Well I have convinced Jim to take a 2 week trip with me this November - it looks like it will be Eastern Sicily and Rome based on his preferences. Ive read recent postings so you dont need to repeat (thanks in advance for all the resto reports!) but I am wondering whether there is any insight on the difficulty of driving in and out of Catania and Siracusa as opposed to basing ourselves outside the cities and travelling in to visit (we are not planning to stay in Ortigia in any case.) .
it would also be great to hear any insights on touring around Etna Ive seen Slowfood and what Katie Parla has to say on her website
and then there is this very current article which lines up with Parla as well as Slowfood in terms of resto reccs. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/travel/sicily-mount-etna-wine-food.html
Im seeing Taormina as a day trip from a country base We will most likely be doodling around natural sites like Cassabile and Vendicari in the southern part as well as Noto and other cities in that area if we have time- we have visited Modica , Ragusa and Sicli before and may just not have time to go back on this quick trip.
As for Rome, we will probably stay down by Ostiense/Testaccio again and will eat out either in that area or where we find ourselves on our day excursions. If anyone has solid reccs from a recent visit I would be very happy to hear.
In Taormina we loved picking up meat and cheese from La Bottega del Formaggio. Bam Bar is super touristy but it does a nice granita for breakfast. La Cantina del Sole is an amazing wine shop on the main drag with a great selection of Sicilian wines.
In Noto we did Caffe Sicilia which is in theory “the best granita” in Sicily and it was good not great. Wasn’t blown away by the almond one, which is what they’re famous for. I did enjoy my espresso with coffee granita in it, though. Enjoyed the baked goods from Panificio Maidda, but I’'m not sure it’s destination worthy? Great place to stop and get a snack, though. There’s also a gorgeous shop called Campisi on the main street that has tons of canned and jarred seafood and the such. Will fill my suitcase with food from there the next time I go.
Oh, and we stayed in Ortigia over the summer and there are several large parking lots right over the bridge before you get into the ZTL. (Take the first left once you cross the bridge.) We never had a problem finding a spot even on a weekend in the high season. The garage (Talete) is kind of sketchy – we preferred Riva Nazario Sauro. I would go to Ortigia any day just for the sandwiches and gelato. (It is rather beautiful, too.)
Lastly, if you haven’t done Antica Dolceria Bonajuto in Modica I’d recommend it. We were in town for just a couple of hours and this was one of the highlights of Sicily for us. My son proclaimed that its lemon granita was “god tier” – it was so fresh and they made the panna from scratch (with vanilla seeds strewn throughout). The chocolate is outstanding (if you like grainy, Mexican-style chocolate) and the baked goods were fantastic as well. (The 'mpanatigghi, a beef and chocolate sweet pastry, was tasty but it was the shock value I suppose that elevated it.)
We also really like the chocolates from Sabadi (also the grainy kind which is typical of Modica), and they’ve opened what appears to be a very charming garden bar with a stunning view. (Sadly, we were there too early for it.)
thanks for the parking info. We are finding that the agriturismos in the Siracusa/Ragusa area are mostly either closed or not serving dinner in November, I guess because it truly is low season for the type of tourism they offer. We may wind up having to stay in towns after all to be able to walk to restaurants in the evening, we are not eager to drive a lot after dark.
I had I think the pistachio (possibly the almond but I dont think so) granita in Marzemino and didnt like it so much though the brioche it was served in and the idea turned out to be great. If its warm maybe we willl try one again though sweets will not be high on our list for this trip.
