Serenity by the sea: a culinary Journey at La Veranda di Giselda
Sitting in the shade
of the seaside gazebo,
I sip a black coffee
with a bold aroma.
The splendid Trilussa
brightens my morning
with a collection in Roman dialect.
On the nearby little beach,
cluttered with shapeless debris
from winter storms,
the chatter of joyful children
and worried parents resounds.
Abandoned on the table,
an open book flips its pages
swiftly, spun by the sharp east wind.
For the soul, a small thing is enough
to rise in the sun
and forget the worries.
In the distance,
sky and sea embrace each other
in the monochrome of blue
… at Giselda’s Veranda.
In 1919, Grandfather Giovanni, known as “Giuannill’ u’candir,” at the end of the First World War was rewarded by the state, for his service on the front, with a piece of land.
On this land, the result of his courage, he decided to open a cellar; a meeting place for fishermen and farmers in the small hamlet of San Vito. An evening gathering of men, toughened by the sun and the sea of Puglia on boats or in the fields, who found peace from the day’s toils in that place.
From that small cellar, four generations of the Carrieri family succeeded each other under the sign of hospitality until the birth of the seafood restaurant “La Veranda di Giselda.”
The veranda is a typical Apulian trattoria characterized by a terrace open to the sea and located in San Vito, one of the most beautiful villages in Puglia in Polignano a Mare. An easy destination to reach via the S.S. 16 that connects Bari to Brindisi. You will find yourself in a magical place by the sea, at the foot of an ancient Benedictine Abbey that overlooks the small beach dotted with goiters, the typical boats of the precious local seafaring tradition.
In this extraordinary place, you can savor the flavors of Apulian cuisine: rice, potatoes, and mussels, grilled octopus and fresh fish, phenomenal troccoli with scampi, eggplant parmigiana, or mussel soup, and other dishes from the Mediterranean tradition. The service is excellent, and hospitality is a hallmark of the house. At the counter, standing or in total relaxation for those with limited minutes and for those who want to let time pass. From culinary delights to a practical sandwich or from an aperitif to a simple coffee break: all in the relief of a place of refreshment for body and mind.
