All language subtitles for remarkable.places.to.eat.s04e01.1080p.web.h264-cbfm

Experiencing great food
is one of the best things

about visiting a new city.

But how can you be sure
that you find the real gems?

I'm a seasoned professional,

and even for me it's difficult
to find amazing places to eat.

So I've asked six of Britain's most
celebrated chefs and foodies...

Let's go. Woohoo.

..to open up their little black books

and take me to their all-time
favourite places to eat.

Welcome to Puglia.

We must have a taste of that.

We must.

You're so excited. I am.

Together, we'll travel
to some of the world's most

exciting food destinations.

This place is such a hidden gem.

It's a floating restaurant.

But we won't be just eating.

Who's next? What would you like, sir?

We will be joining the people
behind the scenes...

No, no, no, no, no, no.

You do another one like that,
you're sacked.

..and rolling up our sleeves...

Look at this. We've got a treasure.

..to find out exactly
how they deliver perfect service.

This is like a military
operation on the beach.

World-class food...

I've never had a meal like this in
my life. I feel almost emotional.

..and an experience
you'll never forget.

For me, it's a ten out of ten.
Ten out of ten from Fred.

Wow.

This week I'm in Puglia,
in Italy's deep south.

Woohoo! What a way to arrive
in town!

And my guide is part-time resident
and TV and radio host

Dermot O'Leary.

Fred Sirieix, welcome to Puglia.

I mean, you know how
to welcome a guest.

I'm so excited.

I'm so excited
to have you here, man.

And I can't believe you got us
a boat to go to Gallipoli.

I mean... I'm a guy who knows a guy.
..what a welcome!

I've never been to Puglia,
never been to this part of Italy,

and I've always wanted to come.

I'm so excited to show you
the people and the places
and the food here.

It's like... I love it here. So...
And I needed some winter sun.

Puglia is the region that forms

the heel of Italy's famously
boot-shaped coast...

..and is fast becoming

one of Europe's most talked-about
food destinations.

Dermot, tell me, what's the story
with you in Puglia?

How did you fall in love
with this place?

So I came to Puglia
maybe 15 years ago.

I fell in love with the place.

It was love at first sight?
Completely.

It's the sense of authenticity.

It was the seafood, which I love,
and the pace of life.

You know, this is very much
my happy place.

Historically, a poor cousin
of the wealthier north,

the food culture here is firmly
rooted in the peasant tradition

known as cucina povera.

The food I've always enjoyed
is the cucina povera.

Food that doesn't cost an awful
lot of money,

but the taste is unbelievable.

And that's what you're gonna love
about Puglia.

Well, I can't wait. Let's go.

The first place in Dermot's little
black book is in Gallipoli,

whose origins as a fishing port
date back over 3,000 years.

I've heard it's one of
Puglia's culinary capitals,

so I can't wait to see
what Dermot has in store.

Fred, welcome to Gallipoli.

I mean, this is, for me,
one of the jewels of Puglia,

and this is where I first
fell in love with the area -

this little town here.

So it's... I mean, it's hundreds
and hundreds of years old.

The olive oil industry is huge
around here.

Fishing dominates the area, and
where fishing dominates the area,

seafood dominates the area.

I mean, there's a couple of
restaurants I could've taken you to

but the one I want to take you to
is just around the corner from here.

It's beautiful.
It has the most gorgeous views,

and the freshest and most
beautiful local seafood.

So we're gonna have fish?
It's all about fish. Let's go.

Puglia, for me, is all about fish.
I love fish.

I would've been disappointed if
you would've told me

we're not gonna have any fish!

# Just walking in the sunshine
with my... #

There are dozens of seafood
restaurants to choose from here,

but Dermot's all-time favourite
stands out from the crowd...

..not least because
of its spectacular setting,

perched high up
on the old city walls.

# ..go away

# And any game we want to play

# Every, every... #

Hey, how about this view,
though, Fred?

Oh, my God.

Da-da-da-daa!

What a view. Incredible.

# I'm happy just to amble... #

This is Il Bastione...

..and the Quintana family
have been serving

some of the finest seafood in Puglia
here for nearly 30 years.

# ..there is nowhere to... #

Youngest son Marco runs the kitchen,

overseen by his father and boss
Giovanni,

while Dani and eldest son Andrea
run front of house.

Good to see you.

How are you?

Please follow me.

Thank you. Thank you.

Fred, can I ask you a question?

I don't how you are about this
etiquette. May I take my jacket off?

Of course. Are you sure?
Yeah. It's a free country.

But I'm eating with you.
We can do whatever we like.

Sartorially, this is, you know...
Maybe I'll do the same thing.

No. Fred without the jacket -
I don't wanna see it.

No, I'm gonna do the same thing.
It's like Superman without the cape
for me.

Don't worry. I can still fly.

You can look at the menu
if you want,

but here the raw fish of the area

is just...in Gallipoli.

I'm in your hands.

As long as it's good, I'm happy.

Yeah, that's the worry.

Just...I want it to be good.
Like, Fred's in town!

Relax, relax.

Fred's in town.

You don't have the sort of big,
ornate food that you have in France

but you have the crudo here.

So, the local prawns, the urchins,
the ricci is amazing. It's like...

Excuse me, gentlemen.
Good afternoon.

Hello. How are you? How are you?

Very good, thank you. Yourself?
Very good, thanks.

Nice to see you.
I'm in your hands, so... OK.

He was telling me about the crudo,
that you do the best crudo in Puglia.

That's right. We've got the sea
urchins as well... Yeah.

..if you want to try them.
Definitely. Amazing.

Here you go, gentlemen.

For our starter, Dermot has ordered
the raw seafood platter.

Wow!

Oysters, langoustines, clams,
mussels, prawns and sea urchins,

or ricci di mare, which are a local
delicacy.

Everything's absolutely fantastic.

Have you been out on the boat
this morning? Of course.

We have to start with the prawns.
That's what you recommend, right?

If you start with the urchins,
you won't

taste anything else
for the rest of the day.

So strong. All right.

So let's try these prawns, then.

These local gamberi rossi di
Gallipoli are a big thing here,

famous for their red colour
and intense flavour.

Oh! You really taste the sea

but it's so subtle, and the taste
is just...

They just melt in your mouth,
you know? It's so sweet.

The flavour is... That's it.
They are sweet, aren't they? Yeah.

Is it weird as well to say
it's, like, almost creamy?

It's not "almost". It is. Yeah.

Fred, this is going well.

It's delicious.

The star of the show are
the ricci, right?

So this is the sea urchins.

Now, it's an acquired taste,
but it's one I really enjoy now.

It's a really intense flavour.

Are you going with the teaspoon
or the... Yeah.

.."just stick your tongue out"
method?

Well, I love to stick my tongue
in things, but I'm a bit afraid

of the pricks here, you know
what I mean?

DERMOT CHUCKLES

This is so powerful.

It's so intense, isn't it?

Ah!

That's what stands out.

Can I have another one?

There you go. Merci, mon ami.

It's almost like an intense
hit of the sea, isn't it?

As much as it's strong, it's very
delicate at the same time.

I know it's a contradiction,
but that's how I taste it.

That's how it makes me feel.

And these products are not
products that I know.

I've never seen them before.

They are so fresh. They are so tasty.

That's what I love about this.
Everything is local.

Like, you see the boats coming
in twice a day.

No wonder why these are so fresh.

And, you know, the great thing
about Gallipoli is,
when you drive in,

the car park is right next
to the fish market. Right.

So you see these incredible sights.

And I've come down here so many
times in the morning

and witnessed it and bought my fish.

But to actually explore
a little bit more as to where

this stuff comes from...

As a restaurant professional,
you know, I just like to know

how it works behind the scenes.

Where do they get their seafood from?

You know, this is not happening
by chance. Mm.

It's a family business and they've
got to serve the best produce.

And that's why you keep coming back
every single time you're here. Yeah.

And it comes from there. Yeah.

I want to find out. Let's go.

Not now. We've got to finish the
meal.

For our next course, we're sticking
with the fruits of the sea.

OK, gentlemen, this is the main.
Main course.

Whoa! Oh!

We've ordered the local zuppa di
pesce, of fish soup, for two.

And a side of Gallipoli's legendary
red prawns baked in salt.

We've got spoons
because this is a soup

but the plates are... They are not
soup plates, right? It's not.

But it's not soup as such,
because most is fish.

The stock has come off the fish
when it's cooked with some tomato.

When you ordered it,
I was thinking it's going

to be like bouillabaisse,
like you find in Marseille.

That's what I had in my mind.

But now it makes sense.
We're not in France.

We're a long way from Kansas, Toto.

But this is beautiful.

I mean, look at the diversity
of fish.

Oh la la!

It's great, isn't it?

And I tell you what, here,
everything is cooked to perfection

because all these different
shellfish and fish, they all cook

at a different speed. Sure.

There's obviously no flour added
to this, is there?

There's no thickening agent.
It's watery but it's full of flavour.

Right. I'm so excited by this soup.

I want to find out how they make it
cos I'm going to make this at home.

That, for me, is heaven on earth. Ah!

You can't come to Gallipoli
without eating these prawns.

And we had them, the smaller ones,
red prawns of Gallipoli, as a crudo

and now cooked in the rock salt.

Hoo-ha!

Wow.

But the other thing you've got to
do is suck the heads. Suck the heads.

Brainy. You get a kick, don't you?

Isn't it delicious?
Yeah, it's great.

It's like the sea urchins again,
you're like...

I've got some everywhere on my beard.

What a find! No wonder why you keep
coming back here. What a restaurant!

At around 50 euros a head,

a meal here might be reserved
for special treats.

Whoa! Thanks, Dani.

But, for the quality of the food,
the service and the location,

I might have expected to pay
a lot more.

Thank you very much.
He's not a cheap date, is he?

Fred and Dermot, road trip!

FRED LAUGHS

I'm in Puglia with Dermot O'Leary,

who's been coming here
for over a decade,

and today he's driving me into
the region's rural heartland.

I have to say, Dermot,
you are an excellent driver.

What a nice thing to say! Yeah.

You're very smooth...
GEARS CRUNCH

..when you are passing the gears. Oh!

You curse me!

So, Dermot,
where are we going today?

Today I'm taking you to a masseria,

a farmhouse very famous
in this area, called Le Stanzie.

This place is all about
long, beautiful lunches,

and they specialise in
incredibly local cuisine,

Most of it from...

..just from the land. Right.
Absolutely gorgeous, you know?

But the pasta and the vegetables
we're going to eat today

is one of the traditional
Puglian dishes.

You're going to love it.
The food you have will be

completely different to the menu
you get on the coast.

And so I want to show you
the different sides

of Puglia cuisine.

I'm very excited about
the place we're going to.

We've only travelled
20km from the coast,

but the character of the landscape
has completely changed.

Some of the finest produce in Italy
has been grown here for centuries,

and the restaurant
Dermot is taking us to

is famous for its authentically
rustic cucina povera,

or poor man's cooking.

Wow, Dermot, look at this place!
Isn't it wonderful?

Oh, my God!

This is the Masseria Le Stanzie...

..a 600-year-old
fortified farmhouse.

Today, it remains a working farm

and the spectacular home
of the Le Stanzie restaurant.

What do you think, Fred?
This is stunning!

And we've arrived a few hours
before service begins

to get a proper look around.

I'm so glad you're here.

The thing is, it's so hard
to get a table here. Really? Yeah!

But you turning up has opened
the door for me! Brilliant!

THEY LAUGH
After you, Dermot. Thank you.

Every effort has been made
to preserve the history

of this ancient farmhouse,

and stepping through the door
is like stepping back in time.

Fred, look at this place!

We are right in the middle of
a painting of Caravaggio, aren't we?

Yeah, completely.

Le Stanzie grows much of the food
they serve in their restaurant...

Buongiorno! Buongiorno!
Buongiorno! Buongiorno! Salve.

..and a four-strong team of
gardeners headed up by Ruggiero

ensure everything grown is
in keeping with Puglian tradition.

What should we do?

Let's see what it looks like.
Right!

Cime di rapa, also known as
rapini or turnip tops,

is a real symbol of
Puglia's rustic cucina povera.

Do they harvest the whole vegetable
or just this?

Ruggiero, we're going to eat
in the restaurant,

so we need to earn our keep.

You've got to be careful,

cos you've got
the irrigation underneath... Yes!

..and you don't want to get
the cime di rapa, Dermot. No.

That's the goal. There, you've got
some there, on the right there.

Yeah? That it? Yeah.

You're raking it up there, Freddie.

This is great, isn't it? Doing well.

You missed a bit, Dermot.

What are you talking about?
Yeah, you missed some.

Working the land like this
is really labour-intensive,

but once the weeding is done,
it's time to harvest,

and this too is done with
care and precision.

This is the bit
I do not want to mess up.

The old hoedown and the raking...

You can just busk your way through,
but...look at him.

Perfect. Look how quickly
he did that. Perfect.

Oh, you let the little sprout there!

Si?

Si? Si. Perche...

Ah!

Ah! The little stalk there.

It's almost like
you'd prune a rose, right? Yeah.

I tell you what, it's so relaxing
to work the earth like that.

I really enjoyed it. We definitely
worked the earth, right?

DERMOT LAUGHS

Our expertly harvested
box of greens is heading

straight for the restaurant kitchen,
to be combined with fresh pasta

to make Puglia's most iconic dish -
orecchiette con le cime di rapa.

These days, you can buy these
little ear-shaped pasta shells

just about anywhere,
but they originated

right here in Puglia
in the 13th century.

At Le Stanzie, they are still
shaped by hand in a traditional way

by master pasta maker Consiglia.

One of the reasons why I love
coming down to Puglia, Fred,

is the pasta here is incredible.
It's like nowhere else in Italy,

largely because it's made with,

like, literally two ingredients
down here.

Oh, right! So there's no eggs
in the pasta or anything.

But the taste is sensational.

So, Consiglia,
in terms of proportion,

it seems like
you don't weigh anything. No.

Si. This is a work of art.
Well, I'm worried about

the horror show
she's about to witness

when me and you
start to give this a go.

No.

Yeah, because
we haven't started yet!

You're doing it
with your fingers! Oh, OK.

On the palm like that, yeah.

Yeah? No.

I just did it with the palm!
But you're not pressing, Dermot.

I'm just doing exactly the same.
I'm doing what you're doing.

But Dermot, you're not pressing!
You've got to press hard! Listen,

I need you to be
more motivational, Fred.

FRED LAUGHS

Put your heart and soul into it.
The heart's in there...

Come on! Let me try.

Go on.

There's a lovely feel to it.

Yeah, it's beautiful.

Oh, this is hard, isn't it? OK.

Are you getting it OK? OK, yeah. OK.
It's a bit better than you, but, OK,

it's not great! OK!

OK is just a six out of ten.
I'll take an OK! Yeah.

With only an hour to go
before the restaurant opens

for lunch, Consiglia takes over.

She rolls the dough
into thin strands

and then begins
effortlessly moulding it

into the distinctive
orecchiette shape.

Whoa. That was
a lot more complicated.

You need to go slower, because
I didn't see that. Yeah, yeah.

How are you doing? Er...badly.

My theory is maybe
my thumb is too big.

SHE SPEAKS ITALIAN

She said it's an excuse.

It's an excuse!
THEY LAUGH

Consiglia, how long
have you been doing this?

Has anything changed from
your mother to your nonna

in terms of how you make it?

But isn't that lovely?
She's not a trained chef.

She's just picked up that
from her mum and a grandma.

I mean, it's the same
all over the world, right?

The stuff I cook at home,
like the Irish stuff,

I remember watching my grandmother
in the kitchen when I was, like,

six or seven, putting on
bacon and cabbage and Irish stew,

and those sort of recipes
are just handed down, handed down.

So nice to see it
play out here, though.

But she's not just
making orecchiette.

She's making orecchiette
here in the masseria,

which is 500 years old... Yeah.

..in a way that was made
500 years ago.

It's like we're going back in time.
It's incredible.

Oh! Look!

He's found it. Look! Consiglia!
He's cracked it. Consiglia...

Oh! I've done it!
You've got a lot more to do.

For hundreds,
perhaps thousands, of years,

the people of Puglia have been
growing vegetables and

painstakingly
moulding pasta by hand.

This place isn't
a museum to the past,

but the gardeners and chefs here
are honouring their ancestors

by faithfully keeping the best of

Puglia's cucina povera traditions
alive, and I love that.

Not everything that's good
in the world is new.

Oh, you know, it's a long time

since I can say
I've worked for my dinner.

But today, Fred Sirieix, with you,
I feel like I have.

It's good. We've worked an appetite.

We made the pasta and
literally picked the crops.

Everything. This is going back
to my forefathers.

When you come to a place like that,

I think it's nice to go
behind the scene, you know,

and just to understand
where the food actually comes from.

The food you're having here
is uniquely Puglian, you know?

This is the Holy Grail. Mmm.

This has been done and cooked
in this way for hundreds of years,

and the reason it's been like this

is because it's just perfect
as it is.

Hello! Hey! Hi, how are you?
Hello, hi. Fine! You?

Yes, very good, thank you.

We've had the loveliest day.
Welcome!

So I think we're going to try
the orecchiette, right?

Yeah. Yes. Orecchiette with turnips?
Yeah. Yes.

In the Le Stanzie kitchen,
the cime di rapa is blanched

and combined with olive oil,

a pinch of chilli flakes and
a few scoops of the pasta water

to create a sauce
for the orecchiette.

Finally, the dish is topped off
with a sprinkling of

well seasoned breadcrumbs,
toasted with garlic and olive oil.

OK. We are ready.

With our...with YOUR orecchiette!
DERMOT LAUGHS

With cime di rapa.

For tradition we put not cheese
but breadcrumbs on it,

for a poor tradition. Yeah.

This is the dish that has become
synonymous with a whole culture

of cucina povera -

orecchiette with cime di rapa.

Locally grown ingredients lovingly
and respectfully transformed

into a meal that has sustained
the people of Puglia for centuries.

This is the quintessential
Puglian pasta dish, really.

What I love about it is that
there's only two ingredients, right?

Flour and water. And yet
you got flavour... Taste is great.

Right! You got flavour, yes.

It feels like there's butter
in this, and there isn't, is there?

No, it's just olive oil. Yeah. But
it just it has that great kind of...

Yeah, buttery quality.
Like, luxury.... Yes.

Luxurious kind of like taste to it.

This is a true dish from Puglia,
and that's what I love -

it's just done with cime di rapa,
as opposed to meat or fish.

And it goes back to the root
and to the tradition

and to the culture of this place.

I've had this many times down here.
That's hands down the best one.

What do you think about this place?
It is pretty remarkable, isn't it?

I think for me is that here,

I feel like
I'm in the heart of Puglia.

It's full of tradition,
it's full of history,

it's full of the know-how.

The best restaurants I've ever
been to aren't fancy restaurants.

For me, it's all about a restaurant
being comfortable in its own skin.

That makes me want to go there,
because it has a real sense of

what it is and what it stands for.

And that, for me, is this place,
hands down. You know? Like you said,

you touched on the word there,
so true - it's humility.

It's just a humble place, right?

But it just knows what it is,
and this dish sums it up for me.

I mean, look...

Either that's me not talking enough
or that's me very happy.

I think you're very happy!

I'm in Puglia in southern Italy,

guided by TV and radio host
Dermot O'Leary,

and today we are back in Gallipoli.

There are dozens of
seafood restaurants

within the walls of
this ancient fishing port,

so the team at Il Bastione
have to fight off fierce competition

to secure the best of
the daily catch.

We're meeting owner Giovanni
and his right-hand man Dani

to discover the secret
of their success.

So, Fred, this is
a fish market. Right.

One of the reasons why,

and the first thing
I fell in love with Gallipoli,

first thing in the morning,
this place is bustling, right?

That's right, yes.

It's full of people coming down
to get the fresh fish.

Yeah. The fish boat, they're
coming down twice a day. Right.

So you go and get
your own fish. Yeah.

Like, in Bastione,
all the fish come from there.

Then you always come down here

and you get your crudo from here,
right? Yeah.

So the famous prawns,

you get your great shellfish
for your vongole...

For the team at Il Bastione,

the trick to securing
consistently high-quality produce

is a lifelong relationship
with their suppliers.

They are members of the same family!

Peppino, how are you?

Very nice. Very n...

You are very nice!
You look beautiful!

Raw fish for breakfast?

ALL LAUGH

As a young boy,
Giovanni worked the market

with Peppino and his eight brothers

before opening Il Bastione
nearly 30 years ago

and elevating raw shellfish
to new heights

with his sensational
seafood platters.

In the restaurant,

he still prepares every last piece
of shellfish himself,

including the delicious
sea urchins, or ricci di mare.

Giovanni, you are the urchin,
the ricci master, huh?

Some assume!

So I want you to teach me
how to do it. Simple, simple.

In there...

Yeah.

That was just the innards.

DERMOT WHISTLES ADMIRINGLY
Oh!

Yeah, with a spoon? Yeah.

Shall I give one a go?

Si.

It's quite spiky.

Ahhh!

Oh, I see!

Yeah, yeah.

That's where... so it's his mouth.
Yeah. OK.

Hey!

Hey, Peppino.

You scoop it with that!

Oh, my God...

Three?!

Oh, wonderful!

Very nice.

Oh!

Mmm!

And how do you catch them?
Do you have to dive?

Does Peppino go down?

Si, si, si.

For 20 years.

With the dagger in the mouth?!

No, just here!
THEY LAUGH

On a busy day at the restaurant,

Giovanni will prepare over
600 urchins, and shuck over 40 kilos

of the region's prized
but fiddly Taranto mussels,

another skill he learned as a boy
working here with brother Franco.

HE LAUGHS

Papa!

This is incredible,

this unique characteristic for
the seafood of the region,

and you can find that nowhere else.

From the market,
it's only a matter of minutes

before the seafood arrives
in the Il Bastione kitchen,

where Giovanni's son
and head chef Marco has agreed

to let us in on the recipe

for one of the most delicious soups
I've ever tasted.

This, for me, is the Holy Grail.
We're in the kitchen with Marco!

Come on! How are you, Marco?

Come stai? Bene, bene. Good.

So Marco is going to cook us
this incredible Puglian fish soup.

Olio d'oliva.

That's a lot of oil,
isn't it?! Yeah!

Oh! It's the gold of Puglia!

THEY LAUGH

And you see, the oil is going to
infuse now with all this flavour,

with the parsley and the garlic.

So what's the story of this soup?

A tiny bit of fish with even,
like, the rocks from the sea

with seaweed wrapped in it
just to get the flavour of the sea.

That is good rudimentary stock!
With stone! Can you imagine?

But now, of course, this soup
has evolved. People have more money

and they want quality, and this is
why we look at the array of...

the selection that you have here.
You've got langoustine...

Is that monkfish?
Like, rockfish, stonefish... Yeah.

To the garlic and herb-infused oil,

Marco adds first the squid,
then the meaty monkfish on the bone,

which is a trick to add flavour.

Why doesn't the fish
all go in together?

They all cook differently and they
want to just cook them perfectly,

but also extract all the right
flavour from this fish.

All right. Frutti di mare.

I really love how Marco
takes the time

to cook each piece of shellfish
to perfection.

Next, he adds a handful of
fresh cherry tomatoes

for flavour and colour.

Oh, my God!
And then the prawns are going in.

OK. If you stopped now,
I'd be happy!

Maybe not!
THEY LAUGH

Fred, that's incredible, isn't it?
Like, they use the sea water.

Hopefully did not follow you
when you were doing your swim!

having your pee in the water there

while you're having
your morning swim!

I love cooking soup at home,
but when I cook soup...

It's easy. Right! It's something
I'm just going to make

relatively quick and simply.

This is the opposite of that.
This is an art form.

I mean, when you think that this
soup back in the day was made

by fishermen, you know,
it was a poor man's soup. Yeah.

But look at now.

What are you doing, you tease?!

Yes. Bit of panne. Thank you.

And if we put it in and suddenly
the bread would become soft,

I'm going to have some more.

And you know what?
You can really taste the salt water.

Not in a "I've just been
hit by a wave" way,

in a really nice...

But what's incredible about this
is there's no stock.

I mean, the stock is basically...
you make the stock with...

The stock isn't here, man! Exactly!
The stock is the soup, you know?

We come here in the summer
and it is rammed.

So for that to be cooked to order,
it's incredible.

OK. He's trying one more time.

Perfect.

Don't have to be fluent
in Italian there. Perfect!

Wow!

Amazing.

This is a dish
that I've eaten many times

that I've completely taken
for granted. And now, you know,

I've got a far deeper appreciation
and respect for it now.

And, you know,
I've worked in kitchens,

I understand how hard it is,
but that level of artistry

and how exact it is
is just wonderful. Thanks, Marco.

Il Bastione had captivated Dermot

in a way that only
a great restaurant can,

and after my time here,
I can understand why.

I love coming here because...

combination of great food
and great service.

I was so glad because, you know,

I've been down to
that fish market many times.

I had no idea
the connection between the two,

between the restaurant and
the fish market. Makes sense now.

Like, the brothers...
Oh! You know, just to see

just how the whole family
works together. It's just...

it's just marvellous. And it just,

like, fills your heart
a little bit, doesn't it?

This is a restaurant for, you know,
the people, really. Exactly.

It's very traditional,
and people love it,

because at the end of the day,
it delivers time and time again,

and that's what it's about.
What about the soup, right?

You're from the land of
bouillabaisse, which is...

What? How long do you cook
bouillabaisse before you eat it?

Like, 24, 48 hours,
something like that?

24 hours, yes. Yeah?

And yet we had that soup that was
put together in front of our eyes

in 15, 20 minutes

When they when they told me that
we were going to make it,

like, there and then, I thought,
how can it taste that good?

Crazy, no?
It's all about the ingredients

and it's all about the method
that they are using.

But what I love about this soup is
that it's rooted in tradition.

It's rooted in history of
the fishermen who are out at sea

and cucina povera, you know, the...
We keep going back to it, right?

Yeah. The cooking of
the poor people. Can you imagine?

I mean, the soup that we had today
was a soup made for... Yeah.

For the kings, right? Yeah, yeah.

So Bastione gets
the thumbs up from Fred?

Definitely two thumbs up! Yeah!

Thank you, man. Thank you very much.

HORN BEEPING

There's nobody here.
There's nobody here!

Why are you beeping your horn?!
Look at the poppies.

I'm in Puglia with Dermot O'Leary,

and on our mouthwatering tour of
his favourite places to eat,

Dermot has one final destination
he wants me to visit.

The place we're going to today
fascinates me. I love it.

I really want you
to experience this.

This is the ultimate
Italian dinner party.

In a restaurant, not
someone's house,

but it feels like
you're in someone's house.

So it's a restaurant
or somebody's house?

I think it's kind of both.

I mean, it's definitely
a restaurant, but you feel like

you are having a dinner party
at somebody's house.

No, I get this vibe from you.

It sounds like you are totally
in love with this place.

Yeah, definitely. I've had
some wonderful dinners there.

I've walked into the restaurant,
and my Italian is very limited,

and yet I've sat down with people
I've never met before

and had an incredible night.

The more wine you drink,
the better you are at languages!

Gustavo Ristoro was opened in 2004

by husband and wife team
Gigi and Carmela

at their home on the
outskirts of Galatone.

Their creative Puglian cuisine
has gained them a cult following,

and this surprising location
has become a real destination

for those in the know.

Fred, welcome to Gustavo.
Wow. It's...

I mean, how can you find this place

if you don't know it's here?
Exactly.

It's just a little
untapped gem, right?

It looks like a house. I would never
have found this without friends.

Good to have you here, bud.
Thanks, man.

Thank you.

Hey! Hey, buongiorno!
Carmela and Gigi!

Hey! Ciao.

THEY GREET EACH OTHER

I'm so excited...
Lui e molto eccitato.

..to bring Fred to meet you.

This place, it feels...
always feels like I'm at your home,

and you always
look after me so well.

I love coming here.

For me, this is
what Puglia is all about,

both in the food
and the hospitality.

I've never heard that
in any restaurant before.

"Coccolare."

Come on, let's have a coccolare now.

THEY LAUGH

What a welcome.

I can already tell that
Carmela and Gigi are a unique team.

She runs front of house while Gigi
cooks up a storm in the kitchen,

preparing a four-course feast
for 70 guests a night.

I love being in kitchens.

We all know! They are all different.
I get so excited.

Unusually for a restaurant,
there isn't a menu.

The vibe is
more like a dinner party,

where guests eat
whatever Gigi cooks on the day,

starting with a selection of
local antipasti.

The antipasti is everything, right?

So you never know
what you're going to get

for the first couple of courses.

And then the second is
always the same. I love that.

Which means that he has
the artistry and he has the time

to create these beautiful pieces of
art for the antipasti.

Everything from here would be...
10km from here?

Zero?! Si, si, si.

Isn't that incredible? Zero miles.

This is the start of the cuddle.

Before the big cuddle,
you have this little cuddle.

I'd like a little kiss!

We are lending a hand
to prepare the crostoni,

slices of bread piled high
with delicious toppings.

This...

..Gigi, is burrata?

Stracciatella. Stracciatella.

Stracciatella is mozzarella?

I knew they were specialised
in local stuff here,

but I'd no idea about
the zero-kilometre stuff.

I thought some of the stuff might
come from Bari or further north.

So to get the stuff
that close to here,

that's a hell of an achievement,
right? I mean, obviously

they are in the right area. Yeah.
You know, farmers grow the stuff,

they breed pigs and then they make
these beautiful meats, you know?

How many of these do we need?
Because it's fun and all, but...

That's the last time
I bring you here!

Normally I just come and eat.

This is the restaurant world!

OK...

Fred, I'm so hungry.
This is torture. I know.

THEY LAUGH

# It's ready... #

In the summer months,
Gustavo is open

seven days a week for dinner
and lunch on Sundays.

# Prepared, it's finished... #

..and guests flock here
from all over Italy

in search of Gigi's
outstanding Puglian cuisine.

As the place fills up,

Carmela's effortlessly
working the room...

We're in your hands. Yeah.

Grazie, Carmela. Grazie. Grazie.

# For you and I... #

..making everyone feel
like treasured guests.

She's just so casual.
She's got her jeans,

she's got her black jumper. Yeah.

You know, you really feel like
you're coming into her living room.

There's probably about
four or five restaurants

that in your head, you could
always come back to, cos you know

you feel like
you're part of the family there.

This is the Holy Grail, and if
you manage to do that, that's it.

You've got a successful business.

Our feast begins with
Gigi's legendary antipasti.

Look at that! La prima.

Thank you very much.

A pecorino cheese with
a home-made orange relish.

A vibrant kilometre-zero salad.

And our carefully constructed
stracciatella capocollo

and sun-dried tomato crostoni.

Shall we start with this?

You can taste every single bit
of that, can't you?

I love that meat, that capocollo.

Really good.
I can never pronounce it!

Stracciatella. Yeah.

Very creamy. I mean, it's so rich,

and it goes so well
with the fattiness

as well as the slight smokiness
you have from the pork here.

Yeah. That pork's
sensational, though. Yeah.

Let's talk about this cheese.

For me, it's the orange
that makes it.

I am not a fan of marmalade,

but actually, when you try
the orange, it goes perfectly well

with this pecorino because of
the age of the pecorino itself.

And then you get the sweetness
of the oranges and you're like,

"Of course! This is so obvious."

Also, this oregano is from
where I go to swim.

Is it? Yeah. It's a beautiful
natural park called Porto Selvaggio.

You walk down it,
you get the smell of,

like, half pine and half oregano.
So beautiful.

The genius of
this delicious antipasti

is that it's all been prepared
in advance,

freeing Gigi up to cook
his second course fresh to order.

Ohhh!

CARMELA SPEAKS ITALIAN

Oh, wow!

A rich risotto served in the rind of
a local caciocavallo cheese,

topped off with
toasted hazelnuts and rosemary.

Shall I be Mama?

I love the presentation.
Oh, it's gorgeous, isn't it?

This is so original.

The risotto is the caciocavallo,
so this is the local cheese.

Really unique to this area.

That risotto's exceptional.

It's so creamy, but that lovely bite
and sharpness of the cheese as well.

It's just heavy in your mouth.

That's the hero of the dish,
isn't it? Yes.

The cheese is... Yes. Mmm!

But such a simple,
humble ingredient,

and you have a meal.

For our secondo, or main course,

the only dish that you are
guaranteed to eat

on a visit to Gustavo,

a bowl of pure comfort food.

Hello! Gigi!

Gigi's slow roasted loin of pork

with mashed and roast potatoes

and seasonal fresh veg.

Gigi, Carmela, how long
has this been on the menu?

Because every time they want to put
something else on the menu,

a revolution! Yeah.
THEY LAUGH

OK, thank you very much.

This is a hug in a dish, isn't it?

Let's eat some nice pork here.
Fred, this is sensational.

Ohhh!

As you put your knife in there,
you don't even have to press.

Oh! Also, there's mash.

They do two different
types of potato.

But this for me is good.
It reminds me of Ireland,

because if you sit down for
a roast dinner or a dinner,

you don't get anything...
like, minimum two potatoes!

Did they start to put
the two potatoes

when you started to come in?
That's a really good question.

In your honour!
THEY LAUGH

Dermot "Two Potatoes" O'Leary?
Yeah, that's why they done it!

To finish our generous
hug of a meal...

Oh! Thank you.

..Gigi's own take on a tiramisu.

This is extra workouts
for me and you.

You know that?
This is a very naughty dessert.

You're going to be running a lot.
Yeah, but I don't feel any guilt.

DERMOT LAUGHS

So to sum up, what do we make of
our Gustavo's experience?

For me, it's a ten out of ten.
Oh, wow.

The food is delicious, right?

But I think that what you have here
is a very personal experience

with Gigi and Carmela.

Ten out of ten from Fred!

That cream...

Well done, Puglia!

Gigi and Carmela have more than
lived up to their promise

of a coccolare.

We've been scooped up
in their arms like family,

and for 30 euros each,

treated to the best home-cooked food
that Puglia can offer.

Dermot, this trip was so special,

because I think that
the three places you took me to

just embody totally
the spirit and the soul of Puglia.

But it's been a voyage of discovery
for me as well.

To sort of properly peek
behind the kitchen door

and meet the families behind
the food and the area I love so much

has been an absolute...
A huge privilege for me.

It's a real thrill.

And you know, when you come to town,
Fred, I've got to say,

the pressure's on me,
and I wanted to make sure

we delivered with
those three restaurants

because I wanted you to see those...

Did you feel the pressure?
Did you really? 100%!

He needn't have worried.

From the frutti di mare crudi

and the divine fish soup
at Il Bastione...

..to the humble cucina povera pasta
at the Masseria Le Stanzie...

..and the warm embrace at Gustavo's,

Dermot delivered three
truly outstanding places to eat.

You know, what's really exciting
for me and very special to discover

is how authentic and unspoiled
the cooking is. Yeah.

In all these dishes, we have just
seen and eaten the soul of Puglia.

And you know what I love about
what connects it is,

it's exactly the same philosophy.

It's like welcoming you into a home.

And that, for me,
is what Puglia is all about.

So are you coming back next summer?

I'm still here!
THEY LAUGH

You're not going anywhere!

Thanks, Fred.
Thanks, man. It was so good.

It was so, so, so good.
I really enjoyed it.

Let's go get a pizza. All right!
THEY LAUGH

# So much love. #

Next time, I'm in Majorca...

Majorca's on the come-up.

It's going to be a food destination
very soon.

Well, you're here, so it must be!

..with pastry chef and journalist
Ravneet Gill...

Oh! This trip so far,
I mean, ten out of ten.

..on an island experiencing
a food revolution.

This is like a military operation
on the beach!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media