Teresa Buongiorno

A true ambassador for Puglia’s modern food scene.

Her inventive, self-taught style of cooking is a breath of fresh air. By bringing the region’s traditional dishes into the 21st century, she helped boost the reputation of an area already famous for its fantastic food.

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As a child, Teresa was always happy to help her mother and grandmother in the kitchen. Being born in Puglia meant she was surrounded by some of Italy’s best ingredients – tomatoes from Brindisi, olive oil from Salento and fresh fish brought ashore just two kilometres from her village often made appearances at the dining table. ‘I was always fascinated by how much work my mother put into making just one meal,’ Teresa tells us. ‘Naturally, I wanted to get involved.’

Teresa’s first taste of professional cooking came when she met her husband Teodosio, whom she married in 1981. His parents ran a neighbourhood tavern called Già Sotto L’Arco famous for its tripe rolls and other traditional roast meat dishes. Despite this, Teresa only got to cook big family meals on Sundays, while Teodosio studied nursing during the day and helped out at the restaurant at night. Her husband eventually stopped studying and the pair decided to open a shoe shop together, deciding that the life of a restaurant owner wasn’t for them. However, business was slow at the shop, so they found themselves working shifts at Già Sotto L’Arco to make ends meet.