Trattoria Il Casalicchio In Castellana grotte

29/03/2024: Unfortunately, the biggest culinary disappointment from our short stay in Monopoli and the surrounding area. The other places were great or very good. Tempted by good ratings on Google Maps and the recommendation of our hostess, we went to dinner at Ii Guazzetto. Service: sitting down at the table, we ordered sparkling water, unfortunately we received water without carbonation and it took us a very long time to get the attention of any waiter to change the water. After taking the order, the waiter asked us to change the table and move to a much less pleasant place. After waiting for the oysters I ordered as an appetizer, I learned that they no longer had them, although they continued to distribute cold appetizers containing oysters around the restaurant for a long time. The waiters were absent most of the time when we expected their interest. Food: The flagship dish I ordered was Il Guazzetto Zuppa do Pesce - the taste was correct, tomato-fishy, ​​but without any particular note worth remembering. (I often order it in different places, so I can compare it a lot). The disappointment was the size of the shrimps and other crustaceans in the soup - especially compared to the photo on the website. Maneuvering inside them to extract the contents required not a fork but some kind of microsurgery tool! Fried cod in batter is served with sweet and sour Asian sauce - it looks like it's ready from the bottle. The only thing that stood out was the grilled shrimps ordered by my husband - they were very tasty. However, after a series of failures, his vigilance was reduced and he decided to have dessert. Crema catalana, which should be at room temperature in a compact consistency - only burnt with a blowtorch from above to break through the crust with a spoon, had a boiling point and a flowing consistency (heated completely before serving?) and the outer layer immediately stuck to the entire surface. teaspoons. We won't come back.

10/03/2024: Sea bass carpaccio scented with dill with orange segments and pink pepper, it is decidedly sublime!