Category: Flavors

Postcard from Merida, Mexico: Cuisine branches out beyond the expected

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Above, Grilled Pulpo and Camarones at Peruano in Merida

It seems way too long since the blog offered any nourishment. This first restaurant post from Merida has little to do with traditional dishes of the Yucatan (Don’t worry, we’ll serve you some of those soon.).

Since the most recent food post was from Italy, we’ll begin the transition with a visit to an Italian enoteca – Oliva. Having been spoiled so recently, we hesitated to try this high-end Italian in Merida. We were richly rewarded though. Lamb ragu, cauliflower risotto and a beautifully delivered filet of sea bass all measured up to Italy. Of course, Oliva had me hooked with a special starring one of my favorite foods in the world – soft-shelled crab.
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Biannual Roundup: What you’re looking at gets a makeover

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street art malaga spain pulpo wine

Street art encountered in Malaga, Spain

Only a decade or so old, but WordPress kept dropping hints that my blog format was outdated and becoming obsolete. The time was approaching that it would no longer function on the platform.

So here it is: the first post with a new look in a format I am trying to master. I promise not to include any of the curse words that my slip out of my mouth as I try to make heads and tails of it.

It happens to be that time of the year, halfway through, for that exciting list of what posts you have clicked on most during the past 12 months. My book has not dropped off the list yet, and I am grateful for that and that you continue to let the blog play boulevardier even though the writer actually is in a state of corona-hibernation.

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Postcard from Lecce, Italy: Sampling seafood and pasta served Apulia-style

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lecce seafood ravioli radici

Seafood Ravioli at Radici – Market, Food & Caffetteria

With only skimpy sandwiches for lunch, we were ready for a sit-down meal after arriving in Lecce well after nightfall. We walked out the door of our apartment and crossed the street upon the recommendation of our landlord and entered what became our favorite restaurant in Lecce, Osteria 203.

The intimate restaurant had us hooked with the contorni, a varying trio of seasonal vegetables. Unlike in Naples, vegetable sides and antipasti were easy to come by in Lecce. But Osteria 203 also provided the Mister with his favorite dish of the entire trip, stinco di maiale. The enormous braised pork shank was falling-off-the-bone tender and was served in a pool of a rich red wine sauce. The fried young artichokes were highly addictive, and how can one resist trying purple gnocchi. Our only disappointment with the Osteria 203 is that it closed during our final week to repaint the interior, depriving the Mister of his third order of stinco.

Il Rifugio della Buona Stella is an unpretentious family-run restaurant with generous antipasto plates and regional pasta dishes, such as pasta with rape, turnip tops, all offered at resident-friendly prices. On our second visit there, we were accompanied by our daughter and fidanzato, and it proved a most pleasant experience.

Next to us was a family birthday celebration, a table of about 16 from multiple generations. The group was not rowdy at all, just enjoying exchanging family stories. We lingered sharing multiple courses, as did they. When it came time for them to cut into a luscious cake, they sent the youngest girl over with plates for us. And then they poured glasses of prosecco for us to share in toasting the young woman who was their guest of honor. There was something so warm and touching, and we felt so flattered to be embraced by locals instead of being dismissed as just tourists at the next table. It helped our standing that the Mister was able to go to the other room and ask the owner for a simple birthday toast and thank you he offered to them in Italian.

Il Rifugio della Buona Stella pasta with meatballs
I Latini chickpea and clam soup
polpette di cavallo
Il Rifugio della Buona Stella orecchiette with rape (turnip tops)
La Cucina di Mamma Elvira fettuccine with swordfish, eggplant and almonds
Osteria 203 pasta with porcini and pumpkin
Radici salmon with couscous
Enogastronomia Povero eggplant stuffed with vegetables
La Cucina di Mamma Elvira ravioli
Radici fusilloni with pesto
I Latini pulpo polpette popped into our mouths so quickly we neglected to take a photo before pausing to see who got to eat the last one
La Cucina di Mamma Elvira vegetable antipasto
Crianza Chianina hamburger
L’Ostrica Ubriaca tuna carpaccio
Osteria 203 stinco di maiale, braised pork shank with red wine sauce
L’Ostrica Ubriaca fried seafood
gelato
Il Rifugio della Buona Stella vegetable antipasto
Osteria 203 seafood-filled ravioli
L’Ostrica Ubriaca linguini with clams
Il Rifugio della Buona Stella maccheroncini with swordfish, rape (turnip tops) and tomatoes
Osteria 203 fried artichokes
I Latini seafood linguini
La Cucina di Mamma Elvira eggplant polpette
Osteria 203 purple gnocchi with lime-cured cod carpaccio
I Latini pistachio-crusted tuna
Radici ravioli with parmesan sauce
La Cucina di Mamma Elvira contourni
Osteria 203 contourni
La Cantina delle Streghe eggplant and burrata bruschetta
I Latini fried seafood platter

Other spots we visited represented by photos above:

  • Crianza – If you are pining to sample some of Italy’s prized Chianina beef, the Mister swears his was about the best hamburger he has ever eaten.
  • I Latini  – This spot felt touristy, but it was always open when others failed us. Despite that initial feeling, we must admit the seafood dishes, such as linguini, pistachio-crusted tuna and clam and chickpea soup, were delicious.
  • La Cantina delle Streghe – A good spot for wine and bruschetta
  • La Cucina di Mamma Elvira – Great vegetables and pasta, but do not fail to order the eggplant polpette.
  • L’Ostrica Ubriaca – We trekked to the one way outside the walls. It was a little spartan, but the seafood was always fresh. A new more upscale version recently had opened right outside the old city gate, but we did not try that location.
  • Radici – Market, Food & Caffetteria – Contemporary and casual, attracting a host of locals. The fidanzato highly recommends the seafood ravioli in the featured photo.

Hopefully, all of these restaurants made it through quarantine times and are beginning to welcome diners back.