Many come here for the pizza, which Ed Levine describes thusly: "The crust was light, ethereal and cloudlike. The San Marzano tomatoes were sweet, and the melted mozzarella di bufala was creamy and slightly tart."
For starters...
Yes, L'Europeo's pizza was very good. Not as soggy as the vaunted da Michele version, a Naples pizzeria that seems to have lost its way lately. We had pizza for our antipasto, as is a custom in these parts.Then came a rush of small plates typical of the territory, including mozzarella and seafood dishes like a meltingly tender plate of baby octopus drizzled with olive oil.
In Naples, a plate of paccheri--a large, round pasta that looks like collapsed garden hose tossed with some kind of seafood sauce--seemed to be the primo piatto of the moment. We'd been served this in pretty much every restaurant we'd visited in the 5 days we were in the area. L'Europeo's was by far the most colorful, if not most delicious of the bunch. And hey, it even looked like a million bucks on the plate. This is Naples: a riot of sunny color and a daunting mix of things on your plate to figure out.
Yes, there was wine...
Sure, this is seafood territory, but there was also some serious meat on the menu. We were supposed to have the stinko di maiale, roast pork leg, but we were too stuffed with seafood to carry on.
Maybe next time. In fact, I long for a next time.
L'Europeo di Mattozzi Stats
L'Europeo di MattozziVia Campodisola 4/6/8
Napoli
Tel./Fax +39-081-552-1323
Lunch Monday through Saturday, dinner, Thursday through Saturday. Closed all day Sunday, from August 15-31, and Saturdays in July.
