Andy Gavin's Blog, page 10
February 10, 2025
Eating Monopoli – Orto
Restaurant: Orto Ristorante Naturale
Location: Contrada Tortorella, 520, 70043 Monopoli BA, Italy. +39 080 222 6831
Date: August 4, 2024
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Rating: Lovely
_Orto is a “Naturale” restaurant attached to a Trulli hotel. For those not in the know, Trulli are ancient stone beehive buildings constructed without mortar.
“An important element in enriching one’s gastronomic experiences is certainly the knowledge of places: of the water, of the earth, of the air that retain the me...
February 6, 2025
Eating Trani – Gallo
Restaurant: Gallo
Location: Via Statuti Marittimi, 48/50, 76125 Trani BT, Italy. +39 0883 487255
Date: August 4, 2024
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Rating: Fancy for touring lunch
_We were in Trani visiting and chose this place (after a bit of surfing).
Outside was booked.
Pomodoro.
A kind of pistachio pesto.
A different kind of blossom pesto.
An interesting “ball of pasta” seafood pasta.
February 4, 2025
Eating Savelletri – Due Camini
Restaurant: Due Camini
Location: Strada Comunale Egnazia, 72015 Savelletri BR, Italy. +39 080 225 5351
Date: August 3, 2024
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Rating: Great, if a little performative
_Another night, another Michelin star. Due Camini is located inside the very swank Hotel Borgo Egnazia in Savelletri.
We actually had a bit of a time finding it — not a lot of signage.
It’s a very elegant chic design. The white objects surrounding the “tree” in the lobby, however, are sort of an “OF chic...
January 6, 2025
Eating Carovigno – Già Sotto l’Arco
Restaurant: Già Sotto l’Arco
Location: Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 71, 72012 Carovigno BR, Italy. +39 0831 996286
Date: August 2, 2024
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Rating: Great, but long
_We drove out to the pretty town of Carovigno for this Michelin one star place.
The main square of Carovigno just after sunset.
Already under the arch is a place of enchantment, a restaurant located in an eighteenth-century building in the white Carovigno, in Puglia.
A place of timeless charm, this restaurant is ...
January 4, 2025
Eating Polignano – Tranquillage
Restaurant: Al Buc Preferito Tranquillage
Location: zza Giuseppe Garibaldi, 4, 70044 Polignano a Mare BA, Italy. +39 080 424 7977
Date: August 2, 2024
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Meh
_A meh lunch at this random location in the main square. It was selected for speed.
Town was gorgeous, however.
Orecchiette con pomodoro. You will see a LOT of these in Puglia.
A Mortadella and pesto pizza that was a pare shadow of the fabulous one I had in Venice.
Pizza Margharita.
Place was just so so — one of ...
January 2, 2025
Eating Ostuni – Cielo
Restaurant: Cielo Restaurant
Location: Vico Pergola, 9, 72017 Ostuni BR, Italy. +39 0831 305925
Date: July 1, 2024
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Rating: Wonderful and interesting
_Cielo was our first dinner in Puglia. It’s located in the lovely town of Ostuni, inside a nice hotel and has a Michelin recomendation.
The 5-star Relais La Sommità will make your stay an enchanted one with stylish menus featuring seasonal offerings in our elegant Cielo restaurant.
It is a perfect balance between new an...
December 31, 2024
Eating Venice – Quadri
Restaurant: Quadri
Location: za San Marco, 123, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy. +39 041 522 2105
Date: July 31, 2024
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Great meal
_Our final meal in Venice was at Michelin 1 Star Quadri.
Quadri is actually located directly ON the Piaza san Marco. Seems like too touristy a location but it did have that Michelin star.
Interior is elegant without being stuffy. There is a decorative theme of stuffed (real) animals with angel wings.
They had lots of wine, of course.
The menu. ...
December 29, 2024
Eating Venice – La Colombina
Restaurant: La Colombina
Location: Sestiere Cannaregio, 1828, 30131 Venice VE, Italy. +39 041 522 2616
Date: July 30, 2024
Cuisine: Venetian Italian
Rating: Interesting, good with flaws
_Night 2 in Venice. The name means “The Dove” — hence the iconography.
la Colombina was further up the Grand Canal and a bit more casual than the other Venice dinners.
They had a cute courtyard, although the inside was occupied by some kind of raccous birthday party.
The menu.
More menu.
Our “local” whit...
December 27, 2024
Eating Venice – Rossopomodoro
Restaurant: Rossopomodoro
Location: Calle Larga San Marco, 404/408, 30124 Venice Italy. +39 041 243 8949
Date: July 30, 2024
Cuisine: Neapolitan Pizza
Rating: Best pizza I’ve had in years
_We were wandering around Venice and happened to pass this pizza place while looking for lunch. It just caught my eye. Later I discovered it’s a smallish (15-20 branches) chain. The name means “Red Tomato.”
This branch is just off Piazza San Marco. My son and I stopped in for some quick lunch.
The interior w...
December 25, 2024
Eating Venice – Alle Corone
Restaurant: Alle Corone
Location: Hotel Ai Reali, Calle Seconda de la Fava, 5527, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy. +39 041 523 2222
Date: July 29, 2024
Cuisine: Venetian Italian
Rating: Good, but slightly stiff
_This is the start of our late summer 2024 Italy trip which includes two weeks of meals in Venice, Puglia, and Naples.
First night in Venice. Because my work has grown quite intense again this year, I didn’t have a lot of time for research. Ferreting out the best less formal restaurants can be ...
