Yummy Pizza...It's Italian!

Sibari, Italy---Within the Captain’s routine for his family, every Saturday is Pizza Night. Who am I to buck the system?! So, for the last several weeks, we have frequented La Taverna Del Marinaio, a 5/8th mile walk; I know this because, in his usual precise ways, the Captain measured it. This is where, he says, after a winter of research and taste testing, “the best” pizza is made.

Although it is called a Pizzeria, the décor is somewhat formal. Theme colors are orange and red using double table cloths with accent orange cloth napkins that mark the place settings, including 2 wine glasses and silverware that includes two forks.

I found this not to be unusual because my wifi location is also a pizzeria and their dining room is set exactly to the same formal feel.

While there are chandeliers, the wide strips of glass hang down in circles, presenting a modern feel verses an elegant feel. The walls are covered, to my amusement, with fake bricks that seem to be sold in large stick-on sheets. It presents a wonderful oxi-moron to the feel of things. Framed photos of people eating pasta fill the wall with intermittent autographed photos of pudgy faced celebrities that I don’t recognize.

A wide screen TV is turned on and I am informed that all restaurants must have TV’s in case a soccer game is being played. Not having the game on would mean no business. But our first visit had no game and Casper the Friendly Ghost, the movie, is being played in Italian. Italian McDonald’s commercials influence small minds here, as they do back home.

There are no 2 tops, the smallest table seats 6. More are 8-12 representing the large families and groups that commonly dine. I am told that showing up any earlier than 8pm would not allow service, so shortly after 8, we are always the first to sit. By the time we are leaving, more parties are arriving at 9-9:30pm, many include small children.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” I think to myself as they sit without boosters of any kind, leaving the table to be at eye level.

I have ordered the Vegetariana each time, the safest version of pizza I can find and, of course, cappuccinos each visit. I tried to order something new and the doubtful look the captain gave me, I rescinded back to the original veggie, only to find out later, I had ordered a “Pizza with Crab”, and since I am deathly allergic to crustaceans, I am lucky to be alive. And since I don’t travel with my 2 large Epi-pens in my purse, death by pizza in Italy would be really embarrassing.

Adults are expected to order their own pizza, which by my standards is a small or medium in the states. My cost was 6,50 Euro, plus a 1 Euro “cover charge” and a 1,50 Euro cappuccino (about $10 U.S.). The turnaround is under 8 minutes and soon, before me sits a thin crunchy crust, cheesy, brick oven baked pizza. Either I am really, really hungry every time we are there, or this pizza was made in Heaven. Everything here is real and unusually flavor packed. Mozzarella is not shredded; it starts as a round ball and settles in a top the sparse amount of mushrooms and eggplant that makes up the Vegitereiano. The sauce is potent and perfect. I am indeed, in pizza heaven.

Note to Charlotte: Thank you for the sponsorship but sorry, no Orzo but I did manage to get eggplant in my teeth. Does that count?