{"id":1761,"date":"2021-10-30T15:05:17","date_gmt":"2021-10-30T15:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/setyourownscene.com\/?p=1761"},"modified":"2021-10-30T15:05:29","modified_gmt":"2021-10-30T15:05:29","slug":"plastic-garden-chairs-this-seasons-must-have-dining-room-accessory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/setyourownscene.com\/?p=1761","title":{"rendered":"Plastic garden chairs; this season\u2019s must-have dining room accessory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whilst polished concrete, artfully distressed interiors and industrial chic are all the rage in London and New York, there is only really one de rigueur<\/em> fixture that I\u2019ve noticed in many of the best eateries in Southern Italy; white plastic garden chairs and tables.  In fact, I\u2019d go so far as to say that there appears to be a direct correlation<\/em> between the restaurants that have these in their dining area and the tastiness of their food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pizzeria dei Platani<\/strong><\/a>, Laureto<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In mid-September I was staying at the\u00a0Masseria Fragnale<\/a>\u00a0in the hamlet of Laureto, just outside Fasano.\u00a0\u00a0The masseria is over 100 years old, was extensively renovated and extended in 2006, and is now run by a local family who have filled the place with tasteful antique furniture, including unusual four-poster beds, carved in India.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a few days of rest and relaxation ahead of the start of the school term; daily morning swims in the outdoor pool, taking my time absorbing Big Joanie<\/a> frontwoman Stephanie Phillips\u2019 book Why Solange Matters<\/em><\/a> and then spending the afternoon driving through the more remote parts of the Pugliese countryside, stopping off at whichever cove happened to look particularly alluring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After spending my first night exploring the delights of Fasano (the nearest reasonably-sized town to Masseria Fragnale), on the second evening I chose to stay local and see what Laureto had to offer.\u00a0\u00a0There was a rough and ready-looking\u00a0braceria<\/em>\u00a0(barbeque joint) that I decided to swerve, before taking a punt on the unassuming\u00a0Pizzeria dei Platani<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n