That Way to Canale – Serino #6

Table of Contents

1. In Search of Lucio – That Way to Canale – Serino Part 6
2. Nebaletan Word of the Day – CENDANN!!!
3. Pizza Review – Caraglio’s, Fairport, NY

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In Search of Lucio – That Way to Canale – Serino Part 6

Something is captivating about Serino that lingers in my mind. As I pedal my bike, memories of my two short visits flood back. Maybe it’s the classic “absence makes the heart grow fonder” phenomenon, but it feels more like a delightful craving.

In my last post (you can find it here), I shared our drive from Napoli to Serino, nestled on the lower slopes of the Avellino mountains in Campania. .The story continues here…

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Arriving mid-afternoon, we met our B&B host, Renato, at Anema Home. While most service workers in Napoli and the Amalfi Coast speak English, venture deeper into Campania, and you’ll find a different story. Conversing with Renato and his wife, Marissa, became an entertaining mix of Italian attempts and Google Translate text-to-speech magic.

Anema Home sits in the charming hamlet (or is it a village or neighborhood?) of Sala. Serino consists of 24! hamlets (see here), each about 2 km (1 mile) apart. As I explored, it struck me that geography and family ties likely shaped this division—a realization that would become clearer later.

Embracing the warmer and drier weather, we set out for an afternoon stroll. I noticed that Sala’s architecture is new compared to other parts of Italy. Much of this area was leveled in an earthquake in 1980 and obviously rebuilt to current standards.

Our B&B, Anema Home, is on Via Roma, and I want to believe it is part of the 2000+-year-old Appian Way since the road pointed west towards Rome, but I believe the Appian Way goes north and east of here. As we walked to the heart of Sala, we stumbled upon Sala’s piazza—a gathering spot for the local men.

Now, I’ve pulled this following move in several southern towns, I approached the older gentleman with my phone and a snapshot of my family tree. But the result in Serino was different! No blank stares this time! One of the “younger” (my age!) fellows studied the photo, pointed up Via Roma, and casually said, “Canale. 4 km.”

HOLY CRAP! My jaw dropped. Not only did he recognize our family surnames, but he also knew our connection to Canale di Serino —a revelation that still has me utterly stunned. To be continued…..

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Nebaletan Word of the Day – CENDANN!!!

Two posts ago (see here), I introduced the drink toast, A Salute!  Another Nebaletan toast is CENDANN!

CENDANN! (also cent’ ann’) – a hundred years (cento anni); a toast [chen-DAAN] (from American Italian: Dictionary | American Italian).

I recall hearing this toast mostly at family weddings.  But after moving away from Ohio to NY, I had “lost” many of these important phrases especially being surrounded by so many WASPy types.  The significance of CENDANN! at weddings is to wish the couple 100 years together or in other words, everlasting!

In our American way, 100 years is long, but in Southern Italy with a history that goes back to the Paleolithic time, 100 years is a flash.

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Pizza Review – Caraglio’s, Fairport, NY

Earlier In May, my wife, daughter, and I had the joy of looking after our grandson. As dinner time approached, we unanimously decided that pizza was the way to go.

While TK’s is our favorite Fairport haunt, their cash-only policy led us to try something different—Caraglio’s Pizza. Much to our pleasure, it turned out to be a fantastic discovery!

Date	May 2, 2024
Pizzeria	Caraglio’s Pizza
City/Neighborhood	Fairport, NY
Website	Caraglio’s Pizza – Serving the Rochester NY area | Pizza, Wings & more (caragliospizza.com)
About Us	None – too bad!
Style	Sheet – Sicilian
Ambiance	Delivery

Rating Criteria
Shape	Rectangular with square cuts
Dough/Crust	Tickness – Tick Cook – Soft, Spongy/airy, nicely Chewy Flavor – Buttery   Excellent mouth flavor and feel!  Truly enjoyable texture.   Unfortunately, the cross hatched pattern has always been a turn off for me.  It sometimes indicates a conveyor belt baking oven.  Although, these cross hatched didn’t seem to effect the crust in Caraglio’s case.
Cornicione	Soft, Spongy/airy, Chewy   Nicely done cornicione!
Toppings	1/2 Pepperoni & Mushroom, 1/2 cheese   Fresh – unsure
Sauce	Nice medium body, tasty, Tangy, Sweet (could be the mushrooms), Spicy (could be the pepperoni)   Very enjoyable
Cheese	Cheese Type – Moozedell Cheese Distribution – Splotches, All over   Stringy, Salty
Cheese to Sauce Ratio	Sauce- Medium Cheese- Medium Balance – right on

Value	Not good but not bad either at $16 for a 12″.    I’ve seen much worse in NA, but still not great
Overall Rating	Good   Despite only a “Good” rating, Caraglio’s is at the higher end of good.
Would I Go Back?	Yes, I really want to try Caraglio’s again, but not as a Sheet Pan Sicilian Style, but as their normal NY Style.  This will tell me if Caraglio’s is really GREAT or simply good.