“People make special trips from Bari to walk through town and eat gelato,” Letizia Velanzano, a member of Assieme, a group that works to promote and maintain Conversano’s cultural and culinary traditions told me. We stopped at one of the village’s many gelaterie, Caffe del Corso. There, chef Nicola Zivoli, an enthusiastic thirty-eight-year-old who has been working as a cook since he was twelve, insisted on starting us off with his specialty lunch crepe—filled with local ham, cheese, and greens. I was stuffed, but couldn’t resist tasting gelato he’d made that morning. I’m glad I didn’t—the hazelnut and vanilla were fantastic.
The chefs I met in Conversano were former home cooks who were now bringing their many years of experience and passions they once lavished on families to dining rooms.
At Pasha, one of the most highly rated restaurants in Puglia, Maria Magista, the mother of owner Antonello, created elegant presentations of Pugliese classics. As jazz played in the background of the sophisticated dining room, I enjoyed a vibrant pea soup and a rich vegetable flan of chicory and fava beans.
Down the road, at Agriturismo Montepaolo, chef/owner Niny Bassi hosts diners in charming country surroundings. The energetic, petite Bassi has masterfully restored a 17th-century farmhouse, retaining the layers of its history. Décor in the dining and guest rooms is accented by furniture, which she has hand painted, along with linens and ceramics made by local craftsmen.
During my three-hour lunch at Montepaolo, Bassi’s talent shined. Using primarily ingredients from their farm, she served up cucina povera in style. Most memorable was focaccia made with grano arso—wheat mixed with ash, which was what the peasants once gathered from the fields after they were burned, and is now a subtly-flavorful delicacy. We finished the meal with a taste of her homemade liqueurs—sweet almond, limoncello, and bay leaf—which along with a selection of fruit marmalades are offered for sale to guests at the agriturismo.
It was a gorgeous afternoon and after lunch, we walked around the property with her son, Nicholas, tasting cherries from the ripe trees. He handed me a green almond that tasted bitter but good, and then, like magic, pulled up shoots of wild asparagus from the side of the road. They burst with fresh spring flavor in my mouth. This was quintessential Puglia: a place where good tastes can be discovered every step of the way.
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