Place to eat: Pizzeria Le Ripe, Peschici, Italy

About this place:

One word - bliss! The pizza from this tiny little place known among the locals simply as Le Ripa, serves a pizza unlike anything we have ever had. And, my husband and I have darkened the doors of a few remarkable Italian pizzerias in Siena, Sicily, even those of a Neapolitan-Roman transplant in Oxford, England. But nothing really compares to the pies that come out of Le Ripa’s wood-burning oven. We have gone for months between our visits to this beautiful, undiscovered region of Italy and the young woman taking the orders still remembers us. The same two artisans practice their craft day in and day out, crusts flying high in the air and ready to satisfy the entire town of Peschici. Locals line the tiny streets enjoying their slices from the stoop of a nearby staircase or if lucky, at one of the bar stools at a narrow counter just outside the door. They have a significant array of types of pizza: from a traditional margarita to one topped with spicy arugula. The fresh, Puglian ingredients add incredible flavor, especially the local cheeses and olives. They also sell calzone and amazing Panini sandwiches made from the same dough used for the pizzas. And, for desert, or, pre-gelato, you can order a calzone filled with oozing, warm Nutella. But, all that said, what makes the pizza at Le Ripa so fantastic is the crust. It is that perfect, paper-thin almost cracker-like crust that only comes from a true, Italian wood-burning oven. So, if you ever find yourself in the Gargano region of Puglia (an absolutely magnificent place to visit), find your way to the historic center of Peschici and enjoy!