Seventh stage of the Giro d'Italia. Here is the alternative route for cycling lovers who also want to make delicious gastronomic stops
The wealth of Abruzzo lies in its versatility, in just an hour by car you dry off after a dip in the Adriatic Sea and reach the mountains at 2000 meters above sea level, making a trip made up of gastronomic and wine stops to the true lovers of pleasure. . . The seventh step of Italy Tour You will see cyclists take a path like this, but in the opposite direction, from the inland to the coast, you will reach Molise, to Termoli.
Giro d'Italia: cycling (and eating) in Abruzzo
He rode in the municipality of Teramo notaresco (Te), a region certainly known for timbales and scrippelle 'mbusse (thin pancakes made with eggs, flour and water, served rolled and 'mbusse, that is, bathed in a hot broth), but also because it is home to one of the most popular Italian breweries, pioneer of Abruzzo's beer culture since 2009: Opperbacco. The brewer illustrated is Luigi Recchiuti, (re) known in the industry as a great talented experimental technician. Visiting it is not only a moment of cultural brewing, but also of pleasure linked to its beers: from the old Bianca Piperita, an evergreen plant characterized by the use of the homonymous variety of mint and locally produced honey, to the thirst-quenching and hops. Violent Shared, at the level of the creations of the Nature line in which the association between wine, fruit and beer is reinforced. You will be welcomed at the Agripub where you can pair all beers (8 different rotating taps) with local flavors such as barley malt skewers and pizzas.
After the Giro d'Italia caravan, then along the Adriatic coast towards the south, a notable stop is the Loasi restaurant in Silvi Marina (Te), in the heart of the protected area of Torre del Cerrano. So here we are in a very short time at the sea, in a place where you can taste the dishes of chef Fabrizio Sacco standing with your feet in the sand. In 2018, the talented Abruzzo decided to change its bathing beach by creating a restaurant (also very popular at sunset for high-quality cocktails) in which to eat calibrated and tasty fish dishes, the result of its reinterpretation, very valid, of different cultures. from the world: Peruvian ceviche, Thai cuttlefish, spaghetti with bottargue.
Continuing (or rolling) south, staying with a view of the sea, but entering the province of Chieti, you reach San Vito Chietino, in the middle of the trabocchi coast (the ancient "colossal spiders" as they were called by Gabriele D' Annunzio, fishing structures with wooden feet submerged in the water of the Adriatic) where the obligatory stop is at the Essenza Cucina di Mare restaurant. A living room with a sea view, that of Filippo de Sanctis, son of art of a family that made the history of fish cuisine in this part of Abruzzo. Do you want great simplicity? It is the perfect place for raw fish, oysters, prawns, seafood strozzapreti and original Filippo gin and tonic combinations.
Continuing towards the arrival in Molise, it is inadmissible not to know his majesty Il brodetto alla vastese which in Italo Ferri finds its greatest and indisputable interpreter. In the Da Ferri trattoria the story of one of the emblematic dishes of maritime culture is told daily, the lu vrudatte, strictly cooked in a typical terracotta casserole, the old tijella in clay, in which chef Ferri makes the poor coexist small fish and less demanded by the market with tomatoes and other garden products: the dish par excellence that unites the two communities of fishermen and gardeners. Italo's sister, Rita Ferri, is ready to welcome you to her cozy beachfront b&b, L'angolo di Nina.
If, on the other hand, your legs hold up, it's time to continue. A photograph to immortalize the crystalline waters of the Punta Aderci natural park and again on the way to San Salvo Marina, the last town in Abruzzo, ten kilometers from Vasto and practically on the border with Molise. The city, in addition to being known as a place conducive to obviously summer coastal tourism, sports an ace up its sleeve that attracts food lovers all year round: the Al Metrò restaurant. Where the family pastry shop once stood, now for a few glorious years, which also brought the Michelin star, the Fossaceca brothers serve their territory. Chef Nicola demonstrates remarkable skills in terms of fish and the exaltation of tradition with proven techniques and a very distinctive approach made of simplicity and quality. To get an idea, simply order one of his star products: Mullet at Skapece Espressa. Now you are really ready to leave Abruzzo and reach the city of Termoli, entering the most underrated region of Italy, Molise.
