There’s only so many meals you can eat in 24 hours at the gorgeous Masseria Palombara, but lucky for us, we timed it just right so that we could try them all! First up was lunch which is where enjoyed a local rose and the most delicious (and surprising for Italy) brown bread. This is where we learned that the chef had Moroccan roots and some of the dishes reflected that, including this.
My lunch was the paccheri pasta with mussels and zucchini flowers. Highly seasonal and the perfect proportion pre-afternoon nap.
The Gentleman won the pasta course with the ‘slipper lobster’ and tomato pasta. The sauce was so creamy, but somehow light thanks to what must be the most gorgeous pasta water.
After a deliciously lazy afternoon, and sunset engagement (!!) we returned from the beach for a later dinner on the terrace. It looks rather empty here, but with about five other tables, the atmosphere was just lively enough, the whole evening feeling even more festive by the local Pugliase lights adorning the nearby spaces.
The romantically bohemian mismatched table linens and ceramic plates by a local artisan also added to the festive vibe. We were treated to a baccala cigar as an amuse bouche.
Joy, one of the property’s black labs, intermittently joined us for dinner, waiting for a biscuit to be tossed her way. The Gentleman obliged her on a few occasions, thus she must be the best fed dog in Puglia.
My starter was the tuna tartare with a sidecar of Stracciatella cheese. While delicious, it was more of a full on raw crudo chopped in the tartare style.
The Gentleman opted for some crazily named dish, “ham of the sea.” Turns out it was a local fish sliced in what they consider a ham style. While it was nice, I would deem the tuna the winner.
For dinner, I selected the slow roasted beef over potato puree and topped with red carrot chips. It had the feeling of a cozy winter afternoon, but summer hadn’t really hit the region just yet, so it worked well for our indulgent celebration.
And my fiancé(!) enjoyed lamb and wilted spinach. Definitely a leaner meal, again, I claim my own as the evening’s winner.
She’s back for more, with the Pugliase lights behind her.
The waiter directed us towards almond ice cream and tiramisu as the best dessert selections. NEVER one to order ice cream in a restaurant, I obliged and was thrilled I did. Made with almond’s from the farm’s trees, it was light, creamy, and perfect with the delightful flavor of wedding cake rather than a heavy nut-based ice cream. I debated if I might have it again for breakfast. The tiramisu was unremarkable, particularly next to the ice cream.
We should have ordered two of these.
After some excited calls to the family, at 11PM and after a couple bottles of wine… we slept late and made it to a late breakfast. There is no menu, you merely choose between salty and sweet. Our waitress advised us to take two salties and one sweet to share so we did just that.
The salty turned out to be a small piece of focaccia stuffed with roasted veggies, a tomato salad, and a small portion of capocollo. The profile was something we both immediately vowed to recreate at home.
The sweets were a variety of breakfast cakes, very dry, as Italian cake usually is. This could definitely be skipped in favor of batting some eyelashes for almond ice cream.
Masseria Palombara continues to impress and I can’t wait to return for another season’s menu.