Il Templo del Pizza!!

Pizzeria da Michele. The pizzeria that invented the Margherita. Established in 1870. Still in operation. Aptly called 'Il Templo del Pizza' meaning 'The Temple of Pizza'. I first saw it on television in 12th grade when Justine Shapiro toured southern Italy with Lonely Planet. One bite of their Marinara pizza and she said "No exaggerations, this is the best Pizza I’ve ever had in my life". That's when it became one of my must dos. Having a pizza at the very Pizzeria where it was created more than a century ago.Seven years later I was finally close to ticking this one off my list. We were on a trip to Italy and in Cinque Terre on the Ligurian coast in the north. Naples is in the south and it was a long journey. But I remained insistent and convinced my friends that the 'pilgrimage' was worth the effort. When we took the train that night, I must admit, I was having second thoughts. If the pizza was not as good as I said it was, my head would be on the chopping block.To make matters worse, the train journey was very uncomfortable. None of us could get any sleep. Throughout the night, I convinced myself that this is a pilgrimage to the 'Temple of Pizza' and that pilgrimages aren’t supposed to be easy. Moreover, the idea of going all the way to the south of Italy just to have a simple pizza made the foodie inside me very proud. The pilgrimage had to face new problems at sunrise, when the train came to a stop somewhere between Rome and Naples. It wouldn’t go any further and we had to take another (extremely crowded) train for the rest of the journey.When we finally arrived in Naples, my friends had become vocal with their threats. 'This better be good' they kept saying. After a 10 minute walk we were finally there. It took some searching but we finally found Pizzeria da Michele in a lane off the main street. The place didn’t look like much. It was small and the decor was similar to the many Irani restaurants one finds in Mumbai. This made me happy coz the best food is usually found in places like these. The menu was so small, it could be learnt by rote in one single reading. Only two pizzas: the Marinara and the Margherita. And Coke, Fanta or beer to drink. That's it. No fancy toppings, no deep-dish or extra thin crust bullshit. This was definitely a no-nonsense place.Since, we weren’t spoilt for choice, we ordered both the Margherita and the Marinara. Watching the pizza being made was an experience in itself. Much has been written and said about the meticulousness and eccentricities of Neapolitan Pizzaiolos and there I was, seeing all of it live. The dough cannot be rolled with a pin and must be hand-tossed. The base must not be more than 3 mm thick at the centre. The tomatoes used for the sauce must be of the San Marzano variety and must be grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. The mozzarella cheese must be made from the milk of a Campania buffalo. Olive oil must be poured on the pizza in exactly three clockwise spirals. The Oven must be wood fired and maintained at a temperature of 485C. The pizza must be baked for only 60-90 seconds

When the pizzas were served at our table, I knew we would not be disappointed. The Marinara was the simplest possible pizza and was made with only the tomato paste, basil, garlic and olive oil, with the heat of the oven actually cooking the raw garlic in 90 seconds flat. No exaggerations, this is the best pizza I've ever had and no other can come even close. The Margherita had tomato paste, basil, oregano and Mozzarella cheese as toppings and was brilliant but second best when compared to the Marinara.

Threats turned to gratitude and all of us agreed that the pizzas we'd just had were worth the effort we'd put to get there and more. With this story, the search for the perfect pizza has ended. The visit to Da Michele has also strengthened a few beliefs I have about good food. The original recipe cannot be surpassed or bested. Whether it's Biryani from Hyderabad or Pizza from Naples, the original is always the best. Secondly, the best food is not served in fancy settings or Michelin-starred restaurants, but in small, simple places like Da Michele. The trip has also made sure that whenver I bite into a Pizza slice, I will definitely remember the small Pizzeria in a crowded bylane of Naples and long to go back.