THESE WERE, WELL delicious. On a tip from our trusty Italian guidebook Gambero Rosso, we stopped for lunch at Taverna 58 on our way to Mattinata. The restaurant is associated with the Slow Food movement, which supports restaurants fitting three criteria, as per the website:
- GOOD a fresh and flavorsome seasonal diet that satisfies the senses and is part of our local culture;
- CLEAN food production and consumption that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health;
- FAIR accessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for small-scale producers.
I cannot speak to the second two but as for number one, the food at Taverna 58 was out of the park. This chickpea salad was so fresh, mixed with cous cous, tomatoes and plenty of celery of all things, a light oil and vinegar dressing made it the perfect way to start lunch–which is something we never would have known because we didn’t order it. The talented chef sent it out as a complimentary starter. Little did we know that the first dish would essentially be our last.
This is because the ladies in our party, myself excluded thank you, weren’t cooperating. With Estelle in the Bjorn, I bounced in my seat, rocked back and forth and tried to scarf up as much of the salad, pasta and chicken I could before calling it quits. Paul had his hands full with Phoebe, who ate a few bites of chickpeas before beginning an early afternoon meltdown, almost literally. This was the kind where they go boneless, as my friend Molly says. Slithering down her seat, wiggling around on Paul’s lap, we slurped up a little rose before I took the girls outside, leaving Paul to pay. And hopefully savor a bite or two in peace. Sigh.
Taverna 58
Corso Manthone’ 46, Pescara, Italy
+39 085.690724
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