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100 Favorite Dishes

100 Favorite Houston Dishes, No. 66: Puccia Pugliese Foggia at Sud Italia

Phaedra Cook August 26, 2015 7:00AM

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Phaedra Cook is eating her way through Houston and counting down her 100 favorite dishes of 2015. It's a collection of personal favorites that is also indicative of Houston dining. It's a scene where a vast range of dishes coexist: highbrow and lowbrow; local and international; cheap and expensive; modern cuisine and beloved tenets — and everything in between.

At lunchtime, Sud Italia at 2347 University Boulevard offers a lovely dish that strikes a balance between lush and light: the Puccia Pugliese Foggia with a small but elegant salad on the side.

The name is quite a mouthful for non-Italian speakers, but it’s all practical and sensible when broken down. The word “pucchia” indicates the type of bread used. It’s similar to pita, but thicker with a more crispy exterior. “Pugliese” references the Puglia region. In other words, the sandwich is made in the style of Puglia. Finally, Foggia is the city this sandwich is named for.

The crisply little sandwich is lavished with luscious ’nduja, a salami spread tinged with hot pepper. Fiery red oil sneaks out under the melted sheet of Provolone on top, tinting both bread and plate with its spicy richness.

Accompanying the sandwich is a diminutive salad that makes up for its small size with its aesthetic charm. A pastel-green lengthwise slice of cucumber is a circular swath encompassing upright endive, halved cherry tomato and spring greens in mustard vinaigrette. This simple sandwich-and-salad combination could be a light meal or just a course before the main event.

The List of Top 100 Dishes of 2015 So Far:

No. 67, Triple-Smoked Pastrami On Rye At Kenny & Ziggy's
No. 68, Fume Pizza at Pizaro's Pizza Napoletana
No. 69, Banh Mi Thap Cam at Café TH
No. 70, Caramelized Onion Soup at Mockingbird Bistro
No. 71, Milk Chocolate Stout Malt at Fat Cat Creamery
No. 72, Pork Ribs at Roegels Barbecue Co.
No. 73, Carrot Pizza at Weights + Measures
No. 74, Jalisco Wings at El Big Bad
No. 75, Mussels at Cafe Brussels
No. 76, Cresta di Gallo at The Pass & Provisions
No. 77, Beef Fajitas at El Real Tex-Mex
No. 78, Chicken Tikka Masala from the Tandoori Nite truck
No. 79, Chocolates at Cacao & Cardamom
No, 80, Hummus Supreme at Al's Quick Stop
No. 81, Red Oil Dumplings at Mala Sichuan
No. 82, Tex-Cajun Fries at BB's Café
No. 83, Mac & Cheese at The Oceanaire Seafood Room
No. 84, The Principal Burger at Bernie's Burger Bus
No. 85, Hunter's Honey-Roasted Duck at Brennan's Of Houston
No. 86, Fish & Chips at Good Dog Houston
No. 87, Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit at Blacksmith
No. 88, "Saucy Balls" At Brooklyn Meatball Company
No. 89, Perry's Steakhouse/Perry & Sons Pork Chop
No. 90, General Tso's Chicken from The Rice Box
No. 91, Eggs, Refried Beans, Hash Browns and Hugo's Sauce at 59 Diner
No. 92, Shipley Do-Nuts Plain Glazed
No. 93, Housemade Bologney at Public Services Wine & Whisky
No. 94, Bo Luc Lac at Cheno's (formerly Chino's) Fast Food
No. 95, Combo #5 at Soto's Cantina
No. 96, Carnitas Salad At Chipotle
No. 97, Pickled Shrimp At Punk's Simple Southern Food
No. 98, Lobster Roll At Maine-Ly Sandwiches
No. 99, Chili-Cheese Coneys At JCI Grill
No. 100, Corned Beef Hash And Eggs At House Of Pies