There comes a time in everyones life when all you want is to sink your teeth into a damn good burger. 

Again, my Airbnb host recommended this spot highly, so we tracked it down after doing all the typical tourist stuff and photo ops. Luckily for us November is not high season and therefore most of the vantage points were empty or only had a handful of people. Most of the locals just stared at us as if we were mad for wearing short sleeved shirts in "winter". They obviously have never been to Norway in November, this was warm.

One again my luck was out. I had trudged through 2 kilometers of intense rain to reach the fabled door to Pizza Fritta da Fernanda, but it was closed. Fifth time I tried. An old lady hung her head out the window of the house next door and motioned that she was sick and wouldn't open in the near future. I flipped on google maps, saved places, Napoli, and lo and behold 400 Gradi was two hundred meters away.

Today the rain was my foe as I stretched my legs over puddles and poops to finally try this pizzeria that TanzenVsPizza had recommended. I had tried to eat there a few days earlier but the family had been on vacation. My heart skipped a beat turning the corner and seeing the red awning which mean't they were open.

This might not be the most mouthwatering meal you eat in Naples, but it probably will be the most memorable.

Tourist traps give me hives, and knowing full well that Sorbillo was the king of "I ate pizza in Naples look at my selfie" I avoided it for almost a month. However, if my dissection of various pizzerias was to have any substance, I knew one day I'd have to give it a go and see what all the rabies was about.

The first pizza in Napoli was always going to be a dicey affair. First impressions count, but how can you really judge how good it was until you've tried at least five others? Which is exactly why I didn't. I waited until I'd spent a week in town before individually dishing out my own scorn or praise. 

Di Matteo ended up faring well.

Sunday's can be a bitch to get a good meal in Italy. More often than not people are at home enjoying lavish family feasts while the male population gazes over their shoulder at the football. A handful of restaurants are open, but they are as usual closed between 3pm-7pm.

Looks can only get you so far in life, but if this was judged on looks alone it would be a ten out of ten. Unfortunately the interiors of this lovely little shop in Mola di Bari, don't match up with the quality of their focaccia. 

Never in a million years did I think bittermansguide would be dropping 8's on a Szechuan restaurant in Florence, but this just teaches you again to never judge a book by it's cover. I had made a late dash for a take-away chilli beef the day prior, catching the chefs just before their 3pm relaxation period. I foolishly told the guy to make it spicy, and he didn't ignore me. 

The narrow alleys of Spagnoli are teeming with life. Every angle provides food for thought. The scooters wizz past like kamikaze mosquitos, old women hang up laundry from the second floor balconies, men smoke and argue about football, tourists amble by paying more attention to their google maps than noticing where they are. Restaurants spill out from the sidewalks and out onto the road. Life emanates. 

Following in the steps of Stanley Tucci, we headed for a daytrip to Ischia with only one plan: To eat at Il Foccolare.

Well, we didn't.

The bartender at Roger The Club pleaded with me to go to La Latteria. He mentioned that they had the best local meat dishes in Matera, but also repeated about five times "Do NOT forget to order the bruschetta, it is the best, maybe in Italy, seriously, do NOT forget".

After explaining to my Airbnb host how I'd been to 9 pizza spots in Naples on my last visit, he immediately asked if I had been to Antico borgo ai Vergini. I hadn't. 

This was immediately remedied.

Almost top marks for a sandwich? You bet your bottom dollar bro. Semel isn't just a sandwich, it's an experience. Nestled a few doors down from the magical Cibleo, this tiny hole in the wall owned by a boisterous man the wrong side of retirement, churns out some of the best sandwiches you've ever eaten.

You know that feeling when you get pressured into buying something, and you're really happy with the product itself, but the way you were relieved of your money just sits wrong? Well, continue reading:

"Check out Salumeria Upnea, it's nearby", was the recommendation from the bartender at La Fesseria. We walked a couple blocks, got shown a table by an amicable waitress and ordered the ragu. If you think you've eaten "Al Dente" pasta, but not been to Italy, you're in for a suprise. I'd guess 70% of tourists would have sent back the plate claiming it was raw, but this is how they serve the pasta when paired with such a rich, heavy sauce.

Schiacciata is a must do when in Florence. The regional style of Focaccia that packs an altogether more crispy punch. Thinner than your more notable examples, oily but not greasy, this popular bread is enjoyed daily in cafe's and bakeries all over the city.

I mean, does it get any better? A blisteringly sunny day in November, calm seas, no wind and a front table overlooking the fishing boats and the fort on the hill. During our two night stay on Procida, this was by far the best food. 

Having friends in a city is a sure-fire way to skip the tourist traps. When those friends are also culinarily inclined it's a match made in heaven. Reservations had been made long in advance for a table at this Osteria, knowing full well how crowded it gets. I had just arrived on the train from Napoli and it would be my first taste of Tuscan cuisine, well, since 2006 anyway.

Here's a little tip I've found useful on many occasions: If you eat at a restaurant that has great food, and the server is knowledgable, ask him/her to recommend other spots in town to try. This is exactly what I did after eating at Cibleo opposite, and the Japanese lady told me to go across the road to Cibreo, and eat the butter and cheese tagliolino. Nuff said.

You can't come to Florence and not eat Ribollita right? Right...

Having said that, there are many examples of "must eat" foods around the world that are more an experience than a culinary revelation, this was one of those.

Having wandered the unspeakably majestic alleyways and crevices of Matera, my bones needed sustenance. Panicifio Paoluccio was high on my list of prior research to try, and luckily I managed to get there moments before closing for their afternoon respite.

If a book should be judged by it's cover, you would inherently believe this to be the pinnacle of human achievement. Throngs of tourists line up for hours every day to sample their sandwiches. Literally dozens of better sandwich shops lay barren and longing for a tiny spill-over from their behemoth attraction. 

My Airbnb host told me I had to try the Milan-version of pizza called Pinsa. After having spent 10 days in Napoli the last thing I wanted was a pizza, however, when in Rome...

Luckily for me one of the highest rated spots was a 5 minute walk and I hadn't eaten breakfast. I trod over to fuel my legs for the long walk to the Duomo and Ossuary for some serious skull action....