I had originally planned to begin this trip–focused on Matera and Puglia–with four nights in Naples. I changed this to Sorrento because my partner’s limited mobility would have hampered our wanderings in that large city. I’m happy with the change, and Sorrento is much more pleasant than I had imagined, especially because we are in the hotel of dreams, the EXCELSIOR VITTORIA.
We arrived late afternoon on Sunday and decided on pizza for our first dinner.
During the ride from the airport to hotel, the driver and I got into a lively discussion about pizza and how his hometown, Vico Equense is second in the world only to Naples..on and on…(Vico is famous for their "pizza al metro..metre-long pizza)
One of the top pizzaiolo in Vico had opened a second location on Via del Corso, close to our hotel in Sorrento. I had already marked DA FRANCO for our first night and with the driver’s confirmation that this was a great pick, we set out with high expectations.
DA FRANCO
No reservations here, but we were quickly seated at one of their long wooden tables in the large, bright and clean dining room on the main street of town. Fellow diners were a mix of tourists and locals. Staff speaks some English and were attentive. I had a good feeling, especially after I spied this "chef’s pizza of the day: chalked on the blackboard:
Sorrento (and Vico) are but an hour from Naples but you know what they say about assumptions!! We ordered a chef’s special and a Margherita:
Both were tasty enough, and I loved the flavor combination in the chef’s special, but…
If you had these in the North, you’d probably be happy. Being here in Campania, an hour from Naples I, on the other hand, was pretty disappointed. While tomatoes and other ingredients were fresh and good, the crust disappointed. It was thin, which I had hoped for, but without char, so I kept thinking “doughy.” Certainly good enough if you are in Sorrento, but keep your ecxpectations low. Several locals confirmed for me that this was their go-to spot in Sorrento, so at least on that front I felt vindicated about my decision. But last night I got into yet another discussion about pizza with yet another local. He told me that, while DA FRANCO is probably the number one, or number two, pizzeria in Sorrento, the pizza here in NOTHING like the pizza in Naples. (When he talked about the pizza in Naples, I could swear his eyes rolled heavenward and a broad smile spread across his face…and this is a guy who’s lived his entire life in Sant’ Agata)
So that was our first meal in Sorrento. If you need to have pizza here, go to DA FRANCO. But discard any thoughts of the pizze in Naples when you go…
Bill for two, with a liter of water: 24 euro.
Stopped off at the wonderful AMORINO for gelato on the walk back to the hotel; they have two outposts in Sorrento. “Normal” sized cup: 4.80 euro.
