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L’Antica Locanda
Noci (Bari)
Via Santo Spirito, 49
Tel 0039 080 4972460
Indicative price per person:
30€ without wines
Closing day:
Sunday evening and Tuesday
On the hills between Bari and Taranto so called Murgia, this family run restaurant will make happy all gourmets. The local speciality are Lampascioni, the wild onions, Orecchiette alle cime di rapa, and roasted lamb with artichokes. Buon Appetito! |
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Il poeta contadino
Alberobello (Bari)
Via Indipendenza, 21
Tel 0039 080 4321917
Indicative price per person:
65€ without wines
Closing day:
Monday
Poetry in cuisine: a refined menu able to transfer local gastronomy in pure art. |
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| Are you keen to discover the wild coasts of Apulia and taste the sea urchins freshly catched? Visit from May to June any bars in Porto Badisco, not far from Otranto and you'll discover the local life-style. |
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It is often claimed that the cuisine of Apulia is one of the most perfect examples of the now fashionable Mediterranean diet. The cooking is simple and traditional, and takes advantage of the agricultural wealth of the region, as well as the produce of the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Essential elements include pasta, cheese, tomatoes, lamb, extra virgin olive oil, and a huge array of vegetables, seafood and shellfish.
In Southern Italy it is essential to serve Aperitivo, of which purpose is to encourage the taste and “open” the stomach. So black and green olives are enjoyed, as well as crostini spread with pates and tapenades made from ingredients such as artichokes, asparagus, olives, mushrooms and eggplants, all drizzled with olive oil.
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Vegetables continue to be important in the Antipasti dishes, together with seafood. For instance there are sun-dried tomatoes and capsicums, grilled artichokes hearts and eggplants, lampascioni (a type of wild onions unique to Apulia), and also seafood salads and a vast array of shellfish, all prepared with olive oil.
Like the rest of Italy, the passion for pasta is clearly evident. A speciality of the region are orecchiette, or “little ears”, so called because of their hollow, concave shape which is not dissimilar to an ear!
Perhaps the most famous of Apulian dishes is Orecchiette alle cime di rapa, or “Orecchiette with turnip tops” (whilst traditionally turnip was used in this dish, it is more common today to use broccoli). The pasta and turnip or broccoli are coated with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, anchovies, garlic and chilli. It is served piping hot and is available almost everywhere in the region.
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To get a taste of Apulia’s traditional meat-based cuisine it is best to visit a rosticceria, although this can be quite a shock! Basically a rosticceria is located in the cellar underneath a butcher’s shop (usually the only one in the village). It is likely to have a low, domed ceiling with a large central fireplace and chimney. Consequently the air is heavy with the smell of woodsmoke. It is here that someone grills the leftover meat from the day, frequently offal, perhaps horse, goat or sheep.
Of all the meat served in Apulia, lamb tends to dominate. This dates back to the time when flocks of sheep were driven by nomadic tribes of shepherds throughout Southern Italy. In the regions of Abruzzo, Apulia and Lazio alone, there are over 3,000 kilometres of sheep droves! Today, whilst many of them have disappeared, shepherds and flocks do carry on the tradition, hence the significance of lamb, mutton and goat in the region’s diet. |
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