Bari Bites: Savoring the Best Food & Drink in Italy’s Hidden Gem

Bari, you know, it’s this fantastic coastal city in Puglia, and it’s basically southern Italy’s almost best kept secret for food lovers, basically offering you a real yummy slice of Italian life. People talk about Rome and Florence a whole lot, but I reckon that if you fancy discovering, like your, the real heart of Italian grub, Bari is certainly where it’s at, offering something for everyone with all those savory notes and delicious treats. We will have some unforgettable bites, that’s for sure, like your really amazing local recipes that just stick with you. And let’s just say that it can certainly leave your stomach (and soul!) feeling pretty content.

1. Orecchiette: Bari’s Signature Pasta

Orecchiette, like, those tiny little “ears” of pasta, you see, are practically synonymous with Bari. This pasta is just so yummy and, well, handmade by local women right in the streets of the old town, offering something truly special. It’s usually served with cime di rape, otherwise known as turnip tops, so too it is almost like an extra something-something; it’s just that amazing combination that feels both simple yet wonderfully satisfying, is that it? That bitter edge of the greens is seriously just balanced perfectly by, very, that pasta’s fresh bite. Find a nonna crafting these gems on the street (Via Arco Basso is the place to look!), that being said, and you, very, get way more than only lunch; it’s like your lesson in Bari culture too it’s almost. Read our full review: Orecchiette Bari Full Review and Details

I mean, I still have this picture, see, of one such woman, bent ever so slightly over this small table in Bari Vecchia, expertly shaping these little pasta ears as if, just, she was a sculptor. That’s a sensory overload of its own: the sound, the aroma, the action.

2. Panzerotti: Fried Perfection

Panzerotti is very basically fried pockets of dough usually oozing with yummy tomato and mozzarella goodness. Trust me, if that isn’t appealing I don’t know what is. And it can be just so irresistible. Arguably, could be, one could grab them from street vendors, I mean you’re getting it piping hot so, too it’s almost, the cheese inside is all delightfully melty. You, like your, find versions stuffed with just so much other stuff, you know, things, too it’s almost, like spinach or ricotta or, actually, even meat but, honestly, the classic tomato and mozzarella version? Well, that’s pretty divine as a matter of fact. Da Enzo is this spot everyone goes wild for when they are, literally, craving them in the midnight hours as I was saying; this location always seems, basically, to have, just, this crazy line but it’s kinda worth the wait for the people who actually enjoy something that truly warms up your soul, basically. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Best Panzerotti Spots)

3. Tiella Barese: A Symphony of Flavors

Tiella Barese, just so you know, is this, like your, baked dish a bit like your layers of rice, and also potatoes, plus mussels if you like and maybe some other veggies all, that, baked together in this, basically, amazing symphony of flavors. The rice at the base? Very, basically, it absorbs the moisture, the liquids, the seafood flavors and well the flavor is like absolutely out of this world basically adding another level of amazing flavor and complexity; and those potatoes, too, now, they become all wonderfully soft, it just gets so amazing. It’s a real traditional dish that is also pretty humble to be quite honest. That kinda exemplifies that hearty food vibe they embrace so wonderfully around here I’d reckon basically adding something very amazing and warm.

4. Caffè in Ghiaccio con Latte di Mandorla: Iced Coffee with Almond Milk

Okay so, it’s almost, not necessarily “food” in itself, that being said, but no talk about the best Bari drinks list can ever be, you know, actually complete, I mean without, just, a mention, alright, to this little something sweet which is Caffè in Ghiaccio con Latte di Mandorla to be perfectly honest and a little sweet, I should probably let you know; is that it? On this kinda typical really scorching hot summer day, it really delivers almost like your perfect little bit of coolness with all that coffee poured over a large old heap of ice served along with delicious almond milk for adding your own sweetness I guess I’d say to be completely transparent. It, arguably, tends to be pretty addictive too so, it’s almost, and it’s just a little perfect perk you can enjoy like your all over the city! I do strongly suggest just trying it sometime basically!

5. Raw Seafood: A Coastal Delight

Being, well, a coastal city means, just, that Bari has access to, just, some super super fresh seafood and actually what locals seem, well, kinda crazy about you see, is enjoying their seafood as a raw meal so it’s almost so they call, literally, that style crudo. From sea urchins so too it’s almost that style can seem kinda intimidating, that being said, all shellfish, plus it is also an adventure worth actually exploring, clearly adding something delicious; I want to emphasize that, the absolute freshness basically. You find guys actually selling seafood literally out by the harbor in Bari which I also wanna stress is just where you, really, gotta, like your, go to experience this like as if, just, the real, that is, true thing. You need to go get an understanding, arguably, of exactly, I mean, how seriously those Bari locals grab this type of seafood, now.