Botteghe

Vico Fornaci, Matera, May 16, 2015—

BIG MEAL MIDDAY today, since we were to be at a concert from seven to ten, and Hermes knows how we'll find the place. Getting to lunch was tricky enough: on the map it looked an easy walk, but it was down hundreds of rough stone steps…

I chose the restaurant from the Slow Food website, and was happy I did. We started with the degustazione Botteghe , a selection of antipasti including

•"cialled": bread, tomatoes, cucumber, onions, basil, oregano
•Caprese salad (mozzarella, tomatoes, basil)
•Prosciutto
•Zucchini "spaghetti": zucchini cut very thin with vinaigrette
•two or three frittatas
•a couple of croquettes
•a large serving of whipped cream with chopped Treviso chicory

Then we went on to other local dishes:

•Fave e cicorie: beautifully supple purée of fava beans and olive oil, with sautéed bitter chicory greens
•Tegamino di baccalà alla menta: salt cod baked in tomato sauce flavored with mint
•Patate alla brace: potatoes baked in their jackets

White agleanico in carafe

•Ristorante Le Botteghe, Piazza S. Pietro Barisano 22, Matera; 0835 344072