This newsletter is for Lina, Antonio, and their family - owners of Trattoria La Sorrentina, essentially my second home back in New Jersey. Thank you for sharing your beautiful homeland with me.
Now, continue reading to discover all the food and Neapolitan nonsense from my travels through the Vesuvio dimension to Vico Equense.
voglio 'o mare
PĂš chi fa bene e chi fĂ male
PĂš chi si cerca e va luntano
E per sognare poi qualcosa arriverĂ
- Pino Daniele, âQualcosa ArriverĂ â
Gosh, I love that song. And, I love Vico Equense. Why? Because itâs the Hollywood of the costiera sorrentina of course.
In all seriousness, Vico Equense is quite a magical little place. It began with one word: mangiaâŠalong with Antonio throwing due ettari of mortadella and a treccia of fior di latte at me right when I sat down at the table.
Thatâs just one of the many indications that Vico is a secret culinary haven. Here are a few more:
Itâs the birthplace of pizza al metro (a meter-long pizza Lina and Antonio specialize in at La Sorrentina).
Itâs home to at least 27 cheese producers, making everything from for di latte, mozzarella di bufala, and (my favorite) Provolone del Monaco.
Finally, it birthed not 1, but 3 Michelin-starred chefs: Gennaro Esposito, Peppe Guido, and Antonino Cannavacciuolo (yes, that dude from Masterchef Italia).
Now Vicoâs Hollywood-level sign is starting to make some sense, eh?
Fortunately, Vico gets less tourism than Hollywood and its neighbor Sorrento. Itâs a gem that has all the best things of the Sorrento Peninsula, with less of cruise crowds and much more local shenanigans.
MARE E MONTI: A QUICK GEOGRAPHY LESSON
Vico is in Napoli. Confused? Donât worry. Napoli is technically a massive metropolitan city that encompasses everything, including Pompeii, Sorrento, the islands of Ischia and Capril, and big boy Vesuvio.
Of course, each area has its own individuality. Regardless, here they bleed blue (and not for the Yankees, although Italian style these days is all about Yankees hats. I'll save that discussion for another day.)
That said - June was blue this year, but blue in the best way. Napoli won the Serie A and everything - I mean everything - was decorated in blue. Even the two ladies at the bar in Napoli Garibaldi station had matching blue wigs. Thatâs when I knew this trip was going to be great.
It was also the perfect intro for a serious rideâŠ
Circumvesuviana - a train to another dimension
So, thereâs the metroâŠthen thereâs the Circumvesuviana. There isnât a train quite like it. Well, except maybe the MTA 4 train in NYC heading for Yankee Stadium. Though, that train doesnât travel past a still-active volcano and through the rocky underbelly of the Sorrento peninsula.
Traveling on the Circumvesuviana takes you to a new dimension. The minute you enter the tunnel crossing through Monte Faito - with your hair spinning around your head as the train plows at an ungodly speed - the air changes. Itâs cool and you feel startled by the train, but so..relaxed. Suddenly, you exit. Youâre on the other side of the Bay of Naples, or perhaps on a whole new planet.
Please note: Circumvesuviana and crossing dimensions are not all fun and games. You need to be vigilant. There can be strange characters on this metro. Hold your belongings tight. Once you do, take a moment to observe. Yes, you will be sweating. But, you will also be seeing the real Napoli, the real costiera sorrentina⊠the kind of stuff influencers on IG arenât showing you.
Pro-tip: take the train around dusk. The cotton candy pink sky and golden light sheltering the Bay of Naples is breathtaking.
A Padella of Parmigiana (among other glorious Vico food things)
Vico is the place to spend the end of Spring and early summer. Everything is frĂŹscu (fresh in dialect - to practice, it sounds more like frishhhhhk.) The change over of dishes, from the classic Neapolitan pasta e piselli to spaghetti or riso with the new fruit of the season - zucchini (another one of those âitâs technically a fruitâ vegetables.) The way those babies caramelize is a level of flavor intoxication that makes me so happy to be alive and human.
Scroll down for all the pasta pics if your stomach wants more food FOMO torture.
Lina - a dear family friend - invited me to stay with her and her husband Antonio in Massaquano, a frazione or village of Vico further up in the mountain from Vicoâs center. Vico is home to multiple villages with amazing food, churches, history, and characters. I mean, I never thought Iâd see a man peeling veggies with gold chains and Elvis-style sunglasses. No photos were snagged as I was in awe.
Upon arrival, Lina made me tear up with the generosity of her home cooking. She made me laugh with her jokes about how everything was alla paisanâ, like the eggs and chicken cutlet which came from her sister-in-law up the street. Lina praised her as there was no way in hell she was killing chickens.
The real little surprise was Linaâs homemade pastiera, which she froze from the last festa. Sheâs an incredible baker. We had to finish it to make room in the freezer for all the fresh bread Antonio would buy daily. What are we gonna do with all this pane? Lina would say in her Neapolitan-New Jersey accent.
Antonio loves his bread. He also really loves keys, apparently.
Vico, or Shall I Say âThe Cheese Havenâ
When Lina told me that we were going to a sagra di cacio, I nearly almost fell over. I couldnât think of anything more magical than being in the middle of nowhere in the mountains eating tons of cheese and dancing to hypnotic folk music.
This sagra wasnât random. It was part of the a Vico per Cacio event series that brought 27 cheese producers from all over the municipality together to share their cheese in the village of Arola. Not only that but there was local music from oâ paranza do tramuntan.
Music break: To feel the hypnosis, pair your fior di latte or mozzarella di bufala with this playlist:
Not only did I get to watch them make us fresh fior di latte live, but I was also able to eat copious amounts of DOP Provolone del Monaco - a cheese I have a serious love affair with.
Now, this isnât your deliâs sharp provolone. Itâs a pasta filata or stretched curd cheese (like mozzarella) thatâs made with only local cowâs milk from the Sorrento Peninsula. Aged at least 6 months, this cheese is buttery, slightly spicy, and has earthy undertones of its mountainous Campanian home. Itâs also the secret ingredient in spaghetti alla nerano - you know, that pasta Tucci loves so much.
After the cheese, parmigiana, neighborâs chicken, and everything in between, I needed a walkâŠand a swim.
Lina mentioned to me that there was a historic gem in Massaquano - the Chiesa di Santa Lucia, with frescos dating back to the 1300s. There there was no line to see these beauties, painted by those from the late school of Giotto. Now, thatâs what I call an (art) deal. (My puns wonât stop here, just so you know.)
A sweet beach anecdote:
The next morning, I ventured down to Vicoâs local beach for a quick dip. What I adore about Vico is that its beaches are still full of locals living along the Circumvesuviana line. I made friends with an elderly lady named Lucia from Torre del Greco who introduced me to the beach bar owners and even surprised me with a snack-sized torrone di Benevento. I am still convinced she was an angel (the church as also Santa Lucia!)
VICOâS PASTA PARTY ROUND-UP
I must show some love for the 3 fantastic pastas that filled my entire being with so much joy and are further proof that Vico Equense is a magical gastronomic capital.
the late spring glory of pasta e piselli, by Lina
paccheri with fresh and dried datterini tomatoes & Provolone del Monaco cheese, from a Vico per Cacio festival
Scialatielli ai frutti di mare from Antonioâs sisters restaurant, La Madonnina
Before I wrap this avventura, I wanted to give a little shout-out to Antonio, Linaâs husband and a classic man of Massaquano. Although he couldnât remember my name the whole trip (we went from Caterina to Viola to Valentina to Carolina) he made sure to keep me from ever being bored, hungry, or thirsty. Whether that meant throwing bread at my plate, filling my glass up to the brim with wine, or taking me to his sisterâs incredible restaurant La Madonnina, Antonio was the O.G.