Lunch at a Neapolitan Trattoria

AN AMERICAN EXPAT IN NAPLES

My friend Tricia LOVES Naples. She stumbled upon her adopted hometown traveling through Europe after college. No doubt, she had visited many other beautiful places, but upon arrival in this vibrant southern Italian city, she knew she was home. 

Unlike many stories of American women in Italy, Tricia didn’t fall in love with an Italian man and then decide to stay. That happened later. She chose Naples first. That’s right, she REALLY loves her city. (She’s pretty keen on her husband, too… and no surprise, he’s Neapolitan!)

THE VOMERO DISTRICT

On my most recent visit to Naples, Tricia and I took a walk one morning to check out the local market. She lives in the area of town known as the Vomero, which sits on a hill that affords beautiful views over the city. Its tourist highlights include the Castello Sant’Elmo, an imposing military fortress whose ramparts present a particularly beautiful panorama in the late afternoon, and the Certosa di San Martino, a former charterhouse or monastery that houses the National Museum of San Martino with its delightful display of historic nativity scenes.

Naples from Castello Sant’Elmo

Our destination that morning was the Mercato di Antignano, a street market selling clothing and textiles, shoes, handbags, household articles and food. I needed a collapsible umbrella and I found a small purple one actually Made in Italy. The highpoint of my market stroll, however, was a sock table. About six months earlier, I had been shopping in the U.S. with my father on a search for men’s socks. He wanted a simple sock – not over the calf and not low-cut athletic or to hide in a shoe. We went from store to store, finding racks and racks of the same few styles, but the type he wanted was nowhere to be found. As Tricia and I breezed past a booth piled high with men’s socks, something clicked in my head and I stopped for a cursory glance. I couldn’t believe the vast array – and many were woven of fine cotton and “Made in Italy,” most likely right in Naples, a city historically known for its textile industry. I walked away with a few more pairs than I really needed, but I knew my father would be happy with the style and the price was certainly right!

NEAPOLITAN TRATTORIA

Trattoria Malinconico

We had a fruitful morning immersed in the Neapolitan market experience and we were getting hungry. Our plan was to eat in one of Tricia’s favorite neighborhood trattorias. It was a lovely sunny day, the outdoor seating was full and a lot of people were crowded around the entranceway. Getting a table didn’t look all that promising, but she assured me there were other options if it didn’t work out. Tricia checked in with the proprietor, who indicated he’d know more in a few minutes. A couple was just leaving a little table in the corner on the inside. There appeared to be other pairs already waiting, but after several minutes we were ushered to our seats. Perhaps the spot wasn’t what the others were looking for or perhaps it helps to be a regular, but in any case, I was happy to be looking at the photocopied handwritten menu in the little plastic stand on the table.

Trattoria Malinconico on Via Paisiello is a no-nonsense eatery. On the Saturday afternoon in question the clientele was a mix of everything from workers to students to families to a pair of ladies out shopping. Simple tables with paper placemats in the classic red and white checked tablecloth pattern enhanced the decidedly informal atmosphere of an unpretentious Neapolitan trattoria that focused on serving quality home-style food.

Menu Trattoria Malinconico

THE FOOD AT THE NEAPOLITAN TRATTORIA MALINCONICO

The menu was straightforward at this Neapolitan trattoria, without any elaborate descriptions of ingredients or preparations: Primi (first courses of pasta dishes), secondi (second courses of meat and fish plates) and contorni (side dishes of vegetables) – recommendations of the chef. If you wanted a plate of pasta with tomato sauce, although not on the menu, it wouldn’t have been a problem. As long as they had the ingredients, the dish could have been whipped up. Someone’s mamma was in the kitchen. You could see her through the opening to the dining area.

Tricia was planning on preparing a plate of pasta at home later that evening and we didn’t want to overeat, so we decided on secondi with a contorno. I had the frittura di pesce, fried fish consisting of calamari, gamberi (shrimp) and triglia (mullet), and Tricia had the alici or anchovies. While both of the dishes were fried, they didn’t have the heaviness associated with deep fried foods in America – no thick batter to coat and take form as it hardens in the oil, overwhelming the delicate seafood flavor, but pan fried with a little flour and served with a large chunk of juicy lemon.

Frittura di pesce

Alici

For a contorno we chose the friarielli. Not a word you see all over Italy, the friarielli are the blooms and tender leaves of what we call the broccoli rabe or rapini in English. In other parts of Italy, they’re called broccoletti or cime di rapa or rapini. If I had to describe this vegetable to someone who had never eaten it, I’d say it’s like broccoli but better, earthy and full of natural flavor. It was served traditionally, sautéed in olive oil with a touch of pepperoncino. Delicious.

Friarielli

All washed down by a very palatable half liter of the house white wine, the lunch came to a shocking sum of 13 Euros for two. There must have been some sort of sconto (discount) involved. If I lived nearby, I think I’d have difficulty not eating there every day. Fish, chicken, pork, beef, an assortment of pastas – all prepared casereccio or casareccio (traditionally, homemade).

As for atmosphere, this Neapolitan trattoria oozes with it. No, not the 5-star Michelin type, recommended by the concierge at a luxurious hotel, but the “rubbing elbows with the locals” variety, praised by Italians looking for the best value for the price. And it’s funny, as I was soaking in the ambience, I couldn’t help but notice the two guys at the next table, straining to decipher our English conversation and occasionally commenting to one another on what they imagined we were saying. Let’s face it, we’re all curious, and for me Trattoria Malinconico presented a wonderful window on the Neapolitan world, the people and what they eat. I liked the slice of life that I saw and tasted. Thanks Tricia. I’ll be back.

Tricia at Malinconico Neapolitan Trattoria

Photo of Castello Sant’Elmo courtesy of Pericopin.

Interested in the food and culture of southern Italy? Read about Calabria, the fascinating region in the toe of the boot in Calabria: The Other Italy, an award-winning, nonfiction book about the rich history, traditions, arts, food, society, daily life and tourist sites of Calabria, Italy. Available in paperback and e-book versions.

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