Octopus salad prepared with fennel, red bell peppers, extra virgin olive oil and coarsely ground black pepper.
Chill rain and high winds aren’t exactly a siren song call to the beach. When Walter and I visited Puglia this spring, the region was experiencing the wettest primavera for scores, perhaps hundreds of years. (The longevity of the record seemed to grow with each subsequent local we met).
While we didn’t get to wiggle our toes in warm sand, we did sample a taste of the sea at Il Vecchio Forno, a very good seafood restaurant in the shore town of Barletta on the Adriatic coast north of Bari.
A gratin of mussels blanketed in breadcrumbs and olive oil.
We savored many courses, all prepared simply from pristinely fresh seafood. Most memorable are a gratin of mussels, fish fritters, fried anchovies, octopus salad, seafood risotto, and a grilled spigola (sea bass) with lemon.
Il Vecchio Forno
Via Cialdini 61
Barletta, Puglia
Hello. Hope all is well with you both. The MULE girls & I still rave about the meal you cooked for us in your home last year…we will never forget it.
Looks like Italy was amazing again – despite the rain, which was the same story here.
Dabbling in the blog thing myself and would love for you to give me any pointers.
Enjoy your summer & tell Walter we said hello…
Ciao
Kelley
PS My daughter accepted an offer for grad school in Europe… which means I get to go back as well!!!
Ciao, Kelley,
Glad you are visiting SimpleItaly! Nice to hear from you.
Wow, this looks like every meal i had in Puglia!! Rode my bicycle 260 miles, saw no cows, chickens or pigs….ate no beef, poulty or pork. The Italians know how to eat locally!!