Naples and Campania are home to one of the most vibrant, yet little-known cuisines of Italy. Now, the region’s government has commissioned this sequel to Carla Capalbo’s well-known Food Lover’s Guide to Tuscany. The Food and Wine Guide to Naples and Campania covers restaurants, trattorias, osterias, wineries, food shops, and artisan producers of cheeses, meats, honey, gelato, and more. There are detailed entries on the many specialties of the region, recipes for local dishes, and a wealth of information for the traveler. Over 200 color photos bring to life the gastronomic riches of this region, and directions, opening times, telephone numbers, and other essential details are offered for each province. Both practical and personal, this is the most complete and informative guide of its kind. Carla Capalbo, who was born in New York, now lives in Italy and offers food tours and cooking classes. She has written several books, including The Ultimate Italian Cookbook, and is a regular correspondent for Bon Appétit.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
Naples and Campania are home to one of the most vibrant, yet little-known cuisines of Italy. Now, the region's government has commissioned this sequel to Carla Capalbo's well-known Food Lover's Guide to Tuscany. The Food and Wine Guide to Naples and Campania covers restaurants, trattorias, osterias, wineries, food shops, and artisan producers of cheeses, meats, honey, gelato, and more. There are detailed entries on the many specialties of the region, recipes for local dishes, and a wealth of information for the traveler. Over 200 color photos bring to life the gastronomic riches of this region, and directions, opening times, telephone numbers, and other essential details are offered for each province. Both practical and personal, this is the most complete and informative guide of its kind. Carla Capalbo, who was born in New York, now lives in Italy and offers food tours and cooking classes. She has written several books, including The Ultimate Italian Cookbook, and is a regular correspondent for BON APPETIT.
About the Author
Carla Capalbo was born in New York, grew up in London and Paris, and now lives in Italy. She gives food tours and cooking classes. She has written several books, including The Ultimate Italian Cookbook, and is a regular correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and Bon Appetit.
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More About the Author
Carla Capalbo is an award-winning food, wine and travel writer and photographer. Born in New York City, she was brought up in Paris and London, and has been based in Italy for over 20 years. Her regional Italian books on artisan food and wine makers, chefs and restaurants have earned her praise from everyone who has used them to travel with. Carla's writing about food and wine appears regularly on Zester Daily, in Decanter, and in many other magazines and papers on both sides of the Atlantic. She now divides her time between London and Italy, but spends many months each year travelling to Asia and beyond to write about new trends in cooking. Her website is carlacapalbo.com.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Any food lover planning (or daydreaming about) a trip to Naples or the surrounding area ought to buy The Food and Wine Guide to Naples and Campania with plans to place it in their carry-on right after their passport.
This easy-to-read and information-packed volume makes for a pleasurable handbook to one of Italy's most fascinating regions. The texts are simple, effective, to the point, and, most importantly, very accurately described. So far I've eaten at around a dozen restaurants recommended in the book and I found every one to be excellent and unpretentious. The information about wines is similarly on the mark -- both in terms of what to expect when visiting wine makers and also when popping the cork on the products of their labors. And the food-oriented shops the book mentions have in my experience been charming and worthwhile. I have not used writer Carla Capalbo's advice on hotels in the region, but I can't imagine it would not be excellent.
The book also makes for entertaining reading: filled with anecdotes about the regions traditions, history, tastes, and smells. The book's commitment to high-quality quality photography means that a heavy, glossy paper stock is used. That results in an unusually heavy book, but just glancing through the pages reveals photography that brings many spots to life and make carrying around an extra 500 grams (1 pound) or so worth the effort.
At the book's heart is a simple, passionate, and refreshing advocacy for the area it covers. It can be addictive.
That said, there are a couple of things I'd encourage editors to improve in future editions of the book.
First, I'd suggest staying away from specific mentions of prices when giving examples, as this sort of thing is almost always outdated before a book even hits the shelves. For the most part, Ms. Capalbo sticks to general price categories (when discussing the relative cost of restaurants or hotels), and that seems a much safer bet.
More importantly, I would have liked to see more and better maps with the locations of recommended locals marked on them. In urban areas, restaurants are often on remote side streets that can be hard to locate. And in the countryside, Campania's knack for poorly identifying rural roads can make tracking down wine producers, restaurants, or hotels a challenge -- albeit a challenge that is worth the trouble.
This easy-to-read and information-packed volume makes for a pleasurable handbook to one of Italy's most fascinating regions. The texts are simple, effective, to the point, and, most importantly, very accurately described. So far I've eaten at around a dozen restaurants recommended in the book and I found every one to be excellent and unpretentious. The information about wines is similarly on the mark -- both in terms of what to expect when visiting wine makers and also when popping the cork on the products of their labors. And the food-oriented shops the book mentions have in my experience been charming and worthwhile. I have not used writer Carla Capalbo's advice on hotels in the region, but I can't imagine it would not be excellent.
The book also makes for entertaining reading: filled with anecdotes about the regions traditions, history, tastes, and smells. The book's commitment to high-quality quality photography means that a heavy, glossy paper stock is used. That results in an unusually heavy book, but just glancing through the pages reveals photography that brings many spots to life and make carrying around an extra 500 grams (1 pound) or so worth the effort.
At the book's heart is a simple, passionate, and refreshing advocacy for the area it covers. It can be addictive.
That said, there are a couple of things I'd encourage editors to improve in future editions of the book.
First, I'd suggest staying away from specific mentions of prices when giving examples, as this sort of thing is almost always outdated before a book even hits the shelves. For the most part, Ms. Capalbo sticks to general price categories (when discussing the relative cost of restaurants or hotels), and that seems a much safer bet.
More importantly, I would have liked to see more and better maps with the locations of recommended locals marked on them. In urban areas, restaurants are often on remote side streets that can be hard to locate. And in the countryside, Campania's knack for poorly identifying rural roads can make tracking down wine producers, restaurants, or hotels a challenge -- albeit a challenge that is worth the trouble.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
We have lived in the Naples area for the past year, but found more wonderful local sources for food and wine in one weekend using this well-researched guide than we found in the whole previous year! Much of life in Southern Italy is governed by word-of-mouth, and Carla Capalbo has done the hard work for anyone interested in the wonderful array of local food, wine, and olive oil available here. Brava!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By M. W. Bell
Format:Paperback
I consider myself fortunate to unexpectedly pick up this book the day we left for southern Italy. At the last minute, I decided I needed guide book(s) and this caught my eye. Because of The Food and Wine Guide to Naples and Campania, we experienced far more of the excellent food and wine of the area than we would have ever done on our own. And we met wonderful, warm Campanians anxious to share their fresh and delicious food and hospitality with us. This book directed us to a wonderful agritourismo where we spent two nights and had outstanding meals, with most of the food fresh from the farm. We dined in restaurants off the beaten path, sitting with locals and savoring the experiences made possible by this exceptional guide book.
One small drawback is finding some of the locations recommended in the book. Get a good map (as the author suggested) and be prepared to ask directions. And carry an Italian language guide as you may encounter areas and situations where English may not carry you far. But don't let that deter you-follow the author's recommendations and you will be rewarded.
If you are looking a guidebook touting the usual sights and recommendations, this is not for you. If, however, you want to experience a slice of southern Italy that will leave you aching for a return trip, this is it!
One small drawback is finding some of the locations recommended in the book. Get a good map (as the author suggested) and be prepared to ask directions. And carry an Italian language guide as you may encounter areas and situations where English may not carry you far. But don't let that deter you-follow the author's recommendations and you will be rewarded.
If you are looking a guidebook touting the usual sights and recommendations, this is not for you. If, however, you want to experience a slice of southern Italy that will leave you aching for a return trip, this is it!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Molto bene.
We used the book's recommendations exclusively for the food elements of our 2-week exploration of the Naples-Amalfi-Paestum region. Read more
Published 4 months ago by jz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Carla Gets It & Really Opens The Door to Southern Italy
I had the pleasure of meeting Carla when we both lived in the tiny Irpinian hamlet of Nusco while she was writing this book in 2005. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Robert Zeoli
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Buy if You're Heading to Naples
We live in Naples and this was one of the books we picked up as we prepared to relocate. After a year here, I don't even know where the other books are, but Carla's book is all we... Read more
Published on May 6, 2011 by wilrf
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastic resource!
This is the book to have during your visit to Naples! The author's recommendations are spot on. If you are looking for excellent restaurants off the beaten path, buy this book!
Published on September 16, 2009 by Carrie
5.0 out of 5 stars
The real Italy.... is south...
Although I have been working in northern Italy I bought the book because I have an interest in the south. Read more
Published on October 19, 2008 by From Castello Ducale
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great guide, needs directions!
This book provides a wonderful look at the Campania region. I bought it before a trip to Italy, and hoped to use it as a guide of the region that I would be visiting. Read more
Published on October 18, 2007 by T. Hagen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent guide
I lived in Naples for 3 1/2 years and traveled all over the Campania region, but I didn't find this book until our last month and wish I had it from the start. Read more
Published on September 19, 2007 by Daniel W. Wyckoff
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazingly Comprehensive
Fantastic resource for planning gastronomic adventures in Campania. We are using this guide to help us plan for an upcoming trip to a less-traveled area in southern Campania. Read more
Published on February 2, 2007 by HG6649
5.0 out of 5 stars
I would review it if I had received it from Amazon
Still waiting for delivery of the book that I paid for over a month ago. Contrary to popular opinion Cape Town is a first world city with a decent postal service. Read more
Published on August 15, 2006 by E. Elliott
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't go to Campania without this book.
What a fabulous book! We just returned from a trip to Calabria and Campania and I only wish that Carla had done for Calabria what she has for Campania! Read more
Published on April 28, 2006 by Zia
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