justretired

Hi- I always put together files for upcoming trips- things like important places to see, points of interest, and restaurants. I tend to add suggestions from multiple sources, listing them by location. Sometime, someone has already done this, like PBProvence for the Provence area of France, which I used several times in Provence (one of my favorite places). Has anyone made a restaurant or places to see list for Puglia? i started going through trip reports, and got some wonderful ideas from members like ekshrunsky, but did not find any lists by location. When we go to Puglia in September, i will certainly post a Trip report and offer my file if anyone is interested.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can give me. I will add them to my lists.

kja

It's ridiculously old, but there are some restaurants in Puglia at the end of the post with which I began this thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...estaurants.cfm

justretired

Thanks, kja. I will take a look at your post. I suspect at least some of the restaurants will still be in operation, while others have closed.

Interestingly, I found that there are some Michelin star restaurants in Puglia. We tend to not go our of our way for these restaurants, finding them over priced, not always living up to the hype, and too formal. However, some of these sound interesting and, if they are open for lunch, worthwhile.

http://arialuxuryapulia.com/michelin-puglia/

kja

FWIW, I don't think you need to worry about finding great food in Puglia, Michelin starred or otherwise!

justretired

Thanks, kja. It certainly seems like finding great food at affordable prices is not difficult. as I said, we do not search out Michelin star restaurant, but I thought it interesting that such a small region had several of them.

I have found it somewhat difficult to find restaurants south of Lecce on the Salento pennisula. I will have to check Ekscrunsky again. Any other suggestions?

jubilada

Have you seemn this ?
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2...salento-region

jubilada

Lo scolo in Santa Maria de Leuca has been recommended for the setting and the sea urchin

http://www.ristoranteloscalo.it/specialita.html

justretired

Thanks, Jub. Just the kinds of things I've been looking for. I need to check out Chowhound too. My files are getting longer.

jubilada

Chowhound does have a few things on Puglia, not much.
Elizabeth Minchelli has an entry too
On her blog and she is reliable.

sundriedtopepo

Try this link for what I think is a reliable guide to foods you should try in Puglia.

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/puglia...ood_puglia.htm

We didnt eat in any Michelin star restaurants but here are a few we enjoyed:

Osteria di Chichibio in Polignano di Mare- good seafood, you can choose your own.
Zia Teresa in Torre a Mare--you can't get fresher than the seafood here. A simple family place with good prices and the freshest crudo.
Ristorante Porta Nova in Ostuni-Beautiful food

The focaccia bread in this part of Italy is in my opinion the Best. We had wonderful foccaccia in Polignano a Mare and Matera, if you make it there.

The Grotte di Castellano is an interesting stop off. If you go, check the online schedule for the English tour times.

justretired

In general, we probably won't go much our of our way to find a restaurant, but these recommendations will help as we are driving through the different regions. We also are more apt to use the restaurant file I am making at lunch since we plan on eating at the agriturismos a few times during each stay. It is so nice to return at the end of the day and not plan to go our again, or, if we do, to not go far. We could change our mind if the food is mediocre or there is a really good restaurant nearby- we try to be flexible. It is worse in France because they take the drinking/driving issue very seriously. Italy? Maybe not so much.

Does everything really close down for 3-4 hours each lunch time? Most parts of Italy close for 2 hours or so, but, even so, some places do stay open. If restaurants close at 2, what do you do until sights, museums, churches, etc. open again? Go to the beach? Take a walk? And how late do things stay open in the evening during September?

yorkshire

During the "Pausa," we usually drove and did hikes. It's a good time to nap, especially given the later hours for dinner.

yorkshire

I don't recall where all you are staying, but I am sure there is some overlap, so I will paste some of my favorites here.
Matera
We enjoyed Dalla Padella alla Brace for dinner--very homey, full of locals and an amazing deal (SO much delicious food). For something a bit more formal, Le Botteghe was delicious. You can't miss the gelateria in the main square--I vizi degli angeli laboratorio di gelateria artigianale. It has really unusual flavors.
Just across the gorge in Matera is the large park with cave churches that you can see with a guide (some you can peek into). You can now walk over from the sassi because they have installed a bridge at the bottom of the gorge (if you are up for that--it can be hard on the knees, but the wildflowers were great). The park office, called CEA, had information as well as a little cafe. They offer a peasant soup called la crapiata, an unfortunate name for the 12-year-old in me, but hearty and delicious! We returned this year just for that lunch. That may not sound so special, but when you are eating bread, pasta, and cheese for 10 days, some nutritious meals like that are in order for us. They sell dried peppers, pickles, and dried beans.
A tour in Matera is highly recommended. We used Antonio at http://www.materatourguide.it/public/en/ (and we are really not typically tour people).
We took a day trip to Craco (sometimes called a ghost town--it was evacuated in the 50s before a landslide) for a fascinating tour. Our English-speaking guide was William and he did a fantastic job. Tell his furry sidekick Ronnie hi.
You can drive down to the coast and see a Greek temple at Metaponto (though if you have seen the ones at Paestum or in Sicily I would not make a special trip unless you are passing by).
Last, we drove to Laterza and hiked along the top of their gorge (google Oasi LIPU if you are interested). We were the only ones there and it was magical--just wildflowers and raptors.

Lecce
Le Zie (Cucina Casarecchia) is a great food experience, so I recommend it even though I found the food a bit salty in the case of the chicory and bland in the form of ciceri e tria. The tieddha (many spellings--a casserole of mussels and potatoes) is great. I find the food much better at Nonna Tetti, but be prepared to ignore the gruff waitress if she is swamped (recommend the fava spread with octopus). For a quick, cheap (but very good) lunch, I have two recommendations near the amphitheater, on either side of Cafe Alvino, a couple doors down in each case: Piadina Salentina and Come Vuoi Pane & Condimenti. If you are like me, lunch can be tough because I don't really like to have a long, large lunch when I want to be out sightseeing or whatever, and a lot of places close up. Piadina is an eat-immediatley kind of thing, but at the Come Vuoi place you can get a sandwich and pack it for an excursion.
For museums, don't miss the Faggiano.

Beaches (and tips for nature nuts)
We were not there in beach season, but we like to walk along the sea on nice days. Near Ostuni is Parco Naturale Regionale Dune Costiere da Torre Canne a Torre San Leonardo--that would be one of my choices for a beach day if you want a natural beach (versus beach clubs--plenty of those just north). Torre Guaceto near Brindisi is also nice. My favorite coastal park would be on the Ionian side, just north of Gallipoli at Porto Selvaggio--an easy drive from Lecce (gorgeous!).
There is a guide to Salento beaches sold at the Lecce tourist office--it shows where they are sandy and where they are rocky. We had a hard time knowing where to pull off and stop as we drove south along the Adriatic from San Cataldo, so do some research in advance--you may have seen that there are some dramatic rock formations. There is a WWF refuge called Cesine (tour required to really see anything) you may find interesting. We eventually stopped at Gagliano del Capo due to a coastal road detour and walked down to Ciolo, a lovely walk through Mediterranean vegetation except for a brief bit where you pass a dumpster. Ciolo is a popular cove beach, and there is a hike along the coast north to some caves (il Sentiero delle cipolliane).
On the Ionian side, there are plenty of beach clubs as well and gorgeous water. We drive through Ugento looking for a little regional park but gave up fro fear of getting lost in the zillion olive trees. We parked at Torre Mozza, which would be just fine for me if I wanted to swim on a hot day, and then we walked along the coast past some of the formal beaches. To the south and north of there, there are some beaches with spectacularly clear water--so look for that brochure I mentioned.

yorkshire

Cisternino
I'd make a special trip for Taverna della Torre. Terra Madre Antipasteria was fantatsstic as well.

Bari: Terranima

Monopoli: Osteria Perricci

justretired

Thanks, Yorkshire- great suggestions.

kja

I agree with yorkshire about activities during the mid-day break.

I didn't think a tour was necessary for Matera, though I'm sure there are benefits to those who prefer working with a guide.

justretired

We decided to reserve a guide for Matera. Since both Nadia and Antonio were already booked, we went with a private guide with Sassi Web ( I think). We have found through the years that sometimes we learn a great deal by working with a guide. We have reserved a 3 hour tour, and then, afterwards, we will explore on our own. By the way, we are using a private guide because of my vision problems, since I have trouble with depth and would be too slow negotiating the steps of the sassi caves.

For those who have been to Puglia, how long is the afternoon "pausa?" We like leisurely walks, and suspect we can find some as we drive through the Salento. Yorkshire, the guide you mentioned that we can get in Lecce sounds perfect for that. Our agriturismo is quite close to Lecce and near the WWF refuge Cesine and it also has a private beach where we can sail or windsurf (if that is open during the break).

Thanks all. I am trying to organize myself, but probably won't plan a day to day itinerary. If we don't see something, that's better for us than racing around to make sure we see everything. We truly love the slow pace of traveling, absorbing the culture and just the "feel" of a region. A few years ago, we rented an apartment in Bonnieux in Provence (not our first time in that region). We got to know the butcher, the baker at the local patisserie, the librarian, and so forth. We went to small museums off the tourist track and, of course, lots of open air markets. We ate well- there are some great restaurants in Bonnieux, but we also picked up cooked chickens at the markets. One night, we got a leg of lamb at our favorite butcher and he prepared it for us and told us exactly how to cook it. It was a truly wonderful meal.

When we travel, we often bring small gifts for the family that is renting our room or apartment. That is much appreciated, but we have learned that in both France and Italy, they feel they must give something back in return. The butcher gave us some home made pate, an owner of a B&B in Todi, Umbria gave us a bottle of wine, and a host in Montepulciano gave us a bottle of his olive oil.In the end, we wonder if the gifts are really more of a burden for the Italian or French recipient.

yorkshire

The pausa can be as long as 12-5. There were times when we were almost stuck without food, so if there is one thing to plan, it is lunch. It sounds like you will be well equipped if you go out exploring in town in the mornings--being well-provisioned is a great idea! We sometimes found some things open, but it is best to be prepared. After our tour of Craco we needed to get on the road to Cisternino, but we had not planned. There was an intense rain storm occurring, and we drove up into Pisticci and miraculously found a cafe open.
A nice easy walk in the Itria valley is along the aquaduct. There are many countryside paths there but they can be a little tough to find.

justretired

Yorkshire, it sounds like even restaurants could close at 12 or 1 for the break. If so, you are correct, and I will need to ascertain which ones are not only open at lunch, but what their hours are. Wow.

I am a planner at heart, so I will try to be prepared for the pausa, changes in the weather, or other unplanned events, like perhaps a surprise festival or market. I showed your last response to my husband and we started talking about bringing a small cooler and baggies for ice. That way, we can pick up some cheese, fruit, etc and have a picnic if nothing is open.

Question- do we need reservations at lunch in September? Since it sounds like folks reserve early, perhaps I need to rethink things and actually plan our days in advance.

By the way, Yorkshire, where is the aquaduct in the Itria valley? The walk along it sounds interesting.

yorkshire

It depends on the size of the town and the type of restaurant. Most restaurants in main towns are open for lunch, but we just don't like long leisurely lunches. Dinner is our big meal, and we don't get up particularly early, So, you just have to adapt your own preferences to the local schedule.
September is probably fine, but for a well-regarded restaurant, I would reserve.
A bit about the aquaduct:
http://www.vacanzattivajournal.com/e...bike-path.html
(about biking but it is a multiuse path)
I think I just searched to find an access point near where we were staying.