Chez Pipo - Nice

Trying Out Socca
I didn't know anything about Socca until I arrived in Nice.  It's a regional flatbread made from chickpeas and olive oil.  It's for sale all over the place but I got a recommendation to go to Pipo, which is supposed to have a good version.  We took a long, leisurely evening walk from our hotel on the Promenade des Anglais and arrived at the already packed Pipo at around 7pm.  We lucked into an outdoor table and scanned the menu.  It's pretty straightforward: you either get a single serving or a double serving.  They also serve tapenade, but we mistakenly passed on that.  We should have gotten some since it took quite a while to get our Socca.

I took a peek indoors and noted the huge wood-burning stove.  Socca is a simple mix of chickpeas, olive oil, water and salt which is kneaded into a thin dough that is stretched onto a large pie pan and cooked for 5-6 minutes at around 600 degrees.  You eat it straight from the oven, piping hot.

I had no expectations so when it arrived and I took my first bite I was kinda ho-hum about it.  (Excuse the bad photo - there was literally no light outside.)  It tastes exactly as the ingredients would suggest - like chick peas and olive oil.  I don't think you're supposed to dip it in anything but I'm not sure.  It would have been nicer with some kind of dip.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed the experience.

13 rue Bavastro
Nice
France

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