SAVALLETRI DI FASANO-Puglian coast

We’ve finished our exploring and are now ensconced at one of my favorite spots for relaxation in Italy, just inland from the tiny port of Savelletri and a few miles from the larger town of Fasano. Since we were here last, about 2012, a few more luxury masserie have opened and I feared that the area had lost some of its charm. But the little port of Savelletri appears to be the same as it was back then, although there are several new places to dine.

Although the famous towns of the Valle d"Itria are within an easy drive–it’s a half hour drive to Ostuni, for example, I think we will stay closer to our base and take most of our meals in Savelletri itself. But if anyone has a strong recommendation for a restaurant in Monopoli or Locorotondo, I’m certainly willing to take the drive. Extra points ifi it’s in the countryside, so I don’t have to navigate tiny streets of a town in the dark.

Besides the fancy masserie, Savelletri (and neighboring Torre Canne, is part of the “costa de ricci,” the sea urchin coast (restaurants have names like RICCIOLANDIA, etc) but, sadly, one of my favorite delicacies is not only out of season but there is a ban on taking them. (I did have a plate in Bari last week, but when I mentioned this at last night’s restaurant they told me they may have come from Croatia.

OSTERIA DEL PORTO, Savelletri

No frills place a few steps from the Adriatic, this was recommended by a staff member at our hotel. (BTW, I asked him about IL CORTILLETO, in nearby Speziale, an easy drive from here and where we had been years ago; he advised me to stay away as it was now “totally tourist land.”)

By 9pm on a Saturday night, the restaurant was filled with Italians including groups of young persons and a few families. Breakfasts at our hotel are so sumptuous that neither of us had much appetite, even for dinner, but what we did eat was very good and I’d recommend if you happen to be in the area.

Menu:



I’m not sure I’ve ever ordered sausage at a restaurant, but I envied my partner for his dish, and grabbed a nice portion for myself. Outstanding, as were the accompanying roasted potatoes, and the house-fried. potato slices that we also ordered, by mistake. Cisternino is a meat town not too far away, so might have to investigate a restaurant there–recommendations welcome.

I chose an orata from the fish display, grilled, and this, too, was excellent:

For 56 euro total, this was a very simple, but very good, dinner.

9 Likes

Looks absolutely wonderful. I am following your on-the-ground reporting on two sites. I also leveraged the Puglia guys for my trip a couple years ago, and found their site quite useful, whether for dining specifics or more general “this is what this town/beach/area is like” coverage.

Leely, Agree; I like their site. Tonight we will go to a restaurant in Fasano (ten minute drive from the hotel, which is outside Savelletri di Fasano) that they recommended.

Last night we had dinner again in Savelletri, this time at SERRI BISTROT, small place in the little" restaurant zone" of tiny Savelletri. Owner took orders and kept an eye on everything. Fish and seafood dominate the menu, but we both had our eye on the eggplant dish, which was a twist on the regular Parmigiana.

We both agreed that this might be the best eggplant dish we had ever tasted.

Stratciatella cheese inside and on the top, and a delicious pureed tomato sauce.
This dish alone would be well worth a drive!! We each had this, (15 euro each) and shared a dessert. With one glass of white wine and water (our norm), bill was 57 euro, which does sound high when I look back, but we were both very happy.

While I wait for photos off SERRI
BISTROT to upload:

Among the seemingly dozens upon dozens of dishes at the groaning breakfast buffet here at home base included a typical Pugliese item that I’ve not seen anywhere else except in Matara, lampascioni, or hyacinth bulbs, preserved in olive oil. I’m imagining that these were part of the region’s “cucina povera,” dug up and eaten by folks in the countryside. I may have seen them on past trips as part of a mixed antipasti, but they are not common on restaurant tables today.

This is what they look like freshly dug:
https://www.pugliagenuina.com/shop/lampascioni-freschi-pugliesi/?srsltid=AfmBOorE4GByJUWUEU_0W1akx4cwuku0yburmuFBVNwr_TNZhec7XqUj

And here they are, sott’ olio (under olive oil, on the breakfast table, along with fresh burrata, red currants, and a crostata di chocolate that is driving me wild with joy:

SERRI BISTROT in Savelletri..eggplant with stratciatella..outstanding!

Coffee-flavored creme brûlée with latte-flavored gelato and cantucci

6 Likes

LOCANDA D’MARTUME, in the beautiful and very white, tourist-free, town of Fasano





Keep in mind that this (excellent) restaurant is open on Monday night, when most are closed.

For a total of 52 euro with, again, a glass of local wine and water, we were very happy with the following:

A half-portion (we shared one full order) of ravioli stuffed with ricotta di bufala, bathed in a potato cream, and topped with chopped hazelnuts and bits of crisped guanciale

Fusillone with eggplant, fresh tomato, and stratciatella cheese; I mixed the cheese into the pasta

One half of the full order of roast chicken with eggplant, zucchini and red pepper, served over creamed potatoes. The chicken breast was so juicy!

Owner, and English-speaker, Vito taking orders from a group of Italians

3 Likes

We tried to book two restaurants last night in Fasano; one was closed for the week and the other (LA DISPENSA DI ELENA) had no tables. I had a mild craving for pizza so we again follow the advice of hotel staff, many of whom live in Fasano, and had dinner at ARTE FARINA, a tiny little place where we were told that we could occupy the table for one hour only. It’s deep in the narrow lanes of the historic center but we found the place easily, after consulting with a passerby.

Before I post the photos, I’ll say that the gleaming white town of Fasano is brilliant! I felt as if I were walking into a movie set: Winding white lanes, tree-encircled piazzas, handsome white buildings interspersed with ruddy reddish palazzi—and not one tourist in sight. Every single person we’ve met has been exceedingly friendly and helpful. And there’s no shortage of good places to eat.

ARTE FARINA

They had few other dishes, including the bread “meatballs,” often seen on tables here, but we chose from the VERY long menu of pizza, ordering one Margherita (6.50) and one Bosco (8.50.). The latter was topped with tomato, fior di latte, cardoncelli mushrooms, and superb morsels of Norcia sausage. I think this was the first time I’ve ever finished a not-too-small pizza by myself.

With water, coperto, and wine, we paid 26.50 euro.






3 Likes

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but one of the surprises of this trip has been the persimmons!!! I’ve bought these a couple of times in New York, where we get both Hachiya and Fuyu. But neither of these, nor any persimmon I’ve ever tasted before, has been as delicious and addictive as these beauties.

There are two types here: The harder kachia mela, eaten by removing the stem end and slicing, and the kachina vaniglie, the very soft variety eaten by scooping out with a spoon.

This photo shows the hard variety, on a little snack table I set up in the hotel room. Also local are the pears (the one in the bowl is an Abate pear) and the ubiquitous tarallli. The crostata di chocolate, from the hotel breakfast buffet, might be the best cake I’ve ever eaten. and I’m good for at least four slices a day while here.

(The wine (local chardonnay) and the scamorza are in the mini bar)

I wish I liked persimmon or a number of other fruits., but maybe I will give it a try next month in Sicily. I can see why you are not very hungry at dinner right here in the picture!:grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: