Da Michele in Naples, Italy

Eating pizza in Naples, Italy, is a given. This is where pizza was invented and this is where pizza has been perfected. There are countless pizzerias in the city; there is literally one on almost every street corner. However, there is one that stands apart. Da Michele.

Yours truly awaiting the first bite of Da Michele perfection.

Since 1870, this pizzeria has stood in the middle of the busy city of Naples and is considered THE essential pizzeria. There are no reservations, rather you are given a number and then you wait. And wait. I've waited much longer than an hour so many times just to eat their amazing pizza. Once inside, you haven't escaped the chaos of Napoli. Tourists try to navigate the packed restaurant with cameras in hand. The waiters never stop moving, since the demand for pizza never stops. Pizzaioli are constantly making and baking. What do you expect, this is Naples!

Oh, one small detail I may have forgotten. They only make two different kinds of pizza. The first pizza is the margherita, the classic cheese pizza. Take it to the next level and ask for it with "doppio formaggio," or double cheese. The second choice is the marinara, which has red sauce, oregano, and garlic. Both are the best I've ever eaten. Served hot out of the wood-burning oven, this pizza is unlike any other. The crust is chewy with an incredible flavor and there is the perfect ratio of sauce to dough to cheese. And it's cheap! The huge pizzas cost less than 5 euro each, and I guarantee you will be satisfied after one.

Yes, I have been known to eat two pizzas in one sitting. Fatty.

Of course, I have a few different pizzerias that I love in Naples, each for their own reasons. But Da Michele is different. Da Michele is Da Michele. It's an institution, a classic, and in my opinion serves the best pizza in the world. Go and try it and let me know what you think!

80 Bites Recipes: Gazpacho

The days in Barcelona were so hot. So hot that I spent almost everyday at La Barceloneta, or maybe treating myself with a day trip to Sitges. I probably would have never left if I had had the choice.

Barcelona is such an alluring, colorful and vibrant city that it's hard to forget a moment. Back in 2005, on one of those scorchers, I snuck into a cheap bar on a side street off of Las Ramblas. It was cool and dark, maybe with one or two old fellows bellied up to the bar. There, I saw a sign. Gazpacho.

In my broken high school Spanish, I ordered a tall, cold one. The chunky soup was served to me in an icy beer mug. I took my first sip and...well, it was darn good. That gazpacho will forever be in my memories as a quintessential summer food.

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Here's my recipe for a super quick gazpacho for when you dont want to use the oven, fire up the grill or generally turn your kitchen into a sauna. Bonus: dinner will be on the table in less than 10 minutes.

This is a super basic, super easy recipe. You can adjust the ingredients to what you prefer, like no onion, adding in a head of garlic, or putting in more cucumber or red peppers. If you want to make it fancy, you can throw the veggies in the juicer for a thin soup and then add in tiny chopped pieces of the vegetables for texture and presentation. Use it as a jumping off point if you've never made it before, then let your imagination go wild using other fruits and vegetables.

Gazpacho

4 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 long cucumber
1 red pepper
slice of red onion
tiny piece of day old French bread (optional)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
salt to taste

Start by washing the tomatoes, cucumber and red pepper. Discard the stem and seeds out of the red pepper, cut the tomatoes into halves and peel the cucumber. Then, simply throw all of the veggies, the bread, olive oil, vinegar and salt into the blender and give it a whirl. This should take no more than a minute and a half, depending on your blender.

That's it. Serve in bowls or frosty mugs and enjoy! This recipe probably serves about 2, but portion sizes aren't my strong point.

Leave a comment if you try this and let us know how it was! Or, do you have any other amazing combos for gazpacho? Can't wait to hear from you!