There is always one thing that is certain when you are on vacation... you will need to eat! One of my favorite things to do when on any trip is to signup for a local food tour. These are a great way to not only taste a variety of local dishes that you might never otherwise try, but also learn about the area's culture and history at the same time. For Bari we decided to do a simple walking tour that focused on the "Street Food" of the Apulia region.
We started the tour by meeting our guide, Alessia in front of the Cathedral of San Sabino. There we were joined by a couple from Canada for the evening's tastings. After a brief introduction we headed off for out first stop: Panificio Santa Rita. We arrived about 5 minutes before they opened for the evening and the line was already 45 people long. Luckily for us, we got to jump to the front of the line since we were with a tour. Alessia explained a bit about the Focaccia we would be getting and how it varied from different regions of Italy. We also found that almost all of the customers waiting for Santa Rita to open were locals just stopping for an evening snack. I will say the focaccia was excellent and this was my 2nd favorite stop on the tour! Once Santa Rita opened we each grabbed a slice of focaccia hot out of the ovens and headed between the buildings to a small piazza to enjoy our treat.
Our next stop also happened to be in this small piazza. Le Sgagliozze di Donna Carmela is well know throughout Bari for making some of the most authentic sgagliozze (fried Polenta). Fried Polenta was not originally a Apulian food; we learned that the women of Puglia had at one point traveled to Genoa and returned with today's popular recipe. Upon returning these women quickly began setting up small stands in front of their homes making sgagliozze for the people of Bari and adding income to their families. I personally did not find these very appetizing. I felt they were rather salty and did not have much flavor of any kind. But that is why we take these tours, you never know what you might like until you try it!
Our next stop was a small place called Mastro Ciccio. This is another place that having a guide proved to be a plus as she was able to bypass the long lines waiting at the door and get us a table almost immediately. As a big fan of Calzones I was sure this would be my kind of food stop and I was right! Panzerotti is basically the same as a calzone only instead of baking them they are fried. I ordered "a classic" that was stuffed with a red sauce and mozzarella. I have found my new favorite treat when visiting southern Italy.
Last, but certainly not least, we made our way to one of the most popular Gelato places in all of Puglia: Gentile Gelateria. I am not a huge dessert person, but you can not visit Italy without getting at least one gelato. Gelato is the Italian term for Ice Cream and is typically made with 6%-9% butterfat which is much lower than most other frozen desserts. This difference, plus increased flavorings and the infusion of about 35% air, makes the density and richness of gelato different than typical ice cream. If you have a sweet tooth we highly recommend Gentile.
As always, we really enjoyed the night out exploring both Bari and it's many treats with our host Alessa. If you are in Bari and like food - be sure to checkout what tours might be available!
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