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!

Le Banthai in Nice, France

You know those restaurants that you always pass by but never go in? They attract you, but maybe you are just passing by or not hungry. Or perhaps you say, next time, and next time spans out over the course of a few months.

That's what happened to me with the restaurant Le Banthai in Nice, France. Every time I go to the old city, I pass by and am intrigued. The place is almost always packed to the gills and the menu is super short. (I normally find this a plus-I prefer five perfect dishes over twenty not-so perfect ones.) They have some of my favorite Thai dishes, like Som Tam and Laab, but I never had the opportunity to stop in until a week ago.

I went in a bit late, around 2 or 2:30 in the afternoon, so the small restaurant was almost empty. I chose to have a nice, light summer lunch with the Som Tam green papaya salad and sticky rice. The open kitchen is manned by a lovely Thai lady whose dishes literally transport you to Bangkok. Expecting a decent version of the salad, I was pleasantly surprised when my dish came and it tasted just like the ones I had in Thailand.

Service was super quick, though mind you I was not in there during the lunch or dinner-time rush, so things might be different at other times of the day. The salad and rice was definitely enough to satisfy my appetite. The prices are the same for every dish on the menu (about 12 euro), so green papaya salad is the same price as meat or fish dishes. If you compare the prices to Thailand, obviously it seems expensive. But as far as Nice goes, prices are fair and the restaurant is a really welcome change from the ubiquitous pizza and pasta restaurants in the Vieux Nice.

Go early, late or make a reservation if you want the most authentic Thai food in Nice. I can't wait to go back and eat my way through the rest of the menu!