roughly 10,000. It’s actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site, achieving the status in 1996, for its unique and historically significant architecture–specifically its Trulli houses.

Taking advantage of the vast quantity of limestone in the region, these dwellings dot the Alberobello landscape thanks to their unmistakable hue, mortarless framework & conical/coned shape roofs. Just like in Polignano a Mare--well, Puglia in general, really–the brilliance of the white & off-white buildings against a backdrop of a crystal blue Italian sky is just mesmerizing.

Trulli houses are noteworthy, too, for being one of the few prehistoric construction techniques still in use. I don’t know exactly why, but for some reason that tidbit of info really has sat with me. It’s just crazy, I guess, that in a 21st century world, where we worry about A.I. taking over human communication–basically, worrying about the Terminator movie coming true to life–there are regions still using building techniques that the dudes in the Gladiator movie considered as ancient history. The juxtaposition is fascinating, right? No? Just me? Welp. 

So, yeah, anyyyway, here’s all about Day 4 and Alberobello!


Alberobello



Day 4…Trulli Truly


We wasted little time once we arrived in Alberobello, opting to spend “Day 4” doing some hardcore sightseeing in lieu of a more relaxing “Day 5”. There is a tremendous amount of history packed into this little town, and thus our decision to visit the city center and sign up for a walking tour with a local guide turned out to be a very, very smart choice. 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it again, but the knowledge and familiarity you get from local guides simply cannot be replicated. It’s also impossible to match the level of cultural immersion & educational opportunity you get from a walking tour versus by taking one by car or train. 


It’s like living in a Postcard from 1623 here in Alberobello.

The Trulli houses gained UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1996.

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For our accommodations in Alberobello, we actually stayed in a Trulli Villa in the countryside just outside the city. We actually preferred staying outside of the city itself–but its probably just a matter of personal preference.

Of course, the fact that we had planned in advance for our second day in Alberobello to be a “chill and just relax” day–and our villa being in the peaceful seclusion of the countryside–probably had a whole lot to do with our preference too.

Our villa was called Trulli Ad Maiora.

Check out my video about our spectacular accommodations

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT81gEBPB/

 


Our Accomodations at the Trulli Ad Maiora

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Day 5…Sleep and…Grocery Shopping?


It didn’t feel like it at the time (probably from all the walking throughout the city on our tour!) but in retrospect the two days in Alberobello went by extremely fast. 

On Day 5 of our road trip we actually opted for “eating in”, visiting a local market to pick up some fresh groceries and crafting our dinner ourselves. 

It’s really difficult to manage sometimes, but just like in “regular” life I feel its super important to just have periodic “do nothing”/”plan nothing” days. I think, actually, it’s quite essential for traveling abroad and lengthy vacations. Its so easy to get wrapped up in planning, and sightseeing, even dealing with necessities like where you’re sleeping and where you’re going to eat, that you don’t even realize the stress building upon you.

I mean, how many times have you returned from a whirlwind vacation or weekend getaway and, as you unpack and think of all the things you have to get done, think to yourself “Dang..I need a vacation!!”

Trust me…having a day built-in to your vacation to just decompress is a must.  



And that wrapped up our 2 days in Alberobello! You can see some additional videos & photos on my social media pages, especially TikTok & Instagram.

Stay Tuned for Part 3, Matera, coming next week!

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My Puglia Road Trip – Part I

 

My Puglia Road Trip [Part I]

Accompanied by one of my good friends from New York City, Meredith, we embarked on a 9-day road trip throughout one of the most scenic–and criminally underrated & unheralded–regions of Italy. A coastal region in the southeast “heel” of the country, Puglia (also known as Apulia) remains a hidden gem of sorts as tourists flock to the more well-known…and more easily accessible, to be honest….cities like Rome, Venice, Milan, etc etc..

After a 6 hour train ride from Florence, I met Meredith in Bari, the capital city of Puglia, where she had flown in from NYC. From there we rented a car, just two girls driving with the top down low and radio up high…

Okay maybe it wasn’t quite like a Hollywood movie, we were not driving like Thelma & Louise nor did we actually have a convertible…but we were off for what promised to be a memorable summer adventure. Our itinerary would take us to Polignano a Mare, Ostuni, Alberbello, Matera and finish with a couple of nights back in Bari


Polignano a Mare


puglia (apulia)

The region of Puglia (or Apulia), Italy


Day 1…And we’re off!


After navigating the always fun airport crowds in the Bari airport, (sarcasm…just a wee bit) Meredith and I headed right away to rent a car. We used Sixt, a quickly growing and expanding company also found in the States. (Side note: While I certainly haven’t tried all of the rental companies in Italy, I’ve used Sixt a couple of times and I literally have 0 complaints. Highly recommend.) 

As I briefly mentioned, Puglia–and for that matter, most of southern Italy–is absolutely best seen by car. The south does have its share of commuter trains, and most of its larger cities/tourist destinations have public buses, but there is a decided difference compared to the northern regions in the availability of mass transportation (not to mention both the quantity & quality of options).  While certainly not rural, regions like Puglia tend to be more spread out as far as tourism goes, and unless you intend on spending a fortune on taxis–which in themselves aren’t always a guarantee to find–having a vehicle of your own to wander and explore is undoubtedly the way to go.


Polignano a Mare is, to be blunt, one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever been. It is a beach town, and some of the views are just jaw dropping. 

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In Polignano a Mare, we stayed at the stunning B&B called Quintessenza Domus Luxury Suites and it was the most wonderful experience that I couldn’t recommend more. There are only 6 rooms, all run by a woman named Carola and her family. Their breakfast in the morning is all handmade, and her elderly father is there helping to serve breakfast, telling us which pastries he made himself (and which cheese and produce he hand picked that morning at 6am!). Carola went above and beyond to make our stay wonderful. They also have parking available for a small fee so it was great for road-trippers like us!

Check out my video about our spectacular accommodations https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT81pBXy3/ 


Our Accomodations at the Quintessenza Domus Luxury Suites 

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When we arrived we spent time exploring Polignano a Mare, though honestly I probably could have just sat and watched the sunset…and then waited for the sunrise, because it’s that dang intoxicating. We went to dinner at Restaurant Antiche Mura. They brought us fresh lobster pasta and fish that was caught that day – even going so far as to bringing us the living lobster to our table that we would be eating in a few minutes (this was a bit much for me, I’ll admit). But the pasta itself was VERY good, the ambiance was wonderful, and the staff was super friendly – I’d highly recommend heading here for dinner. 


Dining at the Restaurant Antiche Mura

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Day 2…A Day Trip to Ostuni



The next morning we decided to take a day trip to Ostuni, a city about a 30 minute drive or so from Polignano a Mare. Ostuni is a popular summer destination for tourists, and sees the average winter population of 32,000 jump to over 100,000. Known as the “White City”, it is roughly 6 miles from the coastline. Even though the city was in full tourist-mode we found parking pretty easily–I absolutely recommend using EasyPark, a growing in popularity app available worldwide.


The White City, Ostuni, is known for its tall white walls & white architecture. Even with an influx of visitors it has a unique calming aura.

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Once we arrived back from Ostuni, we went to the restaurant called Grotta Palazzese for dinner, which is an Instagram famous restaurant in Polignano a Mare. I had made a mental note to make sure I visited it, since so many people have asked me about it online in the past and its burgeoning reputation. We made sure to make reservations about a month before visiting since – as you can imagine – reservations are snapped up quick!

The ambiance alone is probably worth checking out, tucked in and around a cave that sits cliffside–zero surprise why it’s become a popular Instagram staple for visitors. It was worth the trip for the locale, and while the food was good, none of the dishes really blew my mind –and it was a bit expensive for my personal taste. The menu offered 6 different “tasting” menus, which are pre-designed menus of various dishes and price points, ranging from MINIMUM 195 euro, all the way to 450 euro PER meal. They also offer the possibility to create your own menu with 3 or 4 dishes, but even that was a minimum price point of 195 euro. So as you can see – it was PRICEY. Unfortunately you can only visit the restaurant if you are having a meal – there’s no option to sit down for just a cocktail or aperitif. Man, I wish there was though! 

All that being said, I can see it being a perfect spot for an engagement party, or a special occasion in general because it really is a stunning place! But strictly as a tourist, its probably not the most economical.


The famous cliffside cave restaurant, Grotta Palazzese

You can also check out my video about Grotta Palazzese https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT81p1k7S/

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Day 3…Life’s a Beach


For our last day in Polignano a Mare we checked out the famous  Lama Monachile Beach. Lets just say…this isn’t like the beaches I grew up near in the States, to say the least. It’s awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping and a thousand other raving adjectives I can’t even begin to list. As you can see by some of the photos below, there is a lot to take in and see, and although incredibly popular with tourists and locals alike, it somehow is able to retain a sense of privacy & quaint charm. 

We decided to take a boat tour of the caves underneath the city of Polignano a Mare with the boat tour company Cave Emotion Giri in Barca – our captain Michele was SO fun that our exploration seemed to fly by. The caves are a transcendent experience. 

To arrive at the port that the boat tour took off from, we took a TukTuk! In a city like Polignano a Mare, its a unique way to travel and see the area. Think New York City cab…if it was 3-wheeled, open-air, motored like a golf cart and the “cabbies” were super friendly locals lol. The company we booked with was called Polignano Made in Love (I mean, that name is awesome, right?!?).


The famous Lama Monachile Beach in Polignano a Mare and our Cave Emotion Giri in Barca bout tour.

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For dinner we went to a new innovative restaurant called Jamante, which was even better than the cave dinner.

I’d definitely recommend heading here if you don’t want to pay the price of Grotta Palazzese. The chefs are young and innovative with the cuisine, the service was outstanding, and for a 4-course tasting menu, we paid only 45 euro – a STEAL if you ask me, considering how good the food was. 

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Also, just to really drive home how wonderful the entire staff was again – I hit 1 million friends on TikTok on the day we went to Jamante, and this is what the staff did when they found out – can you even believe how kind that is?? I already can’t wait to go back here! 

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And that wrapped up our 3 days in Polignano a Mare! You can see some additional videos & photos on my social media pages, especially TikTok & Instagram.

Stay Tuned for Part 2, Alberobello, coming next week!

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Another Amazing Street Food Tour…In Naples

2 July 2023

Another Amazing Street Food Tour…
In Naples!


I’ve talked about some of the best street food in Sicily, and raved about my tour through Florence already. So it was only natural that upon a visit to Naples I reconnected with Marco, owner of Streaty Food Tours, for another fantastic day of walking, learning, and, most importantly, tasting some of the best food in the city. 

Honestly, I probably wrote and deleted 15 different analogies for the food in Naples…but it was an episode of a classic tv drama, serving as background noise, that gave me an “aha!” moment. 

In every movie and every tv show ever made in the history of the world, Italians are always stereotyped on screen in certain ways – even though most of the time the stereotype is not the reality, haha. One that is constant, though, is of the Italian restaurant (always with a red & white checkered table cloth for some reason) with a smorgasbord of super filling pastas, creamy sauces, various fried offerings (always mozzarella sticks which, fun fact, you won’t commonly – if ever – see on an Italian menu in Italy!) and well…just generally the South Beach Diet’s worst enemy. I think these scripted stereotypes originated once upon a time from someone visiting Naples.

It is the birthplace of the modern pizza, afterall. And mozzarella (see how it’s all tied together?! haha) is actually produced in Campania, the region where Naples is located. Typical Napoletano food is vast, but what really stands out to me is their STREET food – it absolutely is the land of temptation for those with a sweet tooth or a love of all things fried golden crispy.


Use code “kacierose” for 5% off your Streaty Food Tour!

Book a Streaty Food Tour!


A bit about Streaty Food Tours…

If you have followed this blog for a while then you know how much I love Streaty Food Tours. And if you know anything about me, then you also know I don’t give out my “stamp of approval” to just anyone. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience several different types of food tours, in several different cities throughout this amazing country, but when anyone asks me for highlights or suggestions I always come back to my friend Marco and his Streaty Food Tours.

Streaty approaches each tour as not just an opportunity for people to try some great food, but to explore, educate and just generally immerse customers in the culture of the region. They make an effort to connect with each person and really go out of their way to make people feel comfortable, which is huge when many tourists can be intimidated by a new environment, especially when they have never been to Italy or face a language barrier. 

At the end of the day, its about trust, right? When you sign up for a tour like this you want to know that your safety is important to your guides, to know that your really are being shown great and unique places and not just an Italian version of Papa John’s or something. 

Hey–don’t laugh…there are actually food tours that strategically end (or even sometimes begin) a tour by feeding their groups generic pizza, obviously a food that everyone loves, to insure positive reviews & profitability. 

That’s more reason to love Streaty, though. A walking tour, they strive to educate. They also encourage people to try food outside of their comfort zone–which, if we are being honest with each other–is the whole point of a food tour, right?

Oh…and finally….Street food is simultaneously the best introduction to a region’s culture & cuisine–and some of the best damn tasting food on the planet!

Please note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made after clicking/following a link result in Kacie Rose Travel receiving a small commission. I only promote products/services that I’ve used & love myself. Thanks for supporting my blog 🙂


A Bit About Naples…

Some Quick-Hitter Facts & Background Info about Naples:

–Naples is the 3rd largest city in Italy, after Rome and Milan. Its population is a hair under 1 million.

–It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities/regions in the entire world. Its ancestry can be traced back all the way to the first millennium B.C., founded by the Greeks.

–Was the capital of the Kingdom of Naples (1282-1816) and the Kingdom of Two Sicilies until the unification of Italy in 1861. 

–The port of Naples has played an influential part in helping the city become an integral part of the Italian economy, and it is the European home of NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command. 

–The city centre is steeped in history, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Highlights for tourists nearby include the Palace of Caserta, the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and Mount Vesuvius.

–The term neopolitan means “Pertaining to Naples”. Of course, most people think of ice cream when they hear the word–but there’s actually not a lot of definitive proof the concept of “3 flavors in 1” was borne in Naples. Early Italian immigrants to the States brought a general expertise in frozen desserts and would mold three flavors together to match the Italian flag…it wasn’t until later in the early 20th century that the commonly associated chocolate/vanilla/strawberry became famous. 

–As I mentioned, Naples is known as the birthplace of pizza. During the Kingdom of Naples it grew in popularity in part due to the disproportionate amount of poor people in the city at that time. It was known as “the food of the poor”, in fact. The King Ferdinand IV, of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, helped bring it to the masses, including the elite. 

–Spaghetti is also closely associated with Naples. But as a coastal city its seafood has a reputation all its own. Dishes like impepata di cozze (peppered mussels) and baccalà alla napoletana (salt cod) are Naples staples (sorry, I really wanted to fit in a Naples-staples combo somewhere!)

When Italy was unified in 1861 the country saw much of its wealth in the south, especially the regions inside the former Kingdom of Naples, move north into Milan. With much of the population already “lower middle class” the city’s economy was decidedly depressed, impacting the majority of its citizens.

With the region becoming more and more poor, a lot of the amazing cuisine we now laud Naples for creating/inspiring was borne. In addition to carbohydrate-rich pizza & pasta, fried food became increasingly popular, as it was cheaper to prepare and cultivate than “fresh” food and the fatty oils gave people a sense of “feeling full” much faster (the oils expand in digestion). 

All of that is part of why Southern Italy has kind of an unfortunate reputation compared to the “Rich & Well-off” North. And I do mean its unfortunate…in some ways it reminds me of New York City, actually. Yeah, its maybe a little gritty, and its definitely chaotic…but the people are thus just real, totally vibrant and energetic and extremely hospitable to tourists & newcomers alike–just like in NYC, all you have to do is ask! (Also like NYC, I feel like the people of Naples have this stupid rep of smugness to outsiders, but really its just a city of busy people living their best life!)

Street food tour


The Food…

Cuoppo: A cone of fried things, usually seafood. There’s some land options but from the sea is the way to go, I feel. We tried this at the seafood market in the city, where fresh fish is caught and sold daily. It’s a pretty crazy and hectic environment, but that’s kind of what makes street food perfect, right?

Bufala Mozzarella: Mozzarella made from Buffalo Milk. Creamy and delicious, and a little smoky almost? It was like no mozzarella I have ever tried before! 

Trippa: Just to be blunt…it’s stomach and intestines from various animals. Throughout Italy you can find typical dishes that use alll parts of the animal, but in Southern Italy you can find this ALOT (for the same reasons that gave us pizza!). To be honest, you might see some initially jarring types of dishes & ingredients in Naples restaurants. This wasn’t my personal favorite item of the day, lol.

Lets just say I don’t know if Trippa was the dish that got Naples restaurants the most Michelin stars of any Italian city. 


Pizza fritta: Fried Pizza. OMG. Yes, its as amazing as it sounds. Filled with ricotta, mozzarella, tomato, pork fat and pepper flakes. 2 Thumbs Up!

Taralli: A super crunchy breadstick. This particular ones had almonds, which really enhanced the overall flavor. (Additional note…went oh-so-well with a Peroni, a famous Italian beer also available in the States!)

Snowflake: A desert pastry filled with cream and topped with powder sugar. Honestly after the fried pizza and taralli, I didn’t think I could eat much more, and at this point I thought I’d burst if I finished it all. But I did…and I didn’t burst. And it was well worth it!





In conclusion, my dear readers…

All in all, if you’re traveling to Naples, Sicily, or Venice, I HIGHLY recommend checking out Streaty Food Tours. They are simply awesome and provide such an awesome experience for tourists to not only see and enjoy the city, but to fully immerse themselves in the culture. And because I cannot recommend them enough, Marco gave me a discount code to share with all of you!

Use code “kacierose” for 5% off your Streaty Food Tour!

Book a Streaty Food Tour!

Happy eating, friends!

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