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Croissant from Boulangerie Pâtisserie Ounissi

On this particular morning, I randomly decided that I should probably eat a croissant and found a well-regarded place that was within a few blocks of where I was; Paris being the magical place that it is, this just happened to be one of the best croissants I’ve ever had.  It’s intensely buttery; borderline too buttery, but it never crosses that line (the paper bag it came in was spotted with grease within seconds, and was practically translucent by the time I finished).  The exterior was delicately crispy in all the best ways, and the interior was light and fluffy, with just enough substance to hold together (it might actually be a touch too light and fluffy, but that’s a minor complaint).  And that buttery flavour.  Wowza.

Octopus sandwich from Rosticceria Lo Sfizio del Borgo Antico

There were several vendors selling octopus sandwiches in the old area of Bari, so I figured I should probably try one.  This was totally fine; the octopus was quite tender and tasty, but otherwise none of the flavours here particularly popped, and the bread was so aggressively crusty that it was difficult to bite through.

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.