Mike G.
Yelp
for a taste of la dolce vita, head south. get sand on your toes, limoncello in hand and eat some familiar foods served here first: pizza in Naples, caprese in Capri, mozzarella di bufala in Paestum, arancini and cannoli in Sicily.
for unique, hit up Cetara (10km from Salerno), one of the last authentic fishing villages in the Amalfi coast, top source of tuna and colatura (syrup of pressed, salted anchovies) still produced as the ancients did. at Al Convento, simply drizzled on sauté of garlic, pepper, spaghettini - an umami taste bomb. as novel, uni-ricotta filled ravioli, fried anchovies stuffed w/ provola and octopus carpaccio. gourmet eats at a fraction of the cost, sweet indeed.
tip: for DIY travel, take train from Naples to Sorrento (stop in Pompeii!) or ferry from Capri. then take the SITA buses to Salerno with stops in towns along the coast.