Puglia with Melissa Clark

One of the constants in my work for the past 30 years has been the joy of meeting new people. Since I work for myself, and my career has shifted from art historian to journalist to writer to food tour creator to app writer I’ve had the great opportunity to get to know so many people from all walks of life. While many of the people I’ve met over the years have slipped away to only memories, a few have become great friends.

It’s not surprising that many of my best friends are writers, and that (no surprise here) they write about food. And like me, they like to travel. The best part of these friendships is when we also get the chance to work together. If, in fact, you can call traveling around Italy, eating and cooking non-stop, work?

I first met Melissa Clark (she of New York Times fame and author of 40 cookbooks) on a limoncello and pizza-fuelled trip along the Amalfi coast about 25 years ago. We’ve since traveled all over Italy together, from Piedmont to Sicily,  and have had the great good luck to organize 2 food tours in Rome. We’ve now decided to take our show on the road  and have booked ourselves into two of our favorite hotels in Puglia next September. To eat and drink and cook, of course.

Would you like to join us?

We will be starting our week in what has been described as one of the most magical hotels in Italy. The tranquil 16th-century Masseria Potenti (which is featured in my book The Italian Table) is tucked into a wild and sparsely populated region of Puglia. After walking through the white-washed archway, the massive enclosed courtyard gives way to shady vine-topped pergolas, roughhewn arched passageways and walls full of brilliant bougainvillea and bright orange prickly pears. We will spend 3 days here, cooking with Melissa and the owner Maria Grazia, as well as visiting towns like Gallipoli to eat fish and Grottaglie to explore ceramics.

We then move to the other coast, staying in the dreamy Don Ferrante hotel, located in Monopoli. This tiny fishing village centers on the port, where boats still come in every evening, laden with fish. Our luxurious boutique hotel is built into the walls that protect the village from the sea. From our base in Monopoli we’ll visit the Unesco protected town of Alberobello, as well as the small village of Cisternino, knowns for its culinary traditions.

Details of Melissa Clark in Puglia Food Tour:

When: September 27-October 2, 2021 (5 nights)

Who: The trip is limited to 16 people

Where: We start our week at Masseria Potenti (near Manduria, Puglia) and end our week in Monopoli, Puglia

Nearest airport & train station: Bari

What: The days will be full, with adventures both in and out of our hotels. But don’t worry, you’ll have some down time as well, to relax.

Some of the things we’ll be doing:

• Cooking class with Melissa
• Pizza night with Melissa
• Visit to fish market of Gallipoli
• Visit to Olive Oil Plantation and Mill
• Visit to local Ceramic Studio
• Visits to Alberobello, Cisternino, Grottaglie, Gallipoli and Ceglie Messapica
• Wine tasting
• LOTS of burrata and mozzarella eating

There is lots more of course, and if you’d like to hear about the details, just send me an email. The trip is filling up fast (I announced it first in my newsletter last week) , but we still have a few spaces left. Hope you can join us!!