Puglia is open in nearby Kingsland offering genuine Italian dishes and hospitality.
Puglia’s owner Cosimo, talks to Ponsonby News. I'm from Apulia but my family and I moved from Southern Italy to New Zealand in 2014. I'm passionate about everything that is food and hospitality.
What inspired you to create your own restaurant?
My true inspiration comes from Nonna Francesca and Mamma Marisa who taught me how to make fresh pasta and bread. When I was just a child, I used to spend hours with them in the kitchen making orecchiette and tagliatelle.
I’ve now been working in the hospitality industry for more than 26 years and it came naturally that my biggest dream was to open my own restaurant. After moving to Auckland and working in some of the most prestigious Italian restaurants in town, I made the call and opened something on my own, a place where I could deliver to people the best dining experience and genuine Italian cuisine – the focus being on the Apulian recipes of course.
Who is your wonderful chef?
Our head chef Alessandro has been a valued asset of the Puglia team for the last 15 months. He comes from Reggio Emilia, the main city of the Emilia Romagna region, and has been living in New Zealand for seven years. Before bringing his authentic Italian culinary skills to Puglia, he worked for some of the most well-known Italian restaurants in Auckland.
What are your favourite dishes?
My favourite dishes are ‘Orecchiette con brasciola’, (orecchiette pasta with stuffed beef roulade slow cooked in Napolitana sauce), which is also one of the best sellers on our menu, and ‘Tagliatelle boscaiola’ (Italian sausage, fennel seeds, mushrooms tossed in a creamy parmesan sauce). But I also enjoy simple dishes like ‘Tagliatelle bolognese’ (tagliatelle pasta in bolognese sauce) or ‘Gnocchi ai quattro formaggi’ (gnocchi four cheese).
Our menu includes a variety of dishes to please everyone’s taste. We also have a special vegetarian menu and offer several options for vegans.
How are the feedback/reviews on FB and Google?
We work hard to offer our customers a great service and delicious food, so we love it when they let us know how much they enjoyed their experience at Puglia. Looking at our FB page and Google profile you can see our clients have left positive feedback, which means that the passion we put into all we do has been so far greatly appreciated.
I am happiest when…
I'm home cooking and baking for my family, also trying new recipes that one day might be part of the Puglia menu!
509 New North Road, Kingsland, T: 09 558 2361, www.pugliarestaurant.nz
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