Second dinner in Catania, a week later than the first (we flew JFK to Catania, spent one night in that city before retrieving our SIXT rental car at the airport and driving south to SILVA SURI, outside Marina di Ragusa. After 7 nights in a “country hotel” there, we returned our car at Catania airport and took a taxi into the city for one more night…beware scamming by taxi drivers the fare should be in the area of 32 euro to the center of Catania).
Catania is enchanting and I found not one iota of anything seemy, or scary, even when walking alone at midnight. On the contrary, I found every person I encountered to be welcoming and eager to help this foreigner in any way possible.
For our second dinner we canceled our reservation at the Michelin-starred SAPIO after a disappointing dinner the previous night at the Michelin-one-star VOTAVOTA in Marina di Ragusa. More than ever I know that, for me, Sicily’s best dining is not found at the starred restaurants with the great exception of Pino Cuttaia’s LA MADIA in Licata which remains among the best meals I’ve had in Italy. I believe I wrote about that astounding restaurant in my thread from 2023.
So…there are so many tempting restaurants in Catania that we were spoiled for choice. We ended up returning to VUCIATA KITCHEN MARKET in la Piscaria, the legendary fish market of the city that turns into a thriving restaurant zone at night. I would say that this is a do-not-miss area for dinner in Catania.
I had an excellent dinner there last year when I went alone and brought back food for my partner who had trouble walking back then (and still, to a lesser degree). Once again, I was delighted by my choice.
YES, the fish market restaurants draw many tourists, and the earlier you dine, the more chance that the dinners seated next to you will not be Italian. But even at the relatively early hour of 8:30pm, our fellow diners were a mix of European tourists and Italians. It’s a small place, with outdoor and indoor tables, and full of life. (book ahead by phone or on THE FORK)
Waiters, both Sicilian and from the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, are as welcoming as you could want, as was the owner who surprisingly, remembered me from last year. (I’d not seen any solo diners at this restaurant, and I don’t think I spotted any in any other place we ate, so I probably stood out as a single woman eating alone last May, 2023)
In any case, the welcome was warm and service is quick and efficient but you will not get the feeling that anyone is rushing you to turn the table.
So: We ordered five dishes, plus two desserts. After the antipasti and the prime,the latter split two ways, we reluctantly had to cancel the two secondi because we were full to the extreme. So those horse meatballs that I loved last year, and the involtini of pesce spade (swordfish, probably the signature fish of Catania) will have to wait for our next visit.
Portions here are hearty, and cooking might be akin to “home” cooking. The menu is vast and includes the typical Catanese offerings with plenty of options for vegetarians (most of those include eggplant) and for carnivores as well.
These are the dishes we devoured; nothing fancy but all very satisfying:
At left, Catanese version of eggplant parmesan; here called eggplant a la Siciliana at right, caponata which was less sweet than I prefer but still very good.
Note the composition of the eggplant Siciliana; layers of eggplant wedged between two layers of cheese: very different than what we are used to in New York:
Pasta alle Norma, with paccheri, a short pasta that was almost universal on menus in eastern Sicily and the Aeolians. The usual pasta in restaurants is the dried paccheri from Gragnano in Campania; neither of us could finish half of the order, that was split between us.
I believe that Catanese men visit the barber for haircut and shave at least once a week; this was a head waiter at VUCIATA KITCHEN MARKET. Service was deft but warm and we were able to chat with at least one server, from Egypt who I will remember for his hospitality and genuine warmth and curiosity:
For dessert we shared a lemon sorbet and tiramisu which was very different than what we know as tiramisu in the US…no pastry, just luscious cream topped with chocolate and espresso powder. I do not like the version in the US but this caused a war between the two diners at our table…each one vying for “just one more bite!”
With water (Acqua Panna, from Tuscany, is very popular all over eastern Sicily) and one glass of mediocre house wine, an Etna Bianco with no estate specified, Total bill: 47 euro.
Typical scene on Via Gisira, in la piscaria, about 10:30pm…streets were teeming, everyone seemed to display great humor and it was a joy to stroll around.
From Catania, we were driven to Milazzo Porto for the 1 hour 30 minute hydrofoil trip to Salina, the greenest of the Isle Eolie. And we find ourselves here for a total of 12 nights in near paradise, at the hotel above Malfa town where we spent time in May 2023. So far we have taken each of our dinners at the hotel, where dinners are 40 euro per person for three courses plus dessert. But we will be venturing out to various restaurants in the days to come.
Hopefully, we will get to this restaurant, in the main town, and main port, of the island:
Nni Lausta
We’ve rented a car for two days taxis are extremely expensive; fee from the port to our hotel, a distance of about 7km, is 25 euro.
