Apr 25

Apr 25 Five Virtual Tours of Naples on Google Arts & Culture

Travel to Naples may be difficult in person right now but some of the town’s finest museums are now offering incredibly rich virtual tours. One of the best platforms for these new tours is Google Arts & Culture. The unexpected upside to the current limits on travel to Italy is the development of a previously unprecedented array of cultural materials now available online. The most famous museums in Naples including the National Archeology Museum of Naples and Capodimonte Art Museum have newly prepared fascinating virtual tours and interactive lectures that focus on uniquely Neapolitan subjects. As Italy has reiterated, la cultura non si ferma — culture doesn’t stop. We’ve put together a list of our favorite virtual exhibits in Naples.

Mar 16

Mar 16 What I Learned as an Accidental Farmer

Kristin Melia

Amalfi Coast Travel

After a relatively ordinary career as a civil servant, I became an accidental farmer sometime in the winter of 2015. I went from preparing cumbersome briefing books for congressional hearings in Washington DC to planting rows of zucchini seedlings about 700 meters above sea level on the tippy top of the Amalfi Coast in a small village called Agerola. What started as a gingham dappled dream overflowing with Mason jars quickly became the Sisyphean reality of harvest, preserve, eat, repeat. At least the views were amazing. Now as the world seems to steadily embrace social distancing amidst the recent COVID-19 pandemic, I find a surprisingly familiar muscle memory of food preservation kicking back into gear.

Feb 11

Feb 11 Celebrate: Five Carnival Traditions in Naples

Kristin Melia

Italian Holiday Guides

In Naples, we celebrate carnival with great gusto. This year the Fat Tuesday holiday falls on February 25th. The holiday means eating blood chocolate pudding, dressing up and even throwing a funeral. Get ready for a season of excess, followed by the Lenten season of fasting!

Dec 6

Dec 6 Ten Reasons to Visit Naples (Anytime of Year!)

Kristin Melia

Naples Travel

Naples is the geographic link between the glories of ancient Greece and the rise of imperial Rome. Greek settlers arrived here in roughly 700 BC before later heading further North. They brought religion, culture and WINE! Also, with a historic center that has been continuously inhabited since before Christ, Naples is the Gateway to Italy’s South. Below you will find our top ten reasons to spend a night or two in Naples- before heading further South to your next destination!

Jan 23

Jan 23 Top Ten Trattorias of Naples

Kristin Melia

Dining Guides, Naples Travel

Trattoria, osteria, ristorante….. where to start? And more importantly what is the difference? A trattoria, like an osteria, serves simple, rustic food. Unlike a ristorante, a trattoria features a limited menu, often scrawled on a chalkboard or haphazardly scribbled on A4 paper and photocopied. But thoughtless, trattorias are not. These are establishments of cucina povera and if you hope to eat like a local while in Italy and do not happen to have an Italian nonna, then this where you want to spend you feeding time. Naples particularly has some of the best trattorias of Italy. Waves of tourism that have radically changed the restaurant industry in the rest of Italy (and not in a good way), have left Naples relatively untouched (for now). It is still possible to sit at a communal table, eat a hearty plate of pasta and enjoy a carafe of local wine for 10 euros. Below are Sauced & Found’s favorite trattorias in Bella Napoli. Some of these places have weird hours so always check hours first!

Jan 10

Jan 10 The Foods of Ferrante

Kristin Melia

Dining Guides, Naples Travel

The international press has been obsessed with Elena Ferrante in ways the local Neapolitan press never have been. Some people think they have unveiled her true identity. Some people think she is a man. Many people love the books. Most Neapolitans have either never read them or vehemently despise them. The reason for this is varied- just as the town of Naples is varied- something that gets lost in the books themselves. Neapolitans almost unanimously agree that Ferrante writes like someone who has left Naples- particularly the brutal post-war periphery of Naples that was as chauvinist as it was bleak. There is no subtlety or dimension to this portrait of Naples. It is simply a place of violence that one must silently endure or boldly escape.

Dec 12

Dec 12 A Guide to Christmas Fish in Naples

Kristin Melia

Italian Holiday Guides

Christmas Eve is a fish lovers dream across the South of Italy. In the days leading up to the holiday, fish markets across Naples work over time to keep up with demand. There are many nouveau preparations of old favorites. But classics are classics for a reason. Below is a by no means exhaustive guide to Neapolitan Christmas fish and their simple preparations!

Nov 24

Nov 24 Five Christmas Traditions in Naples

Kristin Melia

Naples Travel, Italian Holiday Guides

The holiday season is a magical time in Southern Italy. Confectionaries and nativity scenes beseech even the grinches among us to join in all the merriment. At the very least we don’t have to listen to Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer and Feliz Navidad no less than 2,000 times until the Rose Bowl. Although in Italy you can also expect to here John Lennon belting And So Merry Christmas in the middle of July. In honor of the holiday season, below are five indispensible Neapolitan Christmas traditions. If you can’t make it here for Christmas, you can think of us as you enjoy another slog of Eggnog-which by the way- try explaining that one to the average Neapolitan!

Sep 22

Sep 22 Top Five Gelaterias in Napoli

Kristin Melia

Dining Guides, Naples Travel

While the sfogliatella pastry and pastiera pie may be the undisputed kings of Neapolitan dolce, gelato will always remaining an admirable favorite. With warm weather still going strong as we launch into fall, the gelato shops of Napoli remain humming with activity. And what better way to spend a Neapolitan Sunday afternoon than with a constitutional stroll with a constitutional cone in hand. Below are Sauced & Found’s selections for the top five gelaterias in Napoli.

May 16

May 16 Top Ten Pizzerias in Naples

Kristin Melia

Naples Travel, Dining Guides

Let’s get one thing straight ragazzi- pizza is just one of the MANY iconic dishes that Naples offers. Still no trip to Bella Napoli is complete without it. The original Neapolitan pizzas are the simple Marinara of San Marzano tomato sauce, oregano and garlic or the Margherita of tomato sauce, mozzarella or fiori di latte cheese and basil. The secret to enjoying a good pizza is to keep it simple. And for the love of God, don’t drive the pizzaioli of Naples crazy by trying to customize your f*cking order. Order what is one the menu and basta!