Spilled Milk: Italy Week continues with my favorite off-the-beaten-path places. My two top picks? Puglia & Sardinia.
Please note: I keep endless lists. Many apologies to any I don’t acknowledge for their tips and recommendations. I have so many Italian lists from the last 20 years it’s like a jumble of info that I can barely figure out for myself. Too much cutting and pasting. Mea Culpa. Also, check to be sure places are open.
Hide from the Crowds in Puglia
There is little sophisticated ‘fine’ dining in Puglia. And you won’t want it, won’t need it and won’t miss it. One guaranteed way to have authentic experiences is to book a stay in a masseria.
Masserie are farmhouses and country houses that have been renovated for tourists. Those interested in masserias can opt for a charming bed and breakfast, or even a five-star hotel. Many of the masserie lie at the heart of working farms. A typical lunchtime offering is something like freshly-pressed olive oil, herb-infused burrata and vegetables picked straight from the garden. Architecturally-speaking, the masserie are a thrill.
I say make a play for Masseria Trapana …This 16th-century farmhouse has been restored into a plush hotel, ten minutes off the Adriatic coast. There are olive groves, orange and lemon trees, and the Masseria Trapana offers yoga classes and a swimming pool.
Stay in a masseria if you’re into wine. Puglia is the second-largest wine-producing region in Italy. In Crispiano, just an hour’s drive from Bari International Airport is Masseria Amastuola, situated amongst acres of olive trees and vineyards. The wine is flowing all day. Masseria Amastuola specializes in rich and full-bodied reds. Their organic Primitivo is globally regarded.
Cucina in Masseria, Mola di Bari
Aficionados of Italian cuisine can master authentic, seasonal dishes straight from the handwritten family recipes of this 17th-century olive oil mill turned cookery school. One-day classes begin with a morning spent buying ingredients directly from local farmers at the market and learning to cook Italian cakes and pasta dishes. Then, after eating the fruits of your labour for lunch, it’s back to the market to source seafood straight from the fishermen as their boats arrive in the harbor, followed by an afternoon of cooking, learning and, finally, feasting on your creations.
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