Fishing Boat Port Mola DI Bari

Coastline Mola Di Bari

Mola Di Bari

Sunset Mola Di Bari

Polignano a Mare

On the Adriatic Sea lies the town Mola di Bari. Located in the region of Apulia or Puglia known for hundreds of miles of coastline, vineyards, olive trees, agriculture, white washed buildings and the famous aquaviva onion.

The Teatro Pubblico Pugliese consortium, made up of local authorities, politicians, and tourism experts from the Puglia region focuses on promoting Puglia’s cultural, historic, and culinary offerings.

Officials from Croatia, which lies opposite Bari on the Adriatic are also involved in promoting the region through meetings, workshops, and in our case interviews with both local and international journalists.

Aquaviva Onion

Polvanera Winery

Lunch at Polvanera Winery

South Adriatic Makerel, local peaches, wild masculine, torittos almonds, wild raspberry vinaigrette

local organic senatore cappelli, semola hand made orecchiette

Chef Pasquale Martinelli

The climate in Puglia creates optimal conditions for farming, agriculture, and wine making. Fresh seafood, particularly octopus are ubiquitous to the region and are served raw.

The term “Il Crudo Barese” was coined in the region and is very different from what the westerner thinks Crudo means. A tradition that dates back many centuries, fresh catches are served, raw moments after being pulled from the sea.

Chef Pasquale and Ornella Fado

Chef Pasquale, Mom, and Ornella Fado

On our journey we were joined by Ornella Fado, an Italian/American hostess, creator and producer of Brindiamo, a show on Amazon Prime that showcases Italian Cuisine and Culture both in New York and abroad.

Chef Pasquale Martinelli, born in Mola Di Bari, has been cooking traditional Puglian cuisine since 1990, after graduating from the IPSAR Institute. A firm believer in using only the best ingredients from the region and implementing them to create authentic dishes, along with the art of hospitality.

His future project is the launch of Alloro Private Culinary Concierge, A private chef and hospitality company based in New York. His mission is to craft menus for guests following the Mediterranean diet, using ingredients imported fresh from Puglia and cooking them on premises, private homes and yachts.

Chef Martinelli is working on setting up a gala dinner for 100 guests on a yacht cruising around Manhattan serving a 5 course menu highlighting artisan small production cheeses, semola, wines, Extra Virgin Olive Oil directly from Puglia.

His current website warmpalate.com will be transitioned to alloroprivatedinner.com in about a month’s time.

Castellana Caves

Castellana Caves

Castellana Caves

Alberobello, Puglia

Rooftop in Alberobello, Puglia

local artisan Alberobello, Puglia

Local Artisan Alberobello

Polignano a Mare

Poignant a Mare

The Puglia region offers visitors a vast choice of adventures.

We visited the “Grotte di Castellana”, one of the most important attractions in Puglia. Located at the entrance of the Itria Valley, neighboring villages Alberobello and Polignano a Mare, these natural caves began forming 90 million years ago and to date have welcomed over 15 million guests. The tours through the caves offer splendid views through this natural wonder and can be short or long depending on the visitors preference.

The village of Alberobello, high in the hills in Puglia is a UNESCO world heritage site. Known for it’s “trulli”, whitewashed stone huts with conical roofs. The best way to experience the town is with a walking tour. A guide explains the history of the area, the significance of the architecture, and brings you inside these homes and introduces you to local artisans.

Polignano a Mare is our favorite area of Puglia. Limestone Cliffs lead to crystal clear waters of the Adriatic Sea, where beach life is sizzling. Cafes and bars line the town and folks sunbathe on the rocks or on the beach below. We are coming back!