The title is a play on words that well you get the idea of these three young dreamers with their feet on the ground. Because by Primo in Lecce, boutique restaurant with only 20 seats plus a lovely courtyard, opened on February 24 this year, the taste is really the first place. But the name chosen for the restaurant also means first experience, first step and, why not, first greedy point of a long series.
So hope the smiling and very kind Silvia and Marco dealing with the exquisite hospitality in discreet and charm room of the restaurant on the ground floor of a modern building of contemporary Lecce. It ‘s a wish that we would like to share with these young but prepared guys with an experience gained in the hall run in the capital. Then the choice to return to their origins and to give birth to a restaurant in their town (open daily except Tuesdays) which welcomes up to 22 people inside.
A targeted selection – Silvia explains to us – to better follow the customers in the dining room. The precautions are not related only to the reception, but they concern the food and wine. A confirmation for us the third element that gives personality with her kitchen to Primo with Silvia and Marco: the chef Sara Latagliata, already known long ago as the soul of Nobili Pasticci as sole director and with which continues to propose banquets, food and wine events and courses kitchen to the insignia of a high-profile food culture. Equipped with talent but also of adequate technical knowledge, Sara recovers intelligently and in a contemporary way the tradition preparations not only from Puglia in an increasingly successful meeting between different production areas, from Daunia to Murge to the Salento. Notable examples the use of the salt of Margherita di Savoia, the peranzana olive oil by Terrefide from San Severo, legumes from Alta Murgia and the freshest fish of both our seas, Ionian and Adriatic. Same philosophy on the wine list. But we are entrusted to the board of Silvia and enjoyed throughout the meal, from appetizer to dessert, a fresh and fruity Minutolo Polvanera of 2015.
That Sarah in the kitchen is fun to play in the contrasts of flavors, colors and textures, you can discovered early from entrée: a pasticciotto base salted with burratina and red shrimp of Gallipoli combined to Venetian bubbles Sant’Anna. A tidbit from the refined chromatic effect and delicate and very harmonious taste between raw seafood and the tasty dairy product. Well-balanced flavors of the main course of seafood tasting menu we chose. This is a soup of chickpeas blacks of Alta Murgia with smoked bream with local olive branches that goes well with both the burnt wheat crackers that bread made from carob flour. The more intense the flavor of the risotto with caciocavallo cheese, wild chicory and almond biscuit grain. Guessed the hot-cold combination of raw fillet of red mullet wrapped in a Altamura bread curl with red shrimp of Gallipoli and white shrimp to act as a contrast of colors and flavors on a warm base of past turnips. More delicate pairing, which winks at innovating tradition, including sepia, moscardni and mussels on mashed potatoes Sieglinde “spotted” by a gelée reduction rosé Negroamaro and drops of squid ink.
Primo Restaurant
Via 47° Rgt. Fanteria, 7 – Lecce
Info: +39 0832 243802 –www.primorestaurant.it – info@primorestaurant.it
