This might sound odd (or maybe not, if you know me), but this place was the main reason I wanted to come to Bari. It was featured on an episode of Milk Street TV, and they were talking about the focaccia here so reverently that I couldn’t help but want to check it out. So I did!
Carbonara from Pasta a Gogo
Pasta a Gogo serves a handful of pasta dishes that they make fresh — it’s mostly a take-out joint, though they do have a couple of tables outside. The woman behind the counter spoke English fluently, so I asked her what her favourite was, and she answered “carbonara” without even a millisecond of hesitation. So that makes ordering quite easy; carbonara it is! And yeah, she’s not wrong to be enthusiastic about it; it’s ultra-rich and creamy, and the crispy pieces of guanciale are salty, porky, and satisfying.
I’m not even kidding: the lampredotto sandwich at Marcelleria Popolare is probably in my sandwich top ten, and I don’t say that lightly. Do you know how many sandwiches I’ve had in my life? Well, I don’t either — but it’s a lot. Thousands? Possibly!
Sandwich top ten. That means something.
I know Guy Fieri gets a lot of flack, but I like him. Yes, he’s got some pretty strong bro/frat-boy vibes, but that’s mostly just part of the act. He’s way more knowledgeable about food than your standard Food Network personality — he’s a professionally trained chef who already had his own restaurants long before he stepped foot in front of the camera.
He’s also a fairly charismatic host. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is a good show, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.
Jose Andres is a celebrity chef who specializes in higher-end Spanish eats. He has a bunch of restaurants in various States, but I mostly know him from a delightful cooking/travel show called Made in Spain he hosted several years ago. His enthusiasm for Spanish cuisine was infectious. I wish he’d do another one.
They have a couple of locations of Steff’s Place in the Copenhagen airport, a hot dog vendor with stands all over the city.
I can’t say no to a pork sandwich. Whether it’s porchetta in Italy, leitão assado in Portugal, or gua bao in Taiwan, a really well prepared pork sandwich is a thing of beauty. It’s one of the best things in the world.
Sorry America — though the hot dog is certainly in the pantheon of classic American foods, you’ve been bested. John’s Hotdog Deli in Copenhagen serves what is almost certainly the best hot dog I’ve ever had. It’s absolutely stunning.
Kürtös Ételbár is interesting; it’s a tiny little hole-in-the-wall take-out joint (they do, however, have a handful of tables if you want to eat in the restaurant). It also just happens to be connected to (and share a kitchen with) Rosenstein Vendéglő, a much fancier, acclaimed restaurant that serves traditional Hungarian fare.
Which means you can get an affordable lunch from a kitchen that really knows their stuff. It’s a great deal.
I had sausages a couple of times in Prague, and they were both okay (well, one was mediocre and one was pretty good, so they average out to okay), but neither were the mind-blowing sausage experience that you’d hope for from a place that really knows their sausages.
It may not have happened in Prague, but I just had that experience in Budapest.