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.
La Cantina delle Streghe eggplant and burrata bruschetta
Il Rifugio della Buona Stella orecchiette with rape (turnip tops)
Radici ravioli with parmesan sauce
Crianza Chianina hamburger
gelato
I Latini seafood linguini
Radici fusilloni with pesto
Enogastronomia Povero eggplant stuffed with vegetables
Osteria 203 stinco di maiale, braised pork shank with red wine sauce
polpette di cavallo
La Cucina di Mamma Elvira eggplant polpette
La Cucina di Mamma Elvira contourni
I Latini pistachio-crusted tuna
La Cucina di Mamma Elvira fettuccine with swordfish, eggplant and almonds
Il Rifugio della Buona Stella maccheroncini with swordfish, rape (turnip tops) and tomatoes
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
L’Ostrica Ubriaca fried seafood
Il Rifugio della Buona Stella vegetable antipasto
I Latini fried seafood platter
I Latini chickpea and clam soup
Osteria 203 pasta with porcini and pumpkin
Il Rifugio della Buona Stella pasta with meatballs
Osteria 203 seafood-filled ravioli
Osteria 203 purple gnocchi with lime-cured cod carpaccio
Osteria 203 fried artichokes
La Cucina di Mamma Elvira ravioli
L’Ostrica Ubriaca linguini with clams
L’Ostrica Ubriaca tuna carpaccio
Radici salmon with couscous
Osteria 203 contourni
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.
Postcards from Barton Springs 