It’s hard to summarize just how cool and perfect an experience we received from Chef Steffano, “the crazy cook / il cuoco pazzo”. If you’re in Martina Franca, this is the one MUST-VISIT restaurant that YOU REALLY NEED TO EAT AT.

Quality: 5 Value: 5 Service: 1,000 Ambience: 5

We were just wandering through Martina Franca when we stopped to admire the triangular buildings and glance at the menu (they were closed for the afternoon siest / postolino). Chef Steffano stepped outside to take a stretch break, saw our very obviously touristy attire, and asked how we were and where we were visiting from. A few compliments about California later, and we found ourselves talking for almost 20 minutes, then taking a shot of his homemade local laurel liquor (licoro dall’alloro) and asking to buy a bottle from him. We were bummed we were leaving back to Ostuni and couldn’t stay for dinner. We decided to stop back the next day on our drive to the airport for lunch. It was one of the best meals we’ve eaten in Italy, or ever.

We started with his custom charcuterie board with peccorino cheese, burrata cheese, salami (ground sausage), caprocolo (whole-muscle prosciutto), and panchetta (like cured bacon). We grabbed a bottle of phenomenally smooth and crisp white wine. He also offered up fresh, home-made bread made partly with potato flour; it was the ONLY good bread I ate inside a restaurant while in Italy.

Our mains were the truffle tortellini and pomodoro orecchiete (local “ear” shaped pasta). The orecchiete was the best we ate while in Italy. The truffle tortellini was the best I’ve eaten in my life. Everything was perfectly balanced, aromatic and fragrant, but not overpowering.

The balance of spice, fat, salt, and acid in the sauces was unbelievable. I got video of my best friend drinking the remaining sauce out of his bowl after the pasta was gone. We almost wept with how delicious the meal was - and just how damn nice and friendly Chef Steffano and his whole staff were. We ended with a shot of their ginger digestif, which was just the right amount of sweet and alcoholic.

All of this cost us about 30 euros per person, and was an almost unbelievably perfect visiting-the-city-and-eating-at-local-spots experience.

If I am ever back in Puglia, I will go out of my way to come back and eat at Coco Pazzo, and you should make the same effort to get here and try the food and meet this team.