Adventures in pizza eating

My last meal on Earth could well be a pizza.

I hope that my tastes have changed - developed, evolved - from my teenage years. But still, really, when it boils down to anything I generally want to eat pizza. I want a base that is just the right balance of crispy and yielding, I want a sharp hit of tomato sauce, I want a gorgeous pull of cheese and then, of course, a topping. Or two.

We recently spent a few days in Naples - the birthplace of pizza! And, I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint. We ate at two restaurants in and around the centre of Naples that were, respectively, the ninth and first ranked pizza places in Italy, and were incredible. Although, just from walking around, I get the sense we would have done perfectly well pitching up at plenty of other places.

Our first night there, we went to Pizzeria La Notizia - and this was, as far as I could see, a neighbourhood joint done very well indeed. We ordered four pizzas between three (dear reader, please note, that we are three greedy people and still couldn't manage this so would not necessarily recommend). The classic Margherita was easily the best of the bunch as far as I'm concerned - although I think D was a fan of some of the more meat based offerings.

A couple of nights later, we headed out to I Masanielli. This was pizza taken VERY seriously. And I have never had a base like it. It contrived to have a light, airy quality alongside a crisp, oil-rich crust. Absolute heaven. The toppings could, in some instances, be a touch try hard if you favour simplicity. Textures of onion, for example, trod a fine line between absolute genius and terrible pretention. But, again, the classics really delivered - a simple Marinara was about as umami as you could wish, the base redolent with anchovies and olives and all good things.

I think that what was interesting is that Neapolitan pizza is definitely very distinctive and of itself. D wasn't the biggest fan - finding it a little bit on the doughy side and preferring a thinner, crispier iteration. I thoroughly enjoyed it - but, also, appreciate D's point that if you're expecting a very thin crust and minimal toppings you might be surprised by the Neapolitan offering.