Sicily Restaurants: Reviews & Recommendations

[lamington]

Sounds like fun. I still suggest you at least try the tuna or swordfish depending on what is in season and fresh.

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My companion will have to try it -- I can't go near it, alas.

[Andrew Fenton]

You're going to have a great time, lamington. Sicily is my favorite part of Italy: it is beautiful, there are all kinds of interesting things to see, and the food there is the best in Italy.

If you're looking for a base in eastern Sicily, Syracuse is your place (it's more interesting than Catania, I think), and my favorite spot on the island, probably. Do go to Da Mariano (Vicolo Zuccola, 9), in Ortigia, spitting distance from the Arethusa fountain. It's a Slow Food joint, very inexpensive, and with a terrific, personable owner- the kind of place where you can just put yourself in his hands and do just great. And be sure to go to the fish market there; it's not as famous as the markets in Venice, but it's a great place to walk around. (And definitely go to the archaeological museum: it's the best in Sicily, and one of the three best in Italy.)

(A shame about no fish for you; fish is a staple of Sicilian cooking, of course, and especially in the east part of the island. Basically every kind of fish you find in the Mediterranean gets channeled through the straits of Messina. It's a pretty amazing bounty there.)

Taormina is a beautiful spot, but it's overrun by tourists, many of whom never see any part of the island besides that one place. I'm not crazy about it. Still, I can recommend at least one restaurant: Da Franco is on the piazza where the bus drops you off from the main parking lot. It's a solid trattoria (the best part is the seafood... sorry...)

In Messina you'll want to eat a lot of granita. October is a little bit out of season, I think, though the basic flavors (almond, lemon, coffee) are still available. Go to Bar Santoro (sorry, don't know the address, but I bet you can find it online) and get the brioche with granita and cream. It's a classic breakfast dish for Messina, especially in the summertime. That said, the best granita I've ever had in Sicily comes from a truck parked outside the Temple of Olympian Zeus at Agrigento. They have other things listed on the side of the truck, but if you ask, all they actually sell is lemon granita, and it's superb.

Piazza Armerina is fantastic, and you should go if you can. The local specialty there is roast chicken, and it can be absolutely superb.

If you can make it to Palermo, do. And try to eat at Bar Spinnato: it has been around for over 100 years, and was recently announced one of Gambero Rosso's top 100 bars in Italy. Great pastries, superb marzipan, and great food: I had pasta with bottarga there that was just out of sight.

What else? October is high season for fichi d'India (aka cactus fruit.) I like it, but it's kind of a hassle to eat. Still, it's kind of mind-blowing to look out over, of all things, cactus orchards.

Have fun!

[lamington]

Fantastic comments, thank you!

[Catherine Iino]

I'm bumping this topic because I will be in Sicily for ten days in August, and would love to hear any further thoughts on foods and wines to search out. I've copied down all the suggestions in the thread so far--thanks, all.

[Ste]

a tray of cannoli - every pasticceria will be able to pack them in a way that will make it easy for you to carry.

for Catherine: make sure you visit any of the restaurants participating in

http://www.lesostediulisse.it/chi_siamo.html

[Catherine Iino]

A belated thank you--somehow I missed this before. I will report back.

[Pontormo]

Have you left yet?

Just in case you haven't looked through the recent Sicilian cooking thread, I'd say go for DOP pistachios from Bronte (if in a sealed package) and a couple of jars of pistachio paste. Make sure you're getting a product of superior quality, made simply with Bronte's pistachios and sugar and not a lot of filler and additives.

If you figure out a way to make sure the bottles don't break, I'd also go for one exotic fruit-based syrup and/or special liquor made with ingredients rare or impossible to find here.

Look for cheeses (ones coated in wax? I am not sure what Customs will allow, so check first) that seem very, very local.

[docsconz]

Have you left yet?

Just in case you haven't looked through the recent Sicilian cooking thread, I'd say go for DOP pistachios from Bronte (if in a sealed package) and a couple of jars of pistachio paste.  Make sure you're getting a product of superior quality, made simply with Bronte's pistachios and sugar and not a lot of filler and additives.

If you figure out a way to make sure the bottles don't break, I'd also go for one exotic fruit-based syrup and/or special liquor made with ingredients rare or impossible to find here.

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Bring plenty of bubble wrap and large freezer bags. Wrap bottles with the BW then put them in the freezer bag and remove air.

I agree with the Bronte pistachios. The sun-dried tomatoes are awesome too. Sicilian olive oil is special.

[pedalaforte]

I just found out I might be able to go to Italy in mid-March. I'm considering two options: NW Sicily or Bologna.

My wife wants to go to Sicily, so that's first under consideration. I'd like to go to Bologna area.

Questions:

1. In Sicily (northwest or west only), would be see flowers/trees (almonds?) in bloom? Would fresh vegetables be on -- the early stuff? We can deal with wet or nippy (we would appreciate sun, Jim. Z.!), but would it be miserable?

2. In Bologna area, are the winter foggy times past by mid March? We want to hit the cullatello bottom-lands. And the parm-highlands. And Parma itself, but also the surrounding hills and towns. We want to eat, in other words.

4. With nine days total, would someone visiting the Bologna area subtract, say, two days for Venice? Never been there, in spite of the fact that every human I've ever met has told me it's the most romantic place in the world.

5. With nine days total in Sicily, how many would you devote to Palermo itself (given day trips to Monreale, maybe Cefalu)? My thought: three in Palermo, head to Scopello or Castlemare and day trip from there to Erice, Zingaro, Segesta, what? Trapani?

3. In both places, are most restaurants open that time of year?

We like the peace and quiet of March, which might not be present in Venice.

[ghostrider]

#4: I'd subtract 5 days for Venice, but that's just me. Folks either love it or hate it. Me, wherever else we go in Italy, 4-5 days in Venice are an absolute requirement.

Venice is quieter than many places even in midsummer - no cars - in March I suspect it'd be dreamy.

[DaleJ]

I was in Sicily last March for two weeks. (We go to Italy spring and fall.) That trip was the foulest of the fourteen I've made. IMO, Sicily is only the coast. The interior is virtually uninhabited. The weather was fierce. Cold, windy and rainy (with some sleet).

We spent a week in Sciacca on the southwest coast and a week near Siracusa.

I must admit, however, the Greek ruins are truly awesome.

(I'd opt for Bologna with a few days in Venice, my favorite place in the world.)

[Kropotkin]

I spend a week working in Central and Southern Italy each March. The weather is usually fine: warm and sunny at best, but it can also be cold, blustery and rainy on occasion. Yet the Po valley can be colder and damper still, so I'd be tempted to head South in spring for the nature and the weather... Palermo is easily worth three days.

That said, if you do choose the North, Venezia is a must for a minimum of two days, I'd say, and preferably three or four. The city is pretty quiet in March and sleepier districts are always accessible if you walk beyond the tourist trail. Watch for the way the early-morning light bounces off the canals. The restaurants are always open. Other cities within easy reach of Venice (like Verona, Vicenza and Padova) are also worth a day.

[DaleJ]

BTW, That foul weather is called the mistrale and must originate in Siberia.

[Bard]

pedalaforte, will you be traveling with a personal vehicle or just train-hopping?

Sicily is a majestic land with large amounts of history that differs from town to town. Palermo would be a great city to start with. Spleen sandwiches and great gelato await. If you have any interest in ruins/art, Palermo would not disappoint. One of the greatest mosaics in all of Europe is a 15 minute bus ride from the center of Palermo. Trapani and Marsala are obvious other choices. If you just want to stay on the western side, do not miss Agrigetno. This small city has an incredible culinary scene. The Greek temples are rivaled only by those in Athens and possibly Paestum. One of the best places to see a sun set over the actual Mediterranean. March should have almonds and fruit. Although there is vegetation year round in Sicily. 9 days would get you a lot, but you would soon realized that 9 life times would not be enough to capture all of which is in Sicily.

Emilia-Romagna would be the other part of Italy (other than Sicily) that would give your taste buds such a wonderful experience. Rich dough that represent what pasta is defined as. Sauces that fill but don't cause sickness. Brodo and belly-buttons, this is a large place to get lost in. Parma is one of those, small but very nice and cozy cities to be inn. Find a great bead & breakfast and just live like the Italians. Bologna has wonderful churches and similar structured cities of those in parts of Tuscany. This region holds so much for the palate, cheese in one city, vinegar in another and the greatest meat product on earth in the other. From the little roadside stand to the three star service within the cities, Emilia-Romagna is on of THE best representations of the Italian 'life'.

If you don't have enough undivided time to give to Venice, don't go at all. It is not the kind of city that can be rushed though. 5 or 7 days could give a nice picture of the lagoon but anything less would just feel scattered and rushed.

I hope you are satisfied with either decision. My personal experience would have me going to Sicily. It is so different in all ways that even Sicilians from the eastern side get confused with the dialect of that in the west. You will not find food that is as unique as that in Sicily.

[MMerrill]

We have travelled in Sicily 3 or 4 times in March and experienced weather from balmy and sunny to rainy and cold, but always enjoyed every minute. Two years ago we stayed at an agriturismo estate owned by a producer of fine olive oil (www.becchina.com/index.htm), not far from Selinunte (my favorite temple site). Our father and daughter hosts were delightful. They love good food; will cook a meal for you, or direct you to the best restaurants and wineries in the area. At our favorite nearby restaurant - Il Vigneto - near Menfi, in the middle of artichoke fields, we've lunched on outstanding pastas and fresh grilled fish. Between these courses, we were presented with a platter of fried artichoke hearts to die for. On the road between Selinunte and Agrigento you'll pass men selling crates of just-picked navel oranges. Buy them - they are delicious! Palermo is a fascinating city which abounds with great eating opportunities. From there you could visit Segesta, Monreale and Cefalu. In late March, the almond blossoms are gone but there are fields of wild flowers all over and the countryside is green and beautiful.

[pedalaforte]

Thanks to all. We definitely are leaning toward Sicily as my wife really, really wants to visit. She's fascinated by the north African influences, in-season citrus possibilities and, of course, fresh artichokes!

We (and the couple we with whom we will travel) are fascinated by the history and art, and certainly we would visit Monreale, Palermo's many highlights, and, Segesta and Selinute. But, in particular, we love to see the countryside and its bounty in bloom and to see how that translates onto local tables! That is, we want to taste what's in Sicily's fields in March. So, given only nine days, that's why we would stay west, to try to capture a little of just that small -- or not-so-small -- part of Sicily.

As for Bologna suggestions, and my thought to add Venice: I really want the same things as above from a proposed trip to the Bologna area -- artisan food experiences. I've almost memorized Burton Anderson's "Treasures of the Italian Table," having read many chapters as many as 20 times. Really. So the Venice sidelight really was just a sidelight to a more in-depth (hmmm, nine days) look at the wealth of food-Bologna! I do know that Venice deserves its due; I just don't want to give it that until I'm through with culatello, parmeggiano, and balsamic!

Thanks for all your thoughts. I definitely am thinking about Trapani and, now, Menfi!

Cheers

Edited October 13, 2006 by pedalaforte (log)

[Pontormo]

Good choice! I long to go to Siciliy more than ever after we cooked our way through the region. Check out that thread ("Cooking and Cuisine of Sicily") if you haven't yet. Many of us loved Clifford Wright's book that focuses on Arab-based cuisine. (FYI: Author joined eG some time ago; there's a thread devoted to that book, too.) We discussed other good introductions to the food, including books by Simeti & Lanza.

Also see Albiston's report of his two weeks in Southern Italy, the second spent in Sicily. There are more excellent threads here, too.

Blood oranges may still be around, the season ending in March. Tiny transparent new-born shrimp (I forget the name) should be on tables in restaurants.

I don't know how much you know about Monreale and Palermo, but I recommend going beyond the stuff guidebooks provide by picking up a slim, heavily illustrated & lively (honest) PB by the authority & scholar Thomas F. Mathews, Byzantium. From Antiquity to the Renaissance. It will put the mosaics in a larger context (beyond Sicilian shores) and provide some background on Islamic culture--or earlier periods of multi-culturalism.

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That said, Bologna is great in fall and the dead of winter. Ditto re Parma , Cremona and even Modena. Venice should be a different trip all on its own, possibly with Padua and Ravenna thrown in as day trips. During rainy seasons, the city can be damp, freezing and oppressive. I spent a week there when it poured every single day. It was still Venice, ma...

Edited October 13, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[Kevin72]

Echoing Pontormo's comments, when you start planning your return visit (probably, oh, about 3 hours after your plane lands back here), if you decide to do a Bologna/Venice combo, allow for more days and go either at the same time of year or mid to late fall. As someone else said, Venice is a love/hate kinda city and we were absolutely enchanted when we went, during off-season and when it was cool enough that the canals weren't so ripe.

[RRainey]

I will be in far western sicily for two weeks next fall. West of Agrigento,west of the North south autostrada. I plan to go to Marettimo for a few days, Erice,selinute Tripani, etc. Please suggest wineries to visit and places to eat esp. if below 30 euro/person. RR

[divina]

Ciao Robert!

I did a similar trip last christmas.

We didn't go anywere famous... but had some fun meals.

Erice you MUST go to Maria Grammatica's pastry shop.

Was the least sweet of all the marzipan sweets we had.

Loved her Cedro jam which is the filling os many of her marzipan specialties.

We basically ate at small places near the markets in Palermo. hitting them at night too as that's were magically stands would improvise as resstaurants. grilling meats , some parts un identifiable..the specialty in Palermo are the spleen sandwiches.

We also saw a guy doing boiled octopus in a fabulous copper pot, with lovely ceramic serving plate!

WILD!

We stayed near the Antica Foccacceria San FRancesco and the B&B we stayed at gave us a coupon for Breakfast everyday there.

The wine bar in front is very famous!

I will see if I can find my notes!

[John DePaula]

I was just about to say: a stop at Maria's is essential in Erice. You cannot go wrong with anything you buy there. See here: Sicilian Pastries from Shop of Maria Grammatico

It has been a while, but it seems like the place we enjoyed for dinner was RISTORANTE OSTERIA DI ERICE. It was not that expensive: only about $46 for 2 people.

There is also a good thread here: Sicily, Erice, Agrigento, Cefalu, Palermo recs?

ETA: link to posts about Maria Grammatico's shop.

Edited November 22, 2006 by John DePaula (log)

[RRainey]

John, Are you sure the name wasn't Osteria Di Venere? I can't find refrence to Osteria Di Erice. RR

[divina]

I would just go to Maria's first and ask them where to eat!

[RRainey]

which fish is available for the fall? Tuna are out of season? RR

[John DePaula]

John, Are you sure the name wasn't Osteria Di Venere? I can't find refrence to Osteria Di Erice.  RR

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Sorry... I retrieved the name from my credit card records and sometimes the name on the statement doesn't match the actual name.

I think that you may be correct. I checked some of the guidebooks that I was using at the time, and although 'Osteria Di Venere' isn't listed, there it is, plain as day, penciled-in in the notes section for Erice in my handwriting. So it must have been a local recommendation. I thought it was a good value.

As an aside, the night we were there the owner's daughter, about 3 years old, was playing with the telephone and having a VERY animated imaginary conversation - holding the phone with one hand and gesturing wildly with the other - very cute.