Church of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, Santa Maria di Leuca.
I always hesitate to do these wrap ups because they force me to reflect on the obscene amount of food I am capable of eating. I especially overdid on a three day trip to Puglia recently. It is my favorite Italian region for food and it would be a shame to squander even a single culinary opportunity, so I binged on indulged in these pugliese specialties: pezzetti e involtini di cavallu, pasticciotti, mustaccioli, fave e cicoria, burrata, gamberi rossi di Gallipoli, pane di Altamura, focaccia, tieddhra di cozze e patate, cozze pelose, taralli, turcinieddhri, ricotta, capocollo di Martina Franca, orecchiette con cime di rapa, cavatelli con pomodoro e ricotta scante, panzerotti, canestrato, la giuncata, rustici, polenta fritta, crocche di patate, purpu alla pignata, and granita di gelso nero. Holy shit now wonder my skin is feeling taut. If you, too, wish to shorten your lifespan in Puglia, here are some places to do it:
Panzarotti deep frying at Di Cosimo.
Di Cosimo: Pizza and u’ panzerrott’ (pizza dough stuffed with mozzarella and tomato sauce and deep fried) are the specialty at this Bari landmark. Queue up for take out or wade through the crowd and find a table in the side room. Via Modugno Giovanni 31, Bari.
Take Five: This may be a sacreligious, but after a few days in Puglia I need to detox. A salad or two does the trick but they aren’t so easy to find. A cocktail and wine bar in Piazza Mercantile in Bari serves huge salads, as well as, sanwiches, piadini, and other snacks; they have a gluten free menu as well. Piazza Mercantile 66, Bari.
Focaccia barese at Panificio Fiore.
Panifico Fiore: Bread is baked in the back and served up front and, while excellent in its own right, most customers come for the focaccia. The dough is topped with tomatoes and olives (watch for the pits!) and baked in pans dosed with liberal amounts of olive oil. The result is a flatbread with a crispy bottom, a spongy interior, and sweet and salty top. Strada Palazzo di Citta’ 38, Bari.
Insalata di polpo, octopus salad, at Da Tuccino.
Da Tuccino: A Temple to Neptune if there ever was one. Set on the sea just north of Polignano a Mare, this fancy fish restaurant serves some of the best pesce crudo in the Provincia di Bari. The spaghetti con le cozze are spectacular. At the end of the meal, the server comes to your table and cleanses your palate with this weird grappa spray, totally bizarre but strangely refreshing. Maybe more alcohol should come in aerosol form? Contrada Santa Caterina 69, Polignano a Mare.
Granita di gelso nero e mandorla.
Super Mago di Gelo: The inside of this gelateria specializing in granita (slushy fruit ice) looks like it was designed by Scarface’s interior decorator, but once you get past the coke den decor, pay for your granita at the register (be sure to specify if you want panna–whipped cream) then place your order with the barman. Each portion includes two flavors of seasonal, slushy bliss. In my opinion, nothing beats gelso nero (black mulberry) and mandorla (almond). Piazza Garibaldi 22, Polignano a Mare.
Ricci di Mare, sea urchin roe, at La Rotonda.
La Rotonda: A sort of restaurant-shack on the litoranea south of Monopoli serving ricci di mare (in season), cozze fritte (fried mussels), grilled octopus, and basic pasta dishes on a patio overlooking the sea. SS Savelletri-Torre Canne, Fasano.
Orecchiette con le cime di rapa, homemade pasta with turnip tops, at L’Aratro.
L’Aratro: Most restaurants in Alberobello make their living off of the unfortunate mass tourism that has transformed the area in the past decade. L’Aratro is a welcome alternative, serving meticulously selected cheeses, cured meats, and wonderfully simply durum wheat pasta dishes. The owner is also a sommelier and prides himself on using Slow Food regonized products in his menu. Via Monte San Michele 27, Alberobello.
Cucina Casareccia “Le Zie”: If you don’t have the privilige of being invited to eat in someone’s home in Lecce, Le Zie will do. Ring the bell for admittance and you’ll be seated in one of the two rooms. Almost every table has a view into the kitchen where simple, peasant classics like fave e cicoria and pezzetti di cavallu are prepared with love. Order the antipasto misto to get a taste of Salento’s typical flavors like zingy marinated anchovies, sweet peppers, and sweet and sour zucchine. Via C.A. Costadura 19, Lecce.
Alvino’s rustico, puff pastry filled with besciamel, mozzarella, tomato and black pepper.
Alvino: This bar and caffe in Piazza Sant‘Oronzo is one-stop-shop for local sweet and savory snacks like pasticciotti and rustici. There are better places to find both, but Alvino offers convenient quality. Piazza Sant’Oronzo 30, Lecce.
Natale: Just around the block from Alvino, this much loved gelateria serve classic flavors, as well as more creative ones inspired by local specialites. The pasticciotto and mustazziolo are unique and I’ve heard good things about the stracciatella Thai, but have yet to try
it. Via Trinchese 7, Lecce.
Espressino freddo at Avio in Lecce.
Avio: A coffee shop near the Castello serving a special blend of the local Quarta coffe. Avio is an obligatory stop on any caffeine loving visitor’s itinerary. The espressini freddi are a rich summer alternative to the classic caffe’ espresso. Corner of Via Trinchese and Via XV Luglio, Lecce.
Nobile: Located in San Cataldo, a run down suburb of Lecce on the sea, this hole in the wall does the best pasticciotti in the region. They are turned out hot all day long and even in the dead of summer, these heavy pastiera cream-filled indulgences are hard to pass up. Via Marco Polo, San Cataldo.
For more, check out the posts A Day on the Salentine Coast and Eating in Monopoli.
