whitmore22247
lunch focaccia (typical local style of dried tomatoes and olives)
Eating in Puglia we have noted:
1) is the lack of diversity. Even in larger and popular tourist towns such as Ostuni there is only a single cuisine available - Italian. There are various quality levels from tiny pizzerias to nice restaurants, but no other fast food or even other cuisines such as Chinese.
(2) while the bread served everywhere is great there is no oil or butter served with it unlike the practice in USA Italianate places. It is available if you ask.
(3) there is very little beef on any menu, and certainly the steak or chop sort of dish are rare.
(4) there are no salt or pepper shakers (or any other condiment except sugar in cafés) on any table, we saw salt delivered by request to a client, but they are just absent most places.
(5) almost all (perhaps all) cafés also serve wine and other liquor. Beer is not so common and of course there are lots of wine bars.
6) coffee here is exclusively espresso drinks. A nice cappuccino is €1-1.5. A single shot espresso is typically €1. (A Euro is about $1.3). Starbucks with its prices would be laughed out of here. This is much better, too.
(7) in Puglia anyway focaccia is ubiquitous, we did not notice it so much last yr. in Venice and Sienna. The focaccias look like thick crust pizzas but are softer, eggie, dough. Locally, in Puglia anyway, the most common is focaccia with semi-dried tomatoes and olives, brushed with olive oil. The best are fabulous, and most good.
(8) several restaurants advertise as being "slow food". This movement may have started in Italy. (with Anna's uncle among others). It's not exactly clear what that means in this context, however.
(9) serving sizes are really generous. We noticed this last year as well, but ordering 2 things for two is usually plenty. It's best to do family style. It would be absurd for one to have the full course of antipasta, pasta, meat, fish, and desert.
lunch focaccia (typical local style of dried tomatoes and olives)
Eating in Puglia we have noted:
1) is the lack of diversity. Even in larger and popular tourist towns such as Ostuni there is only a single cuisine available - Italian. There are various quality levels from tiny pizzerias to nice restaurants, but no other fast food or even other cuisines such as Chinese.
(2) while the bread served everywhere is great there is no oil or butter served with it unlike the practice in USA Italianate places. It is available if you ask.
(3) there is very little beef on any menu, and certainly the steak or chop sort of dish are rare.
(4) there are no salt or pepper shakers (or any other condiment except sugar in cafés) on any table, we saw salt delivered by request to a client, but they are just absent most places.
(5) almost all (perhaps all) cafés also serve wine and other liquor. Beer is not so common and of course there are lots of wine bars.
6) coffee here is exclusively espresso drinks. A nice cappuccino is €1-1.5. A single shot espresso is typically €1. (A Euro is about $1.3). Starbucks with its prices would be laughed out of here. This is much better, too.
(7) in Puglia anyway focaccia is ubiquitous, we did not notice it so much last yr. in Venice and Sienna. The focaccias look like thick crust pizzas but are softer, eggie, dough. Locally, in Puglia anyway, the most common is focaccia with semi-dried tomatoes and olives, brushed with olive oil. The best are fabulous, and most good.
(8) several restaurants advertise as being "slow food". This movement may have started in Italy. (with Anna's uncle among others). It's not exactly clear what that means in this context, however.
(9) serving sizes are really generous. We noticed this last year as well, but ordering 2 things for two is usually plenty. It's best to do family style. It would be absurd for one to have the full course of antipasta, pasta, meat, fish, and desert.