Page 46 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2025 GRAND VOYAGE

Vespa, a stray pedestrian, and a careening a waiter to look at my emails. He studied
bus. them, then disappeared into the kitchen
My nerves were jangling by the time we Moments later, he returned with a stocky
reached the red-framed entrance of Pel- man, his white T-shirt and apron dusted
lone and joined a queue waited for their with flour. Without a word, he gestured for
taste of pizza history. Inside, the air was us to follow.
thick with the intoxicating aromas of bak- A wave of unease washed over me.
ing dough, wood smoke, and anticipation. Naples has a reputation for scams. Warily
We had confirmed our we followed him out the
reservation but when front door, around the
we approached the corner, to a large, unas-
counter, the waiters, suming green door. With
with their thick ac- a dramatic flourish, he
cents and stern ex- opened it and we
pressions, seemed to stepped into another
know nothing about world. A hidden dining
us. My heart sank. room, larger than the one
Finally I convinced we'd left behind, buzzed

46 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SPRING 2025