ZELMIRA 77 In Bernalda

02/03/2025: In a word. Spectacular! I am usually not adventurous at all when choosing food but as we are visiting friends who live in this town and they arranged a private meal with Chef Pepe I said I would try everything To say I was amazed at the flavour and deliciousness of each dish is an understatement Each plate of food was amazing. Complex flavours and textures Simply fabulous Our server was attentive and a great laugh as she chatted with us Chef Pepe came to our table several times to check on us We finished with a standing ovation for such a wonderful meal Note: I had some of the ravioli before the photo was taken. Too delicious not too

17/02/2025: We were privileged to once again return to one of my favorite restaurants in the world and have an amazing 3 hour Sunday lunch with dear friends while enjoying the gracious hospitality and culinary skills of the esteemed Certified Sommelier Chef Peppe Locanda dell'Abate Pietromatera! I have long said that regardless of all the other wonderful things about Montescaglioso (and there are many!) a chance to dine here is alone worth the trip to visit! The restaurant is in a beautifully preserved building in one of the most ancient parts of town and in the shadow of the 1100AD Abbazia San Michele Arcangelo di Montescaglioso There is no menu (though the Chef does check on food sensitivities and adjusts accordingly) and the Chef chooses the selections based on the availability of only the freshest products. The experience is more like a relaxed evening of dining at the home of a culinary genius… truly the Slow Food concept exemplified. It goes without saying that the service of the staff is consistently excellent and personally attentive. The multiple courses are excellent on their own but play and contrast with each other building to an exquisite experience that is greater than the sum of its parts. This is a classical symphony of multiple movements presented as food on a plate, all under the careful direction of the Maestro. The meal began with a wonderful Prosecco and the first plate of grilled octopus (I think my favorite preparation anywhere), sweet and tangy pickled red onions, and a brilliant calamari in a lemon cream sauce baked and served in an actual lemon shell (the Chef’s signature dish). The next course featured a moist and delicate cuttlefish cake with a creamy tomato sauce. Next up was a pasta dish I’d never seen before. Rings of calamari with similarly shaped rings of pasta in a sauce made from the special sweet red pepper found in this region. It was an inspired combination and made for a wonderfully balanced dish. This was followed by another pasta dish but one completely different in character. It combined an unusual and relatively sweet version of bitter broccoli rabe which is currently at its seasonal peak. This was surprisingly paired with a colatura di alici based pasta sauce. Colatura is a very unusual product and one which originates only in Southern Italy. It is an extract taken from the production of salt cured anchovies. The taste is unique and is one of my favorite Italian “secret ingredients” that I discovered through Chef Peppe. I would have never had the inspiration to pair it with broccoli rabe but the taste and textural contrast made for one of the top pasta dishes I have ever tasted! Finally (and I’m sure it was chosen because the Chef knows it’s one of my favorites that I cannot get in America) was a plate of fried fish of different sizes and calamari. Per tradition the fish is fried whole and is just delectable. The preparation today was perfection. I rarely can make it to dessert here (being so full of all the wonderful savory courses) but today with friends we made an exception and were rewarded by a wonderful orange and almond cake topped with an engaging cinnamon and citrus glaze. Worth every single calorie!! The Chef then closed the meal again with a unique bitter sweet licorice liqueur… the perfect contrast to the sweet brightness of the cake. We enjoyed a final coffee before heading home fully satisfied for a food induced nap!! Bravo to Chef Peppe and his team!