Posts Tagged With: Travel

This is Evora

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Ziggy

How do you convert a building into the number one attraction in your city? Very simple. You dig out all the bodies from area cemeteries. Hire an interior decorator to help with the bones and skulls placement in the building. Display a cute welcome sign in the entrance, something like “we bones in here wait for yours to join us”. And voila! That’s pretty much what three monks did with roughly 5000 monk corpses at the Chapel of the Bones. One of many interesting sites to keep visitors entertained in and around the Alentejo capital of Evora.

There’s a certain atmosphere in Evora that is lacking in frenzied Porto and Lisbon. Most visitors come here on a day trip from Lisbon, either as part of a tour or on their own. You can see the contrast when visiting the cathedral before and after lunch when the tours start to disperse. This is why its best to stick around a few days. If you do, make it at the historic Convento do Espinheiro, a ridiculously affordable 5 star former convent, a few miles north of the city.

In addition to the bone church, and the cathedral with its reachable Insta roof, you’ll want to see the striking Roman Temple, preferably in the afternoon when the light is less harsh. Almost every other corner of Evora is a reminder of its complicated past. Mercadores (merchants) and Moeda (coin) streets in the Jewish quarter go back to the days when Jews did much of the banking. In the middle ages you were forbidden to lend money to members of your faith, so the majority Christians relied on the minority Jews.

Very few trippers make it to the University, second oldest in the country after Coimbra. Its main attraction, the Colégio do Espírito Santo building has a striking facade, and a game called “Lets find the library”. I can give you directions, but you’d be missing all the fun we had. Right next to the University is the beautiful Espírito Santo church that requires a separate ticket. Here you can play “lets find the turkey”. The one that commemorates the Jesuit missions to America. Or just chill at the beautiful public garden, chasing peacocks next to folly ruins.

University

And then there’s the Alentejo food and wine. Rustic, Tuscan-like fare, a welcomed change from the seafood heavy coast. Old timers like Fialho, and Taberna Típica Quarta-feira are intermingled with the new kids like Origens, bringing a new wave of flavors. I get the sense that Evora is becoming a food powerhouse. More on that soon.

And there’s no shortage of day trips from Evora. Estremoz, Elvas, the jaw dropping Monsaraz, Marvão, and the beautiful, still undiscovered Castelo de Vide just to name a few. A tour and lunch at the Michelined Herdade do Esporão, and Monsaraz is an easy and rewarding pair. And if you want to learn about the area cork production, David of Cortiçarte will help with that with much humor. Portugal supplies over 60% of the world’s cork.

Make sure to include Evora in your Portugal plans.

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10 Best Things We Ate in CDMX

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Ziggy

How does one come up with 10 on a four day trip? Its complicated. The long explanation starts with my childhood, and requires lying down on an old couch to tell the story. It has to be an old couch, preferably beige. The short version is that’s how we roll, especially on a food focused trip as such. I can actually come up with 10 items in just one of the days. That’s Mexico City for you.

Green Chorizo Taco at Mercado de Jamaica

I think Eva Longoria made a mistake here. This is a life altering taco that didnt require any salsa to enhance the flavor. But on Eva’s Searching for Mexico show on CNN, while I was delighted to see her visit the same place we did, I was terrified by the amount of salsa she added on this delicate beauty. This jewel was part of a tour with Eat Like a Local.

Pescado a la Talla at Contramar

Imagine opening a restaurant that evolves around a dish that eventually becomes a national treasure. And before you know it, you are the food consultant to the president. Thats exactly what happened to Gabriela Cámara, and her famous two color snapper. I’ve had wonderful fish with one of those colors before that is a bore fest compared to this experience, where you essentially make the fish tacos of your dreams.

Suadero Taco at Tacos El Güero (San Rafael)

Rule number one of fight club: Aim for tacos outside the gentrified areas, or in this case, areas that refuse to gentrify. Not only you’ll find them at a fraction of the cost, but quite tastier as well. Suadero, sadly rarely seen in NYC, is essentially the beef (brisket) version of Carnitas. Here you’ll find them just fatty enough, crispy, and quite tender. And you’ll most likely be the only tourist, but dont get intimidated. And dont skip on the sick pastor as well.

Chile en Nogada at Angelopolitano

Yet another rarity in the USA, and once you see and taste it you’ll understand why. It looks like a dish typically made once a year on a special holiday, and for some it is in Mexico (Independence Day). But at Angelopolitano, you’ll find it year round, even when pomegranate is not in season. Its a hearty combination of meat, candied and dried fruit stuffed in poblano chile, and topped with walnut cream sauce, and pomegranate. Typically served room temperature.

Pibil Tacos at El Turix

At the glamorous Polanco, you can either dine with ladies who lunch across the street at Maque, or sit on the sidewalk with construction workers at El Turix. We did both, for research of course. And the construction workers got it right. An outstanding Cochinita Pibil wrapped in a deliciouso soft tortilla from this busy hole in the wall. And you may also see many munching on the fine Panuchos (fried tortillas stuffed with beans, topped with shredded chicken)

Lengua Tostada – Amatista Tostadas (Coyoacán)

This is another one of those if you know, you know type place in the foody paradise Coyoacán. Popular with tour guides, other locals, and tourists alike. They dish all sorts of delights like a fine Aztec soup, and fancier Tostadas like Octopus and tuna. But that Lengua Tostada, covered with an intense but pleasant dark 7 chili sauce was the eye opener. A fiesta in your mouth. Try to go when they open or prepare to wait a little, especially if a tour occupies the entire second room.

“Veracruzanos” at La Cocina de mi Mamá (Coyoacán Market)

While most tourists head to the insta-heavy Tostadas Coyoacán, the locals sneak to the back of the market for this literally hidden gem. We had to ask another vendor who was very happy to bring us there, but its probably more fun to find on your own. This dish is exhibit A why Mexicans take their breakfasts very seriously. Tortillas filled with eggs, bathed in bean sauce, chorizo, onions, cheese and peppers. Sensational to say the least.

Taco course at Quintonil

Its hard to pick a dish from a meal full of standouts. Every dish played a role, but perhaps none bigger than the extravagant Taco course. There were charred avocado with Escamoles (insect caviar), smoked cactus salad, Oyster mushrooms, pureed beans from Oaxaca, nutty Crottin cheese, chorizo with oats, and more. It could have been a fine meal in itself, but at Quintonil its just another course.

Lengua Taco at Tacos “El Betin”

I think the term ‘hole in the wall’ was invented here. This was our first stop on a taco crawl in San Rafael. Great pastor, but the Lengua was like a smack in the face. Just about the most delicate, tender Lengua I ever had. Just like other spots in San Rafael, you may find yourself surrounded by locals, or a food tour.

Grandma’s Flan at La Casa de Toño

Come for the hearty pozole, the specialty at this American-like mini chain, but stay for Grandmas Flan. Nothing really out of the ordinary here. Just a solid flan, Caramel freaks like me, crave and enjoy. La Casa de Toño is one of a few good options open Sunday night, popular among locals too. You’ll get a number and wait to be called or displayed on the screen.

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CDMX – If I Can Offer Just Ten Tips

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Ziggy

A follow up to “If I Can Offer Just One Tip”. We only spent 4 days, but somehow managed to see, do, and boy oh boy eat plenty. Not only I try to include tips that you wont find on every other list, but some are actually contradictory in a way. This is designed more for first timers. Stay tuned for the obligatory top 10 dishes which will be fairly easy to do in this case even with such a short stay.

Stay in/near Centro

Classic Ziggy fashion, starting with the one where he loses half of the audience. But hear me out. I’m not so much advocating the heart of Centro but the south/west edges, or really in/near Colonia Tabacalera or Juárez. Much of the advice out there is to stay in La Condesa or Roma areas which are some of the most gentrified areas of CDMX. I found them not terribly different than what you find in large US cities. Different but not terribly like the beautiful chaos of Centro during the day. We enjoyed spending most evenings in La Condesa/Roma, and Ubering back to our hotel (10 minutes, cheap). Many of the sites are so spread out, you’ll be Ubering plenty no matter where you stay. But we found the Barceló México Reforma location perfect for us first timers. Walking distance to all the sites in the Centro, the up and coming neighborhoods of San Rafael and Juárez, and close enough to the night scenes of Roma.

Sunday is Fun Day

Its a double-edged sword for foodies. Many restaurants close or close early on Sundays. But this is also a pleasant day to spend in CDMX. The canals and boats of Xochimilco are essentially a one giant party on Sundays. The otherwise crazy busy Reforma is closed to traffic, so a good day to bike the monument filled blvd. You got afternoon dancing at the Alameda de Santa María, and much more. Since most likely you’ll spend less than a week in CDMX, try to have a full Sunday be part of the plan.

Frida Kahlo Museum – Temper expectations

Its a wonderful little museum no doubt. But the commercial and touristy aspect of it is a major turn off. Between buying the timed tickets well in advance, the crowds, standing on line to get in. Want to take photos? That’s another fee. All that planning and hoopla for a crowded 45 minute quicky, without any of the wonderful Frida work on display. If you are a Frida fan, its an obvious must. Otherwise, watch the movie (its great even today) prior to your visit if you go, or skip altogether.

Although Coyoacán in itself is a must

On the other hand, Coyoacán, the location of Frida’s museum is a stunner. You got the fantastic Coyoacán market, the main square surrounding Fuente de los Coyotes, the artisan market of Allende Garden on Sundays, and just wandering around the streets is such a pleasure. And we happened to find some of the best food we’ve had on the trip here (more on that on the next post).

Take Your Probiotics?

I’m not a gastroenterologist and dont even play one on the internet, hence the question mark. This is just something I picked up from another blog. The biggest problem with Mexico City is the chance of getting sick. No matter how careful you’ll be, its always a possibility, and perhaps not a destination for very sensitive stomachs. But we followed the advice of taking Probiotics daily starting a week prior to the trip, and other than minor tummy trouble on the last day before departure, we were fine. Coincidentally, or not, on the day before departure we forgot to take our Probiotics.

Watch your step

Remember when I said the biggest problem is getting sick? I lied. The most dangerous thing in Mexico City might actually be the sidewalks. The city is essentially built on a lake by the Aztecs. The clay the city rests on dries up, collapses and results in broken and uneven sidewalks all over. I had a few close calls, and I imagine its not easy to navigate on a wheelchair. While you marvel at the scene and architecture, its very easy to lose focus.

Dont overlook the smaller museums

CDMX is a museum powerhouse, with world class museums scattered all over the city. So with everyone and their mothers flocking to them, its easy to overlook the smaller, less popular ones like the colorful Museo de Arte Popular, and Museo Mural Diego Rivera. The latter houses a Rivera masterpiece that miraculously survived the great earthquake of 1985 when it was inside a hotel. Pound for pound they can offer a better experience and fun/crowds ratio for people with limited time.

Do the Anthropology Museum, but preferably with a guide

This is more of note to self, but a tip nonetheless. We did not see the museum with a guide, but wished we did. Its an awe-inspiring, world class museum that attracts tourists and locals (including many school trips) alike. Whether you are into anthropology is almost irrelevant in this case. While you’ll admire the design and artifacts, the crowds, and the sheer volume of information is overwhelming and may be best appreciated with a guide.

Take Uber over Taxi

We had a 50% success rate with taxis, and 100% with Uber. Uber is cheap, reliable, and its very hard to get scammed when you agree on the price upfront. On the other hand, taxi scams are unfortunately more common. If you must take a taxi from the airport, at least make sure they dont sell you an oversized car for over $500 pesos. If you only need a sedan, ask for a sedan.

Design your own taco crawl

That’s not to say, dont take a tour. Absolutely take one, but might as well make it something that’s more outside your comfort zone, like the market tour of Eat Like a Local mentioned earlier. But designing a taco crawl in CDMX is fairy easy and fun. Here’s one idea in San Rafael: Lengua and Tripa tacos at El Betin, Suadero and Pastor at El Güero, and El Barrigon with beer at Porcino.

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Quintonil {CDMX}- Where Hyper-modern Meets Tradition

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Ziggy

Even the street names of ultramodern Polanco are snobby sounding… Isaac Newton, Galileo, Alejandro Dumas (or Dumbass as per Shashank). Just about all the streets are named after important writers, philosophers, politicians, and food bloggers. Walking around the area is like playing Jeopardy. Who is President Masaryk! Compared to the rest of Mexico City, the Polanco neighborhood feels like a Beverly Hills gated community without the gates.

Its a rather picturesque, unapologetic enclave filled with ladies with big hats who eat avocado toasts at places like “Snob bistro”. Yes, its a real place inside an attractive development, straight out of Coconut Grove. But yet, we counted three yellow boots, locking pricy cars for some reason. Too important to pay their tickets, or too many spare beemers? There’s a video that went viral recently showing a Polanco resident yelling at a parking officer.

Its therefore not a surprise that Pujol, Quintonil and other CDMX elite are in Polanco. Frankly, I “settled” on #9 world ranked Quintonil over #5 Pujol because I fell asleep and missed my Pujol reservation window. I could barely score one at Quintonil. But while Pujol is the more famous, there’s really no consensus in the city on who’s the best.

From the outside, Jorge Vallejo’s, Quintonil, just like so many great ones, like Osteria Francescana, looks unassuming. While inside, the smart decor, and the pampering of a world class spa, sets the ‘we are not in Kansas anymore’ tone. This was a birthday treat, as was the entire food focused trip. And the result was two unforgettable hours.

The fun actually starts when you reserve months in advance. Do I want a main dining room a la carte, the seemingly insect heavy bar tasting menu, or the dining room tasting menu. The latter two require a significant deposit, roughly 5x the a la carte option. But the fine print states that one can simply opt for the dining room tasting menu upon arrival (when booking the dining room), which raises the question, why would anyone pre-order that over the cheaper a la carte. And after the 4th glass of the excellent matching wines, I tried, unsuccessfully, to get to the bottom of it with my new BFF waiter, while Mrs Z kicking me under the table. After the fourth kick, my facial expression changed, and by the look of his, he probably suspected I was having a stroke, or gas.

As for the food (Its about time Ziggy, sheesh), not one dud, and nothing stood out above all. And that’s a good thing in this case. Like a winning team without a star. Every dish complemented the next and previous. A harmonic flow of colors, textures, and umami. What looked like a simple melon salad, was actually an extravagant melon, tomato, horchata, and pumpkin seed concoction. And what looked like a another photogenic concoction, was a tasty riff on the classic Scallop Margarita with a vivid Aguachile, wasabi, and nori.

In between single courses, you even had a chance to play taco master with carefully selected ingredients that filled the table. There was charred avocado with Escamoles (insect caviar). Smoked cactus salad. Salsad oyster mushrooms. Pureed beans from Oaxaca. Nutty Crottin cheese. Chorizo with oats, and more. Add delicious corn tortillas and you got a flavor jammed fest.

Then comes a perfectly cooked Striped Bass with seafood infused basmati and a coconuty sauce. A young goat with chickpeas puree, and herbs, was aromatic and superb. The dishes featured more science than my combined 4 years of college. Its avant-garde alright, but undeniably Mexican.

The scrumptious desserts really complete the experience. All four of them. A Cactus paddle sorbet. A delightful Creme Fraiche with passion fruit and caviar. The stupendous Guava “rocks”, with pink peppercorns, and caramelized white chocolate. And just when you are about to get too full, comes a birthday flan for the ages. One of those meals, and yet another reason to visit this food paradise.

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CDMX – If I Can Offer Just One Tip

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Ziggy

Mexico City will open your eyes. You might as well forget everything you know about Mexican food and Mexican culture. If you think that tacos mostly come with hard shells, or the Day of the Dead parades have been around for a long time, prepare to be surprised. The latter was actually inspired by a recent James Bond Movie. And the former, Ok, I dont know anyone who eats at Taco Bell regularly, but you get my drift. They are out there.

This city may also change the way you travel. We American city slickers, often lean toward smaller… villages, small towns, country side, places that are total opposite of where we live. Mexico City, the largest Metropolitan in North America, challenges that theory. I’ve been thinking about going back from the moment we left. You get a sense of unfinished business.

I’ve never had so much to write after a short trip. I have many useful tips, even though we just barely scratched the surface. I will offer more tips in no time, but today I will offer just one. I dont want you to think I’m lazy (I most definitely am, but I dont want you to think that), but this tip is a rather important one.

Take the half day Markets and Street Food tour with Eat Like a Local.

“But Ziggy, arent you a guide, or a former guide or something? And so, arent you biased?”. Good question Timmy! It’s true. But I only love to write about experiences I like. There are some tours I took in Europe and the US that I never mentioned here. And being a former guide, and someone who’s been taking tours all over the world, gives you a decent understanding of what a good tour should be.

Simply put, this is an outstanding tour. It’s a little more expensive than other tours in CDMX but you do get what you pay for and then some. Mainly you get the benefit of a limit of 6 guests, which is the lowest I’ve seen outside of private tours. It’s a female only, CDMX born group that focuses on responsible tourism including paying the vendors well. Judging by the smiles and hugs we witnessed, this is not a gimmick.

The focus is on Merced and Jamaica markets with some snacking in Condesa at the beginning and end. What you get is a brilliant array of street food including insects, tacos, fruits, sweets, huitlacoche (corn fungus), incredible corn in a cup, and a life altering green Chorizo taco that did not need any salsa or anything really. About 20 tastings but we never felt too full. Very good pace, and plenty of much needed rests for a drink when needed. With a small group (us and another couple) it was like a local showing us around. You get a better understanding and appreciation of local culture (see first two paragraphs).

Taking food tours anywhere is usually a good idea. In addition to the usual benefits there are the added intangibles like meeting other travelers, and spending time with a local. And so you are often at the mercy of the person you meet, and Panda, our guide (thats her nickname) is just the right kind you want to spend four hours with. They bill their tours for people who hate tours. You wont find too many tours out there that involve subway rides, and such small groups. But this is also for people who love tours.

Eat Like a Local Mexico – Best food tours in Mexico City
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This is CDMX

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Ziggy

CDMX – Ciudad de México – Mexico City to those not familiar. If you’ve never been to Mexico City city, there’s a decent chance you never heard of it referred as CDMX before. I was in that camp up until six months ago when I decided to make a birthday trip out of it. And now all I can think of is what took me so long, and where in NYC can I get a decent Suadero, or green chorizo taco.

The good news is that I will write in more detail about CDMX soon, especially about the food. The bad news, I scheduled mouth surgery right after the trip (yesterday) so I am out of commission in NYC for a few weeks unless you want me to review Oatmeal. Quaker’s Raisin, Date, Walnut is winning that horse race for now.

But for the time being, I will just tell you, in all my years of travel, I’ve never seen anything like CDMX. The combination of distinctly different neighborhoods, sprawling markets, street food everywhere you turn, jaw dropping monuments, world class museums, is on another level. I expected to see different, and I got that and then some.

It’s incredibly rich culture is best understood via food of course, although there are some interesting boutique museums that help describe in other ways. In addition to the plethora of street food, and I mean plethora, you got a hefty amount of contemporary options including two in the coveted “top 50 restaurants in the world” list. Will tell more soon.

Categories: Mexico City | Tags: , , | 3 Comments

Sweets Village

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Ziggy

Do you ever cross to the other side of the city for dessert or are you normal? Whether we are finishing lunch in Tribeca, dinner in Hell’s Kitchen, or brunch in Greenpoint, we often end up in East Village. It can take 30-60 minutes to make the schlep, but that’s just part of living here. Unlike in say Florida, or anywhere else pretty much, 30 minutes doesnt feel very long here.

Why dessert in East Village? Same answer as why there’s so much Thai food in Hell’s Kitchen, and do pigeons pee. I’m not really sure. But I suspect its part of the same sad reality I’ve been talking about for many years… location location location. East Village is the last Manhattan neighborhood where mom and pops can still easily open shop. That’s been the case for a while now. But during the last few years, there’s been an inflow of supremely talented bakers essentially completing the picture of Sweets Village.

Between the dessert bars, ice cream, and all the new and old bakeries, you got a wealth of sugary options scattered all over the area. But what makes it an embarrassment of riches is the high quality and the variety of experiences, from a fancy multi course dessert meal to a simple croissant. Ok, not so simple. And as for the quality, I dont ever recall seeing so many lines for sweets on a Saturday afternoon. While you’ll find a bad case of FOMO in every neighborhood these days, in EV its on a block by block basis.

I will not be able to cover all of them, as I have more important things to do, like argue with random people on Twitter, but here are some solid options for your next sweets crawl.

Librae Bakery (35 Cooper Sq) – One of the newer kids already generating much buzz. A Bahrain import, so expect middle eastern influences like Za’atar Labneh Morning Bun. But many, including us line up for the Pistachio Rose Croissants, a rich, airy, ultra flaky pastry, so messy you’ll feed all the resident squirrels on the go.

La Cabra – (152 2nd Ave) – Another new one generating long lines, perhaps the longest of the bunch. A Copenhagen import specializing in coffee, but people flock for the sick cardamom buns. I suspect you’ll see more of that in NYC soon, just like Basque Cheesecakes and other trends.

ChikaLicious Dessert Bar (203 E 10th St) – I’ve written about this place a few times in the past. Chika Tillman is a local legend. Grab a seat at the counter (if you can) and watch her and her talented assistant make magic. Pick the dessert from the menu for $25 and you’ll get a treat before and after. The outrageously light and delicious Fromage Blanc Island Cheese Cake has been on the menu from the beginning. A one of a kind experience in NYC.

Spot Dessert Bar (13 St Marks Pl) – Another fantastic dessert parlor, with full service. Incredibly unique, instagramble creations. Every single item I’ve had here including all the regulars and many specials were insanely delicious. I cant figure out my favorites, though my family is partial to the Matcha Lava, but really just the lava part, not so much the matcha ice cream. The Harvest might be the most famous.

Lady Wong (332 E 9th St) – Another Asian inspired dessert boutique. Run by a creative duo who spent a significant time cooking in high end restaurants in Singapore, including Michelin starred. You’ll see plenty of green items, due to the wide use of Pandan. Give the Panna Cotta a try, especially if you are a coconut lover. A sharp reminder that every dessert should come with a syrup dispenser.

Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffe (342 E 11th St) – The grandaddy. One of the last remaining old Italian bakeries, offering fantastic cheesecakes, tiramisu, and all the rest of the classics. Its as old as the Brooklyn bridge!

Caffè Panna (77 Irving Pl) – Not in East Village, but close enough (Gramercy) and worth mentioning. This is where we go for some of the best Affogato in NYC.

This is a good start but there’s much more. Another place generating much buzz is Baonanas and its banana pudding. I havent had the pleasure (as of this writing, this may change any hour). There’s also no shortage of quality gelato and ice cream, although the best are just a bit outside of East Village… il laboratorio, Amorino… But deliciousness has no borders. Bon Appetit!

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Indigo {TCI} – A Star is Born

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Ziggy

Fine dining in TCI? Pass. Coming from NYC, we find fine dining in the Caribbean pretentious, overly expensive, and full of hiccups. When you shell out a considerate amount, you cant help but notice all the little things that go wrong. We mostly avoid them these days after being fooled one time too many. Fool me once shame on you, fool me 15 times, I’m a glutton for punishment. But sometimes you want to take your wife somewhere new and exciting, where she can sport her Rent The Runway dress, and matching scarf. And sometimes when the stars align, you hit a homerun. Or in this case, a “Six”. If you know, you know.

Indigo is the brainchild of Australian Andrew Mirosch, the Culinary Director at Wymara. Its the old Gansevoort which recently rebranded to Wymara. Its essentially the new Stelle for those familiar. We avoided Stelle all those years, but social media chatter and early reviews suggested Indigo is the one new kid on the block worth checking out. Indigo is named after one of Mirosch’s daughters. He often flies to Australia to see them, and comes back with highly sought-after Australian Salmon and lamb. As long as he doesnt bring back Vegemite, I think this formula will work for a long time.

Our expectations at places as such lowered over the years. But Indigo is doing its best to lift that bar. The one thing I really like about Indigo happens almost as soon as you sit down. A menu intro by Mirosch himself. Instead of meeting the host at the end of the meal as happens so often, a chat at the beginning helps with the menu navigation and palate matching. Its a game changer for some. It doesnt take long to see how passionate and dedicated he is on freshness and the ingredient driven menu. As with any place on Provo, you need to satisfy a wide range of tastes (ie tourists), and by all accounts it looks like Mirosch got the tools and expertise to do so.

The rebranding to Wymara didnt mean rebranding from sexy. So we, including Mrs Z scarf immediately felt that sense of belonging. I’m pretty sure, if we didnt arrive at Provo senior hour (7), when Indigo was fairly empty, we would have gotten plenty of the usual looks, and the few patrons we saw were simply too busy with the menu. Choosing from the menu turned out to be a difficult task as there were some very interesting looking specials that night. I prefer small menus, and this was definitely not. Andrew Mirosch, the fisherman to the rescue.

We started with the two soups on the menu, including one special. Fish soup was pleasantly creamy and loaded with various chunky delicious fish. But as good as it was, the Conch Chowder special made it look pedestrian. Complex, supremely flavorful, and as good as it gets really.

Second course was a special trio of tapas called “Would it kill them to add another shrimp to make it shareable”. Lobster spring roll and Mirosch’s take on Maryland crab cake totally upstaged the lone sad coconut shrimp which needed the two terrific sauces to give it some life. A flashy but tasty app overall.

Although it was still windy, the island fishermen went fishing after a 4 day break, hence a superb local grouper special. A hefty, perfectly flaky fish, sitting on top of freshly made light fried rice. This dish worked slightly better than the buttery lobster. Indigo has an interesting dessert selection but being a sucker for sticky toffee pudding I stopped reading the rest of the menu. A tad too sweet perhaps, but still enjoyable and something I’d order again.

The service is usually understandably lacking on the islands, but it wasnt the case here. Friendly, proficient, and anticipatory. I dont recall the wine we had as I wasnt planning on writing a dedicated post while there. But this was an enjoyable meal from start to finish. A solid exception to the rule. Go!

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10 Best Things we Ate in Puglia

Posted on December 31, 2022 by Ziggy

Podolica Ribeye at Soul Kitchen (Matera) – This list has the dubious distinction of being a “best thing we ate in X” list starting with an item in Y. Soul Kitchen isnt in Puglia, but the neighboring region of Basilicata. Matera is very often paired with Puglia as a major destination. But hey, I dont make these rules! Simply put, this steak was freakishly good. Expertly cooked Podolica (the southern answer to Chianina and Fassone), and ranks high up there with anything we’ve ever had in steak heaven Tuscany. So good I just had to hug the chef.

Shrimp baked in Salt at La Puritate (Gallipoli) – People come to Gallipoli to see Gallipoli, but I came to see the famous shrimp. Trattoria La Pure Joy as we coined it, dished out a shrimp dish unlike anything I ever had. They are plated table side along with delicious EVOO, and although plenty of salt used, they never cross into the too salty territory. Outstanding to say the least.

Pizza at 400 Gradi (Lecce) – Highly acclaimed Neapolitan, and arguably the finest pizza in Puglia. According to this well regarded list, one of the best in the world actually. Delicious, perfectly chewy crust, with top notch, zero km ingredients. And I suppose I reached the pivotal point in my life where I just had to finally try pizza shaped like a star and the one here, with beautiful Ricotta filled sun rays, didn’t disappoint. Its a bit outside the closest old city gate, and quite popular with the locals, so come as soon as they open or be prepared to wait.

Seppia Tagliolini with shrimp at Ristorante Blu Notte (Lecce) – Sometimes, not often, its the happy accidents that produce the most stellar results. We stumbled upon this gem by pure luck after some places I marked were closed, and it turned out to be one of the best meals of the trip. After enjoying the famous Puglia antipasti all over, the seafood spread here were quite memorable. But the pastas, especially the rich Seppia win the prize.

Tuna Carpaccio at Antiche Mura (Polignano a Mare) – I’m a sucker for a good tuna tartare or carpaccio. You can just see recent posts for evidence. This silky smooth goodness in this seafood mecca is simply divine. A lesson in freshness, quality and simplicity. The baby squid, Tagliolini with fish, not too shabby either. After the meal head to Super Mago del Gelo Mario Campanella, or “Super Mario” for the specialty coffee with lemon and Amaro.

Lobster Roll at SoFish (Otranto) – SoFish is the type that best exemplify the fun of travel, especially for the seafood deprived like us. A hip, “Fast Casual” joint specializing in quick seafood. Its not exactly an old concept in Puglia as it appears that it started by the great success of Pescaria in Polignano a Mare not too long ago. This roll is more like a well crafted lobster salad with huge chunks of meaty lobster and the rest of the lobster resting on top. Perhaps the most outrageous lobster roll you’ll ever encounter.

Lasagnariccia at Cibus (Ceglie Messapica) – Picking one dish from this Slow Food legend is not easy. I could have picked any of the sick antipasti spread like the Stracciatella with black truffles or the Zucchini flowers with ricotta and toasted almonds. But I think I heard the angels finally sing when I tried the Lasagnariccia, a beautifully deconstructed Lasagna with eggplant, like the best eggplant parm you will ever eat.

Puccia at La Lira Focacceiria (Alberobello) – Puccia is a sandwich made with pizza dough, and this place and its animated owner makes one heck of a Puccia. “Now wait outside until you hear Puccia! Like this… PUCCIA!!!!”. Dough, ingredients rocked big time. Same with their crafty stuffed focaccia sandwiches

Pasticciotto at Pasticceria Andrea Ascalone (Galatina) – Eating the Pasticciotto here is like eating Pasteis de Nata at Pasteis de Belem in Portugal. You can have them all over Salento and they’ll taste pedestrian next to the original where it was invented. Tour buses including week long food tours make the pilgrimage to this place. Smart to build an impressive 15th century Basilica nearby, with some of the most stunning frescoes you’ll find anywhere.

Pear, Ricotta, Rum Dessert at L’antica Locanda (Noci) – I literally heard fireworks when I ate this, but pretty sure it came from outside. It’s a simple but incredibly addictive concoction, especially if you are into boozy desserts. My dining companions thought it was a tad too strong, but to me it was perfectly balanced. Noci is where those in the know go to eat when they visit Alberobello, and L’antica Locanda is its crown jewel.

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This is Lecce

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Ziggy

I’m almost done writing about Puglia. I got a doozy I’m saving for last. But it would feel incomplete without mentioning “Florence of the South”, even though its not exactly a secret anymore. We happened to be travelling to Florence after Lecce, and that made us appreciate Lecce even more. Even with the tour groups arriving in droves, Lecce still feels like a sleepy hilltop village when compared to Florence. Lecce’s old town is not large, but its golden sandstone streets make for pleasant walks even when you pass by the same streets and cats every morning.

Lecce is one of the strongest reasons that Puglia requires some time (at least 10 days), and it’s old town splendor compliments the Puglia itinerary beautifully. Its also a solid base to explore Salento. You got Otranto and its mesmerizing coast 30 minutes to the east. Gallipoli 30 minutes the other way, along with spectacular beaches like Punta Prosciutto that was calling my name for some bizarre reason. And lesser known jewels like Galatina and its frescoed Basilica in between.

Palazzo Massari, a comfortable bed and breakfast very near the old town ticked all the boxes especially in the parking department. We found Lecce to be easy to get in and out, even with some sneaky ZTL entrances. On your first day, a good way to get oriented with the old town and its history is a food tour with Antonella through Airbnb experiences. While there wont be a food shortage with this one, much of the focus is on history and culture.

Even if you’ve seen every church in Italy, you do not want to miss the significant Lecce handful, especially the crown jewel Basilica di Santa Croce (above). Another gem, of the hidden not so hidden kind is the Jewish museum in the ancient synagogue right next to Santa Croce. A short tour of the six or so rooms and a short video gives you a good understanding of the history of Jews in Salento.

The notion that Lecce food is meh overall (as per some well known bloggers) is a misnomer from our experience. Maybe compared to the major cities of the north, its lacking, but there doesnt appear to be a shortage of good eats. You can eat well and poorly just about anywhere in Italy. Ristorante Blu Notte and 400 Gradi for pizza were the highlights. La bottega del corso is a fun cheese/salumi/bruschetta quicky. The lone miss was an expensive meat-fest at Tabisca. More here, and more to come.

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