Back to Bari: La Tana del Polpo (The Octopus Lair)

La Tana del Polpo  (The Octopus Lair)

The best restaurant we visited in Bari, Italy, is on a narrow, cobblestoned back street. 

You would probably walk passed the plain and completely understated and yellowed signs on either side of  the old double doors, that announce:  La Tana del Polpo.  Trattoria di Mare.  Spaghetteria. Don’t think any of my three faithful and world-traveling readers need translations of the last two.

How in the world did we find this place?  It’s quite easy.  First you find a couple of English femmes, mother and daughter, who speak Italian.

No, they do not hang out on street corners, waiting to help the helpless.  You have to actually strike up a conversation and end up spending a pleasurable two days with them before they let you in on one of the best seafood restaurants in the ‘Seafood City’ of Bari, Italy.

The place was filled with natives, which is always a good sign.  And even with its humble location and atmosphere, the restaurant required reservations.  That’s also a good sign!

The place was packed! The waiters hustled!  The noise level was enhanced by the normal shrieky strain of Italian voices and waving of hands.

Speaking of Italian voices, have you ever heard two or three middle aged Italian men chatting, sitting at outdoor bar-tables on a narrow street, with high stone walls and excellent acoustics?  Sounds very much like the discussion will end with the forfeiture of a life or two.

The fast paced chat is actually:

-      This beer is so ordinary, I don’t think I can finish the whole six pack!

-      Giuseppe, when you say that, I know I have to guard my beer!

-      If a calf drank this, the poor little thing would think he suckled on the wrong nipple!

What it sounds like to the non-Italian to hear Italians practically screaming:

-      You mamma so big she needsa bench in the confessional!  Da priest smella her breath and say, Please don’ta bringa you dog in here!

-      Oh yeah? Two plus two in you house makes 1 ton.

-      I be kind and use a sharp knife to take you balls off!

-      Careful you don’t cut you sister’s face!

But, in La Tana del Pulpo, the conversation is more modulated, like a train coming through the station, but not blowing its whistle.  

The waiter approaches, passes out menus and asks if we want something to drink.  He was giving us the benefit of the doubt.  

“Wine and keep it flowing!”

 “So, you want a bottle?”

 “Yes!  And three glasses! And bubble water!”

“And la bella signora con gli occhiali e i capelli alla moda?”  (The beautiful lady with glasses and stylish hair?)

Yes, we were in Italy, where lucky-in-love is not a hope, but a mandate.

Soon splendid appetizers arrived, of which the octopus salad was the star of the show.  I’ve never cared much for octopus.  I’ll always eat some, but find other choices more appealing.  HOWEVER, we all tore into this vinegary-tender gift from the sea as if a farmer had called out, “Last one to the trough starves!”

Also, the razor thing salmon carpaccio, around chunks of tuna melted in our mouths.

How about the wine?  A superb regional wine from the Primitivo grape. Have you tried a Primitivo?  Some call it Zinfandel by another name.  Not so.  Maybe first cousins, but not at all the same.  To my taste buds, Primitivo carries a more lush flavor and a fruitier nose. In fact, if a bottle says Primitivo, I’m going to try it, even if the label doesn’t ring any chimes.

And the main course?  Spaghetti alle Vongole (Spaghetti with clams). Outstanding!  I ordered sole and have never had a better grilled fish! Lightly charred and ever so tender! A fresh slice of lemon squeezed over the fish....Mamma Mia!  

One of the more adventurous members of our newly formed clan, ordered spaghetti darkened with squid ink, and with chunks of fat shrimp in a wonderful cream sauce.

The food at La Tana del Polpo is so very good and fresh….as a matter of fact, a waiter brings out a platter of freshly caught fish for you to choose…    If  you not sure what you want, let the waiter make the choices, as he did for us with the octopus salad.  No matter what you order, it’s going to be superb.

Afterwards, the four of us wandered off for a nightcap, a fitting end to a day of adventure and an evening of fabulous seafood in a restaurant I would happily visit often!

Bari, Italy

Bari, Puglia, Italy

Of course, one must visit the Italian usuals, Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa, the Vatican. Vatican City, although surrounded by Rome, is not Italy, but it’s own country.  Did you know the Papal States once included the entire middle of what is now Italy? Nevermind.  Let’s move on.

I don’t deny all the popular spots are worth a trip, but sometimes I enjoy getting off the well-trod path and wander in lesser known locales.  Nope, not talking about living in a tent and subsisting on yak milk, or spanning the Andes until I have no soles left on my hiking boots.  After all, we must be civilized, showering everyday, eating with a knife and fork on occasion, and sharing a bottle of wine over candlelight.

This time, getting off the well-trod trail meant flying to Bari, Italy and staying in proper accommodations, with a night cap of a well-mixed Manhattan.

Why did we pick Bari?  Puglia (pronounced Poolya) is the area that produces our favorite wine:  Primitivo.  More about Primitivo in another article.

I have to admit, coming by taxi from the Bari Airport, was underwhelming.  Deserted and half finished buildings stretched like the specters of broken dreams, complete with tall weeds, and an abundance of trash, for rusty mile after rusty mile.  “Look,” I said to my companion, “See the building with only a few broken windows? That’s our hotel.”

But as soon as we got into the city, things changed.  The princess kissed the frog.  Beautiful architecture, enticing restaurants, tall palm trees, and broad boulevards gave my hopes a boost.

Modern Bari, as attractive as it is, doesn’t begin to tell the city’s sometimes dark and far reaching story.  Wars. A long long list of rulers.  Even the crusaders passed through.

As in so many places in Europe, Bari has history piled on history.  It’s not like peeling an onion.  More like a twenty-foot high layer cake. But since a stack of historical dates is as appealing as a fat jockey, I’ll restrict myself to just a few. Bari, which the Romans called Barium, but has nothing to do with Ba in the periodic table, is the capital of Puglia.

It may have been inhabited since 1500 B.C.E.  The Greeks were here.  The Romans were here.  You only have to drive around Europe to find out the Romans were EVERYWHERE! 

Byzantines ruled Bari for a while.  The Swabians, a Germanic tribe, came through, conquering and plundering. In fact, a Swabian, William the Bad of Sicily partially destroyed Bari Castle in 1156 .  I’ve read he got the name from his enemies who were sore losers, not from his mistress who called to him Willie-the-B, with a sly smile and a crack of her whip.

Only a small portion of the extensive Norman Castle

The Normans later rebuilt the huge stone castle, which still stands solidly in the heart of the old city, right on the water’s edge. Well worth a visit, as is the Basilica of San Nicola (1087), built to house the relics of St. Nicolas, which had been stolen by Italian sailors from their former resting place in Turkey.  When you visit the Basilica, be sure to look up at the vaulted ceiling. Gorgeous!

The Basilica of San Nicola

A portrait of the saint.

Saint Nicolas' tomb.

Yes, Saint Nicolas is THAT Saint Nicolas.  Interesting to note there is no solid historical evidence he ever existed. But, history leaves out more than it leaves in. 

Both the castle and the Basilica of San Nicola are built in a similar style.  Boxy.  Light colored stone. High walls.  Several buildings near the Basilica contain a convent, a museum and other connections to the church.

I know you’re thinking: How about more modern stuff?  Ok, you win. Bari did not become part of the Kingdom of Italy until 1860.  Anyone realize that Italy as we know it was not truly formed until 1918, after Italy defeated Austria-Hungary in the First World War?

The Teatro Piccinni is a wonderful opera house, also used for ballet and other performances.  Although I didn’t watch a performance, I understand the acoustics are superb.

Back to the old town. The stone buildings narrow, cobbled streets and clusters of cafes and restaurants in the open plazas make for a fascinating visit.  Take a map or a GPS device.  Otherwise, you better drop some breadcrumbs along the narrow, twisting alleyways.  

The famous pasta of Bari:  orecchiette.

Besides the Basilica of San Nicola there are plenty of other churches to visit. And, on some streets you can watch older women making the famous Bari orecchiette pasta at a blazing speed.  The way they cut and form the pasta is one swift motion is incredible.

But, for me, the people you meet are far more important than the buildings, monuments, and even…dare I say it….the fabulous bottles of wine. I’m a big fan of serendipity.  But serendipity is just a piece of the puzzle of meeting people. Just don’t be too shy.  People like to chat.

Had a long and interesting chat and tasted a lot of wine at a winery selling Georgian wine..  More to come on that in another blog.

Struck up a long conversation with an Australian couple.  Politics, economics, investments….we ran the gamut. Fascinating!

Two amazing English ladies we met on a train on the way to the city of Alberobello, a unique beauty of a town that I’ll write about in a follow-on article.   I call these ladies English, but both spoke Italian, one fluently. Yes, they live in London, but one of them refers to herself as Italian. But, then you know how women lie.

They were on an adventure, just as we were, and I soon found out they had the right attitude.  We hopped off the train and when I mentioned Wine Time, they grabbed a table at the closest outdoor café.   We noshed and sloshed and gossiped and suddenly this was no ordinary trip, but a traveling party!

For the next two days, the four of us travelled and partied and explored Bari and all around it.

Bari is a seaport and as you can imagine, we filled up on seafood.  The best octopus I’ve tasted, tender and succulent.  The ladies were staying on the edge of the old city and Italian fluency led them to the kind of enchanting bistros every traveler hopes to find.  Yes, I will write about one in the coming days.  Yes, I will name the restaurants and show off some wines!

If Bari may have begun on an edgy note, with a taxi ride though ravaged urban detritus that made me face death by a speeding weapon, it also led to a solid few days of exploration and memorable meals, to late nights, wonderful wines and epic camaraderie. So, would I do it again?

Just a moment and I’ll tell you. 44 is the country code for the U.K, right?