Regional Guides:Puglia Travel Guide 2026-2027 and Lombardy Travel & Tour Guide 2026 cover specific areas with local food, wine, and hidden gem recommendations.
ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS – ROME VENICE PIZZA PASTA & ?
A wonderful journey through”Bella Italia” with Best Selling Travel & Cookbook author Daniel Bellino Zwicke. A wonderfully unique Travel Guide / Cookbook of the Italian peninsula – Travel Tips & Info with 100 tasty recipes that are easy to prepare. When it comes to Italy & Italian Food, it’s hard to beat Daniel Bellino. – Amazon.com
Comprehensive Guides:ITALY Travel Guide 2026 and Italy Unscripted 2026 offer insider advice on culture, food, and itineraries.
Culinary Travel:Rick Steves Italy for Food Lovers and Italy on a Plate: Travels, Memories, Menus combine travel experiences with authentic recipes.
Memoirs:Grandma Backpacks Venice: Italian Comedy Memoir Adventure Story.
Amazon.com +3
Top Sellers & Popular Titles
General Travel:Lonely Planet Italy and Rick Steves Italy remain top choices for comprehensive travel planning.
Culinary Focused:Old World Italian: Recipes and Secrets from Our Travels in Italy.
Specialized:Amalfi Coast Travel Guide 2026 and Italy Travel Guide for Seniors.
Amazon.com +3
Italian Kitchen Finds on Amazon (2026)
As of March 2026, popular Italian-made kitchen items available on Amazon include:
Stainless steel cookware for pasta-making.
Specialty kitchen tools for preparing authentic dishes.
Italian food and wine professional, best-selling author, and restaurateur with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Known in the culinary world as “Danny Bolognese,” he is recognized as an authority on Italian wine and culture.
Wine Industry Contributions
Bar Cichetti: In 1997, he founded Bar Cichetti in New York City, credited as America’s first Venetian wine bar (Bacaro), where he served as Chef, Wine Director, and Managing Partner.
Professional Roles: He has held prestigious positions as a wine director and chef at notable New York establishments, including Barbetta, as Wine Director – (home to one of the greatest Italian wine cellars in the U.S.), Del Posto, and Da Silvano.
Industry Connections: He is frequently associated with legendary figures in the wine world, such as Sebastiano Rosa (former winemaker of Sassicaia) and the Antinori family, Conte Sebastiano Capponi – proprietor of legendary Villa Calcinai Wine Estate in Greve, Cavelieri Luigi Cappellini (Castello Verrazzano), The Marchese Piero Antinori, Francesca Planeta of Planeta, Antonio Rallo of Donnafugata, and more.
Notable Books & Writing
Bellino Zwicke has authored numerous books that blend Italian-American recipes with wine pairing advice and travel stories:
Sunday Sauce: a #1 Amazon best-seller focusing on Italian-American “Gravy” and wine culture.
The Feast of the 7 Fish: A popular guide to the traditional Italian Christmas Eve seafood feast.
La Tavola: Stories and recipes reflecting the life of an Italian-American New Yorker.
Positano – The Amalfi Coast: A cookbook and travel guide that explores the regional dishes and wines of Southern Italy.
SINATRA SAUCE – The Cookbook
The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK
Current Projects: He is actively working on a dedicated book about Chianti and the wine of Chianti Classico, which he cites as one of his greatest passions.
BOOKS by Daniel Bellino Zwicke are Available on Amazon.com
Online Influence
He manages the highly successful Instagram page @NewYork.Italian, which has over 500,000 followers and covers topics ranging from regional Italian wine to classic cinema and recipes
This is a great little antipasto item they make in Naples, and places along the Amalfi Coast. It’s an excellent dish to serve, preceding a fish, meat, or pasta course of any type, especially pasta with mussels or Spaghetti Vongole. This makes a great buffet or picnic lunch item with frittata, salumi, cheese, and fruit to go along in your picnic basket. As we’ve said, one of these timballo makes a wonderful antipasto, or you can serve two or three on a plate for a nice hearty main-course.
I also suggest, if you like, double the size of the meatball recipe below, to make a larger batch, if you want some leftover meatballs to make Meatball Sandwiches the next day, or serve one timballo on a plate with 3 or 4 meatballs for another great alternative main-course dish.
INGREDIENTS :
1 pound Arborio Rice
1 small Onion, peeled and diced fine
3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup Tomato Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Salt
MEATBALLS INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces ground Bee1 large Egg
1/2 teaspoon each of Salt & Black Black Pepper
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs mixed with 1/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1/4 cup Italian Parsley, chopped fine
Vegetable Oil for Frying Meatballs
1/4 cup Flour
NOTE : Bake these Timballi in a standard Muffin Pan, or individual molds if you have them. Grease your muffin pan (or molds) with softened butter.
FILLING INGREDIENTS :
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1/2 cup Provolone or Caciocavallo Cheese
1/c cup Boiled Ham, diced
MEATBALLS PREPARATION
In a large mixing bowl, add the ground Beef, Salt & Black Pepper, grated Parmigiano, chopped Parlsey, breadcrumbs, and Egg, mix until well incorporated.
Shape the beef mixture into small meatballs, a bit smaller than a Walnut and place on a dry sheet pan. Once all the meat has been formed into small meatballs, take each meatball and dredge in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off excess flour and place the meatball back on the pan. Repeat until all the meatballs have been coated with the flour.
Pour the vegetable oil into a non-stick pan, and heat over high heat until the oil is at frying temp. Cook the meatballs in two batches over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides, then place on pan with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Set meatballs aside to cool.
Rice Preparation :
Fill a large pot with the Olive Oil and chopped Onion and cook on medium heat for 4 minutes. Add rice and 1/2 teaspoon Salt and cook for 2 minutes on low heat. Add 2 quarts of water and bring to the boil. Cook the rice at a medium simmer for 12 minutes. Drain rice in a wire strainer or colander.
Let the rice cool for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 teaspoon of White Pepper to the rice and mix. Add 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano to rice and mix. Add 1 cup Tomato Sauce to rice and mix.
Meanwhile butter the molds and set aside.
Form a layer of rice at the base and in the edges and press with the back of the spoon, place the ham in the center, the Provolone and a Meatball, a little tomato sauce and a bit of Parmesan, cover with rice.
Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 18 minutes.
As the timballi are baking, heat remaining tomato sauce.
Remove from the oven to cool for 5 minutes, gently flip on a plate.
Place a little tomato sauce on a plate, place one Timballo on top of sauce, then garnish with a nice Basil Flower for each. Serve your guests.
This Recipe has been Excerpted from Daniel Bellino Zwicke’s new forthcoming book (February 2021) POSITANO The AMALFI COST COOKBOOK – Travel Guide
View of Marina Grande CAPRI with Sorrento in the distance, from Anacapri
Provolone, for many Italian-Americans it’s their favorite cheese. Case in point, its mine, my favorite cheese, as is with my sister Barbara, we both love it. The love of Provolone is more prevalent with Italians who are over forty years of age. The younger generation is more apt to go for Burata, something that didn’t exist in America previous to the past 15 years or so. Growing up in a 60’s 1970’s Italian-American household there were a few Italian Cheeses that most everyone ate and used in cooking their favorite dishes, put on antipasto platters and in sandwiches. There was Ricotta that went into making Lasagna and Manicotti or Stuffed Shells, Cheesecake, Cannoli, and other items. You normally didn’t eat Ricotta on it’s own as you might Mozzarella or Provolone, the ricotta was usually in cooked dishes, however I always loved taking a couple tablespoons, eating it fresh out of the container, all smooth and creamy. Yum!For many years Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano were the most popular cheeses as they were grated over pasta and used in various recipes. Mozzarella came in third in popularity in Italian-America. Mozzarella is most famous for being a topping of millions upon millions of Pizzas, or in the popular Insalata Caprese, a thing of simplistic beauty and taste. A Caprese Salad looks lovely and fresh and just like an Italian Flag, the colors are the same, the Red of the fresh Tomatoes, the creamy white Fresh Mozzarella, and bright green fresh Basil comprises the classic Insalata Caprese, which of course is drizzled with a little bit of Italian Olive Oil to complete this wonderful dish, that’s simple, yet perfect, and based on the best top quality fresh ingredients. All this being said, using the Mozzarella in this way wasn’t the most popular way of getting this cheese in an Italian household. Mozzarella in Italian-America is most popular when it is cooked (melted) into a multitude of Italian dishes like; Lasagna, Manicotti, Stuffed Shells, on Chicken and Veal Parmigiano, in Baked Ziti and on Pizza. Yes we would have a Caprese Salad now and then, but more often if we were eating fresh uncooked Mozzarella it was usually on a sandwich or in the ever popular Antipasto-Misto platter of which the ingredients would vary according to who was making it, but most often it would consist of Salami, fresh Mozzarella and or Provolone, Roast Peppers, Olives, and fresh Celery.
Provolone, always my favorite cheese when I was growing. It was my sister Barbara’s favorite as well and whenever we went to Barcelona’s Restaurant we always ordered a plate of Provolone along with Mussels Marinara, Baked Clams, and all our other favorites. Yes, Mozzarella was fine, but for my sister Barbara and I it just couldn’t keep up with the big bold flavor of Provolone.
Girl Making My PANINO
I used to love walking into Belevedere Salumeria around the street from our house. The place had large torpedo-like Provolone (weighing 40-50 lbs.) hanging from the ceiling, along with Sopresseta, Prosciutto, and various types of Salumi. The smells dominated by the Provolone when you walked through the door were intoxicating. My friends and I, when we had a couple extra bucks we would treat ourselves and run over to Belevedere Italian Deli and get an awesome sandwich of Gabagool (Capicola), Salami, and Provolone, one of the world’s great sandwiches. Oh my God it’s making me hungry just thinking of it! I want one now!
So along with those boyhood memories of eating a piece of sharp Provolone off the antipasto platter or on one of those great Belvedere Sandwiches, I now have some more fond memories of Provolone Cheese. They come from my latest trip to Italy. I was down on the Amalfi Coast for the first time in a few years, and got a nice panino at a Salumeria one day. I was looking in the refrigerated glass case of Salumi and Cheese looking over their products. I decided on and ordered a panino made with Sopresseta and Provola Afumicata (Smoke Provolone). The counterman made my sandwich and when I ate that baby, boy the combination was absolutely amazing. I couldn’t believe it. I never had this combination before and I just loved it. Simple, just some Sweet Sopresseta and Smoked Provola, the combination was out of this world. It was simple, but each wonderful ingredient of perfectly cured Sopresseta Salami and wonderful Smoke Provolone on a nice Italian Roll, it just made for a great tasting sandwich. What more can I say? I ended up eating about 6 of those sandwiches from various salumerias on Capri, in Sorrento, and on the Amalfi Coast on that trip. I’d get a sandwich or an Arancini to hold me over between meals, if I was going to the beach or taking a boat ride from Amalfi to Capri, or whatever. The sandwiches were all so very tasty and an unexpected pleasure that I hadn’t expected at all. So now after eating all those tasty Panini I now I go to Faicco’s Pork Store around the block and buy some nice Sweet Sopresseta, Smoked Provola and get a loaf of Italian Bread, and I’m all set, right back there on Capri, eating my special Panino di Provola Affumicata e Sopresseta. This brings me back to Capri, Amalfi, and memories of a trip. A trip of beauty, tasty food, and recollections, the beauty of Capri and the Amalfi Coast, eating Vongole, Pasta, Arancini, and Provolone. I tell you folks, “it just doesn’t get much better than that.”
.
Panino di Proval Affumicata e Sopresseta, Minori
Now talking of these things, the Sopresseta, Provola, Capri Sorrento, and Napoli, I’ve got to bring up one more pleasure of that trip, the Aperol Spritz and Summer on the Amalfi Coast. It’s not that I’d never had an Aperol Spritz before. No, the first time I had one was way back in 1995 in Venice, the place where the Aperol Spritz was invented. I was on my exploratory trip of Venetian Wine Bars (Bacari) when I had my first Spritz. One evening I was walking around doing the Venetian Wine Bar tour. While walking on the Strada Nuova in Canareggio I dashed into a Bacaro I had spotted. I made my way up to the bar and surveyed the scene a moment before ordering. As I stood there I notice people drinking this particular drink. I asked the barman what they were drinking and he told me that it was a Spritz, “Prosecco with Aperol and soda.” OK, I said, “I’ll take one.” The barmen made me one in no-time flat, and that was my first Spritz, and I’ve had a number of them since then. Now getting back to that Summer 2015 on Costiera Amalfitana and the Aperol Spritz, they were everywhere, glasses of Aperol Spritz one after the other, bar after bar, caffe after caffe, table after table, everywhere you looked people were drinking this refreshing cocktail, the locals and tourists alike. Well I’d come back from the beach on my way back to my hotel, and as usual when on the Amalfi Coast when done at the beach for the day, I head to a nice bar or caffe for an Espresso, a glass of local White Wine, a Campari, or some other cocktail. Now all of a sudden it seemed that the Spritz had moved into high gear. The drink was quite popular, and as I’ve said, it was everywhere and everyone was drinking them. So I headed to the Piazza Umberto one day after a day at the beach (Faraglioni) as I usually do. There’s a few very popular caffe’s there, and it’s just a matter of picking one to spend your time at. I chose one of my favorites, the Bar Tiberius. I took a seat at a table outside and waited for the waiter to come over. The waiter came and I ordered an Aperol Spritz. He came back a few minutes later with a refreshing looking Spritz and a little bowl of peanuts for me to munch. Yes, it was good. My Aperol Spritz, Capri, the Piazza Umberto and all that goes with it, like a scene in a movie, set on the beautiful Isle of Capri. And you’re in it. Now that’s something.
So, I ended up drinking a good number of Aperol Spritz’s on that trip. I had them in Capri, Positano, in Sorrento, and at caffé in the piazza in Ravello. It’s a great drink that’s light and refreshing and a great way to start any evening, slow and easy, that’s the Aperol Spritz, it eases you into the evening with its lightness and refreshing taste. Enjoy one some time, I do.
So there you have it, the Provolone of my youth with those great Provolone & Gabagool Sandwiches at the Italian Deli Belveder, the Aperol Spritz, Capri, Napoli, Sorrento, and my Provola Panini on The Amalfi Coast. That’s Italy, Italian-America, Italian Food and memories of this blissful never-ending journey of Italian Food, the culture, people, places, and events. It’s all quite wonderful. Don’t you agree?
Excerpted from Daniel Bellino ‘s forthcoming book MANGIA ITALIANO …
“Procida, in my opinion more beautiful than the sisters Ischia and Capri, a former fishing village where time seems to have stopped. Come and discover with me the beauties of this place still unknown to many tourists.”
This volcanic island in the Gulf of Naples seems almost out of time, in the idyllic setting of fishing boats and small villages perched on hills.
Here a typically Mediterranean beauty and from literature to film it was starred in many works. In the late 1950s, Elsa Morante dedicated the book L’Isola di Arturo to this island.
Procida is the queen of slow tourism and should be discovered calmly, with no rush. It offers a perfect mix of natural beauty, glimpses of a long history and unmissable beaches. You can get around easily on foot, but buses or taxis are also available.
The territory of Procida is divided into nine contrade, called grancìe. These are Terra Murata (the oldest), Corricella (the fishing village), Sent’cò (with the commercial port of Marina Grande), Semmarezio, San Leonardo, Madonna della Libera (or Santissima Annunziata), Sant’Antuono, Sant’Antonio and Chiaiolella (a marina). At 16 kilometres in length, every corner is impressive, starting with the many small streets that open onto beaches hidden in bays.
The historic core is the hamlet of Terra Murata , which is in some ways its heart, but equally interesting is the small island of Vivara, connected to Procida by a bridge. Its peculiarity is that it is a protected natural island, which winks at a more informal tourism.
Procida can also be visited in one day, the most important thing is to plan your movements or, alternatively, to let yourself go by instinct or the tips of the locals.
To get there, take the ferry from the port of Naples or Pozzuoli, a one-hour boat ride. You will get to Marina Grande, the harbour and beating heart of the centre, divided between craft shops, bars, small boutiques and rental points for mopeds, bicycles, minicars and various boats.
From here you can move towards the historic centre, climbing up Via Principe Umberto to Piazza dei Martiri, passing by the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie and stopping at the Belvedere dei Cannoni to observe Marina Corricella in all its wonder.
Terra Murata is the ancient historical centre. Here you can visit Palazzo D’Avalos, which used to be a palace and prison, and get lost among courtyards, stairways and small squares until you reach the 11th-century Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo. In addition, it boasts a museum complex on the three floors below.
The fishermen village, Corricella, is a place you can walk to. The small houses of different colours are reflected in the transparent waters of the marina and it is one of the most beautiful and characteristic views of the island.
Enjoy a day exploring the tranquil island of Procida
Stop for lunch at a traditional local restaurant
Travel round-trip by ferry from Naples
Spend a day exploring the quiet, mysterious island of Procida on your own. Travel by ferry from Naples and discover all the island has to offer. Explore lemon groves and cobbled alleys, soaking up the relaxing atmosphere.
Stop for lunch at a typical local restaurant and watch the world go by. Enjoy 3 delicious courses accompanied by a glass of wine.
Visit Terra Murata, the oldest village on the island, and see its castle and prison. Stop at the marina of Corricella picturesque village of fishmen and wander through the port of Marina Grande in Sent’cò. Admire best view of Coricella village from Belvedere dei Cannoni and Belvedere di Elsa Morante.
A Negroni is a cocktail made with equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, and is often served on the rocks or straight up. It’s typically garnished with an orange slice or peel and is considered an apéritif.
The most popular story is that Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to make his favorite cocktail, the Americano, stronger by replacing the soda water with gin. Scarselli also garnished the drink with an orange slice instead of the traditional lemon slice. The Negroni family then founded the Negroni Distillery in Treviso, Italy to produce a ready-made version of the drink called Antico Negroni.
Often described as an Italian sunset in a glass, the Aperol Spritz originated in the city of Padua and has become one of the most famous cocktails from Italy. The Aperol liqueur became a beloved apéritif in Padua and out of its rising popularity the Aperol Spritz was born during the chic 1950s in Northern Italy.
In 1919, Luigi and Silvio Barbieri created Padua’s famous Aperol and as this bitter apéritif rose to fame, so did experimentation. During the 1950s, Veneto was at the peak of chic fashion and gastronomic delicacies, allowing the optimum moment for the Aperol Spritz to enter Paduan society.
Spritz is a form of cocktail as opposed to a singular drink, the term originates from the German Spritzen. The origin of the Spritz dates back to the 19th-century when the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s owned the region. When Austro-Hungarian soldiers first tasted Italian wines, they found them too strong for their taste and subsequently spritzed their glasses with water to dilute the flavor.
The years leading up to the 1950s saw rigorous advertising of the Barbieris’ apéritif, resulting in Aperol taking over Campari in popularity. Following a TV advert displaying the Aperol Spritz’s recipe, the cocktail soon rose to fame as a luxe drink for lunchtime aperitivo and summer evenings. By early 2003, the Campari Group had purchased Aperol and marketed the Spritz as a cocktail for the trendy and fashionable members of Venetian society.
The beauty of the Aperol Spritz lies in the simplicity of its ingredients, which extracts the quality of each native component. The foundation of this cocktail is Aperol from Padua, with Veneto’s adored Prosecco and chilled soda. The Aperol’s vibrant orange hue is slightly diluted with sparkling wine, painting the Spritz with a softer sunset glow perfect for summer evenings.
HOW to Make an APEROL SPRITZ
APEROL SPRITZ – Recipe :
3 ounces Prosecco
2 ounce Aperol
1 ounce Club Soda
ICE
1 Orange Slice
Fill a Wine Glass 3/4 full with Ice. Add the Aperol, then the Prosecco, and the Club Soda last. Give a little stir, and add the Orange slice. Add a straw and serve.
The FEAST of The SEVEN FISH Italian Christmas is one of Italy and Italian-America’s most sacred traditions. The Feast, known as La Vigilia in Naples and Southern Italy is a wonderful ritual practiced by Italians in Italy, and the Italian-American Enclave of America. This wonderful Christmas Eve Feast might be very well more fervent with Italian-Americans in The USA than it is back home in mother Italy.
It is said that the 7 Fish of La Vigilia signifies The 7 Sacraments of The Roman Catholic Church. La Vigilia translated from Italian to English means “The Vigil” in which Mary and Joseph and people in Bethlehem, Jerusalem awaited the birth of the baby Jesus.
The Feast may be made with whatever seven fish (Fish Dishes) an Italian Family might choose. The most traditional dishes are Baccala (Cod Fish) and EEL.
Procida is one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy. The island is between Cape Miseno and the island of Ischia. With its tiny satellite island of Vivara, it is a comune of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the region of Campania.
If you’re a veteran of the Amalfi Coast and the nearby Islands and you’ve never been to Procida, you just may want to give it a shot someday?
Procida, a tiny spot of land in the Bay of Naples, might be best known as the island between Ischia and Capri. But in late January, it was named Italy’s Capital of Culture for 2022, beating nine other candidates—a mix of cities and small towns—and becoming the first island to ever be granted the title.
Under two square miles in total, the island has mostly flown under the tourist radar (except in July and August, when many Neapolitans come here for their summer vacations), overshadowed by its better-known siblings. This is all despite its big-screen moments—Procida has served as the set of The Talented Mr. Ripley and Il Postino—and the fact that it features the same pastel houses, cafes-lined marinas, and narrow streets as its bigger counterparts, but also historic sites, wild nature, and near-empty beaches.
PROCIDA
The PORT
HOW to GET THERE
Procida lies 14 miles off the coast of Naples. There are daily ferries and hydrofoils leaving from two of the city’s piers, Molo Beverello and Porta di Massa, as well as from Pozzuoli, just north of Naples. Depending on the ride—the faster hydrofoil or the slower ferry—you’ll get to the island in 40 minutes to 1 hour. You can also travel from Ischia—that’s a 15- to 25-minute journey.
WHAT to SEE
Arriving at Marina Grande, Procida’s main tourist port, you’ll see a cluster of traditional houses along the waterfront, each one painted in vivid shades of pink, yellow, orange, red, and blue—traditionally a way for fishermen to identify them from their boats.
Via Roma, Procida’s main street, is right around the corner from the port, and a good spot for lunch—especially at La Medusa, which has been around since 1954. Before you move on, stop for an espresso at Bar Roma and make sure to order lingua di suocera (‘mother-in-law’s tongue’), Procida’s traditional puff pastry filled with lemon custard. Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pietà, an 18th-century church with an iconic baroque belfry, and the lemon-yellow church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, built in 1679, are also nearby and worth a visit.
From here, it’s a 15-minute walk uphill (then downhill) to Marina Corricella, Procida’s oldest fishing village. Only reachable on foot or by boat, the area is one of the best places to stay for a taste of slow island living, and is full of restaurants—Caracale, La Lampara, Il Pescatore, to name a few—gelato shops like Chiaro di Luna, and bars.
At the opposite end of the island, Marina Chiaiolella is another fishing village with great eateries (try Da Mariano and Lido Vivara), craft boutiques, and old-school bakeries—not to mention access to one of the island’s most popular beaches, spiaggia della Chiaiolella, known for its sunsets.
Terra Murata, the fortified medieval stronghold at the highest and northernmost tip of the island, is another highlight. A tumble of skinny lanes and crumbling houses, this is Procida’s most historical center, home to Abbazia San Michele Arcangelo, which honors Procida’s patron saint, and Palazzo D’Avalos, a 16th-century palace that was the former residence of the island’s governing family. In 1830 the building was converted into a prison that eventually closed in 1988. Two viewpoints here offer the island’s most panoramic vistas: Corricella in all its candy-colored glory to the west; and the Gulf of Naples, with Capri in the distance, to the east.
Village of Corrocella
On the opposite coast from Marina Grande, in the southern part of the island, there here is a place that no guide on “what to see in Procida” will ever forget.
The seaside village of Corricella is simply suggestive and lively at the same time. It is the classic fishermen village animated by bars, restaurants and small craft shops where you can buy the most typical souvenirs, which anyone who comes to Procida cannot avoid to love and photograph.
Here you can stroll among the fishermen’s nets, admiring the very old colourful houses and deeply breathing the sea in the air.
The BEACHES
Among Procida’s most scenic beaches are Pozzo Vecchio, whose black sands were made famous in Il Postino; spiaggia Chiaia, to the east, which overlooks Ischia and features clear, shallow waters and a backdrop of rocky cliffs (plus the excellent seafood restaurant La Conchiglia); and Ciraccio, the longest and most secluded. Further down, the spiaggia della Chiaiolella is another gem, though slightly more frequented, especially in the late afternoon, when its stabilimenti (beach clubs with rows of sunbeds and umbrellas) start rolling out aperitivo.
This “poor” version of seafood spaghetti contains just anchovies, cherry tomatoes, and a dusting of Pecorino Cheese.
Luveri al sale
The waters of Procida abound with Pagello fish, which locals call luvero. The most popular way to cook this sea bream is in a salt crust (al sale) with some herbs.
Coniglio alla Procidana
In addition to the sea, locals have also sourced food from the island’s terroir. Procida, like Ischia, has a signature rabbit dish, usually prepared with cherry tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and white wine.
Calamari Ripieni
Recipes vary, but the Procidani usually slip anchovies into their filling for stuffed squid.
Pizza di Procida
As Procida is just a 40-minute ferry ride from Naples, it should come as no surprise that the island’s pizzaioli emulate the wood-fired style of the world’s pizza capital.
Tortano con i carciofi
Especially popular around Easter, this savory bread is stuffed with artichokes and, at times, sausage.
Spaghetti ai ricci di mare
Creamy and briny, sea urchin has a particular taste, one that fuses nicely with spaghetti when sautéed with olive oil, garlic, parsley, and a hint of lemon.
Lingue di Procida
Procida is famous for its lemons, which are larger and sweeter than other varieties. The Procidani prepare them in dozens of sweet and savory recipes, and a signature dolce is the Lingue di Procida, or tongues of Procida, lemon-flavored, cream-filled pastries.
L’insalata di limone
Speaking of lemons, the lemon salad with mint, garlic, crushed red chili pepper, garlic and olive oil makes for an airy, refreshing start to any meal.
The San Michele in Corricella, has 12 tastefully decorated rooms done in earthy tones and minimalist design. A similar aesthetic is found in its slightly bigger sister property La Suite, a stylish accommodation near Ciraccio that comes with a pool, a garden, and striking views.
In Chiaiolella, the three-star Hotel Ristorante Crescenzo is a popular choice not just for its simple, brightly colored rooms but its pizzeria, one of the most famous in Procida. La Vigna in a beautifully restored farmstead within a vineyard that overlooks the Bay of Naples, delivers charm and tranquility.
Yes, Movie Stars, Rock Stars, and writers, they all go to the Amalfi Coast, Ravello (Gore Vidal),
and the beautiful Isle of Capri, like: Neruda, Valentino, Jackie Kennedy, and Italian film directors
Federico Fellini and Dino De Laurentiis. In the 50s and 60s Capri and the Amalfi Coast saw the likes of Sophia Loren, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Jack Lemmon,Vittorio De Sica, and Gina Lollobrigida all make movies in the area, to name but a few. We saw Jack Lemmon make another film in the area in the 1970s when he made Macaroni with the great Italian actor, the great
Marcello Mastroianni in the vibrant southern Italian capital city of Naples. It’s a marvelous movie, and if you’ve never seen it, we suggest you do.
The 1990s saw the likes of Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and the late great
Phillip Seymour Hoffman shooting The Talented Mr. Ripley on the local islands of Procida and
Ischia. Parts of the film were also shot in Rome, Venice, and San Remo.
The 90s also saw Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Fischer Stevens, and Billy Zane in a cute
Romantic Comedy that starts in Pittsburgh, moves on to Venice, a drive through Tuscan, and on to Rome before the finale in Positano on The Amalfi Coast. The characters stayed in the luxurious
Le Sirenuse Hotel. It’s a cut little film, and all the Italian locals are just gorgeous.
We don’t see another major American movie set on The Amalfi Coast until a small part of the film
Under The Tuscan Sun, starring Diane Lane is shot there in 2003.
Nowadays we are seeing lots of major celebrities vacationing on Capri, Positano and The Amalfi Coast. This past Summer of 2021 saw “Bennifer” Jennifer Lopez and beau Ben Affleck celebrating Jennifer’s 52nd Birthday on a Luxury Yacht moored off of Capri, Positano, and the namesake town of Amalfi. Rapper / actor LL Cool J was spotted hanging out with former NBA great Irvin Magic Johnson on the Isle of Capri, where Magic celebrated his 59th Birthday at a restaurant on Capri with his wife, friends, and family. Denzel Washington loves Positano as well, and has been spotted at
Chez Black and Music on The Rocks, both in Positano, and Best Selling Italian Cookbook writer Daniel Bellino Zwicke has been vacationing in Positano and Capri since the Summer of 1985. His latest book, is Positano The Amalfi Coast Cookbook & Travel Guide.
POSITANO 