at daggers drawn, and a war of cutting down of
prices raged. In those happy days one could dine or lunch at either
place sumptuously for a shilling. Some meddling busybody interfered in
the quarrel and brought the proprietors into a friendly spirit. The
Gambrinus, with its bright rooms, good decorations, and fair attendance,
is perhaps the best restaurant at which a stranger can take a meal,
unless he is looking for the distinctive Neapolitan cookery. If he is in
search of the dishes of the town, let him try the Europa or, better
still for his purpose, the Vermouth di Torino in the Piazza del
Municipio. To eat the fish dishes which show the real cookery of Naples
better than any other, he should go out on a moonlight night a couple of
miles to the Antica Trattoria dello Scoglio di Frisio, or to the less
aristocratic Trattoria del Figlio di Pietro in the Strada Nuova del
Posilipo.

Of the macaroni I have already written. The splendid tomatoes grown in
Naples, which are cooked with it, give it its particular excellence. It
is also seasoned with cheese. _Spagetti alle Vongole_ is the macaroni
seasoned with the little shell-fish of the place. _Zuppa di Vongole_ is
a clear soup of bread and _Vongole_. _Polpi alla Luciana_ are small
octopi stewed in an earthern pot with oil, tomatoes, chilli, and red
wine. Between the pot and the lid a sheet of oiled paper is placed, to
prevent the steam from escaping. The _Spigola_, the most delicate of
fishes of the Mediterranean, is at its best between 1 and 1-1/2 lbs. in
weight. It is either boiled or roasted, and is served with a sauce of
oil, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. A steak _alla Pizzaiola_ is baked
in an oven with potatoes, garlic, and thyme; and _Pizza alla Pizzaiola_
is a kind of Yorkshire pudding eaten either with cheese or anchovies and
tomatoes flavoured with thyme. _Mozzarelle in carozza_ is a slice of
bread soaked in milk and a slice of Provola cheese, the whole plunged in
beaten eggs and then fried. There is an excellent Neapolitan method of
treating egg-plants, fried in oil, cut in slices, sandwiched with cheese
and tomatoes, and then baked. Provola and Cacio Cavallo are the
Neapolitan cheeses. Vesuvio, Capri, Gragnano, Lacrima Christa are a few
of the wines grown along the bays. The walnuts of Sorrento are the best
in Italy.

Palermo

Palermo has its special dishes, amongst them of course its _Spagetti_,
seasoned with minced meat and egg-plant; but its ices an