Bari might take a while to love. It's a rough and ready port city with a sometimes grimy exterior. However,underneath is a foodie gem, one of the best in all of Italy.
Here, people line up for street food like Focaccia Barese and Sgagliozze (deep fried polenta fritters). Then,there's the local pasta dish, Assassin's Pasta, named for it's spiciness. Don't worry, the name is morebark than bite.
Of course, any trip to Bari would be incomplete without a visit to to pasta alley, where ladies rollout Orecchiette, the so-called "Little Ears", right before your eyes!