5/6/2022

My niece, Leigh, and her husband, Will, texted me to arrive hungry because it’s Naples. Of course, we needed to begin by visiting Ammaccamm, their favorite pizza restaurant.

Leigh and Will greeted me with a welcome hug—extra special when we realized we hadn’t seen each other since their wedding for almost four years because of Covid.

I marveled at Will’s kamikaze driving skills, which reminded me of Egyptians, but with less profanity and more polite honking. We arrived at Ammaccamm in one piece, squeezed into a tiny parking space, and entered the Pozzuoli neighborhood pizza restaurant, where pizza takes on a new dimension and rave reviews.

In my opinion, Napoli pizza satisfies people who prefer thin crust (which I never understood) and others who are serious about yeasty air pockets and resist the temptation to eat the leftover crust from others’ plates.

How could I fail to be impressed with the antipasto dish we shared—different shapes of macaroni and cheese, various cheeses, grilled cheese triangles, and more coated in Italian panko crumbs.

We ordered three pizzas containing combinations of toppings and herbs that I wouldn’t even consider mixing. Leigh’s favorite, Gialla (yellow) in Crosta, tinted by turmeric and topped with smoked mozzarella (not a fan of smoked cheese), was flavored with Indian spices (not one of my favorite cuisines). We laughed when I later chose that pizza as my favorite.                                     Will ordered Friarieli Salsicia,  tinted black and looking unappetizing but delicious with spinach and spicy sausage. I shared Piennolo Nouja, a spicy spreadable pork salami, mozzarella, and Mount Vesuvius tomatoes.