I will finally get to show Sicily to LLD! Very excited about the trip, and for most of it I feel pretty comfortable with going back to places I have been before. But this will be my first time in Ragusa (Ibla), where we have 2 nights, and I didn’t love the place my hotel recommended last year in Catania (this is putting it mildly - I thought it was awful). We’d like to stay in the Ibla section for our two dinners, and in Catania we’ll be down by the Duomo/main square, and would like to stay in that area for dinner. We’re looking for places that are NOT fancy. We’d like somewhere cozy, romantic, great food, easy to be in and friendly service. I prefer to eat seafood or vegetarian when possible; LLD is a meat fan.
We’ll also be in Rome at the end of the trip for one night, staying near the Torre Argentina. We had planned to go back to a fried cod place that we have fond memories of, but it turns out they are closed on Sundays. We would love to be able to just drop in somewhere and not have to worry about reservations/timing, but maybe this is unrealistic. Any recommendations in that area/Campo dei Fiori for easy and delicious dining? I found one place 2 years ago that was great and had a couple snacks for lunch, but then had a pretty grim dinner because I hadn’t planned in advance. We’re ok with pizza or sandwiches (but not meat for me) if it fits the bill of delicious and easy.
I haven’t been to Rome since 2017 and I’m a broken record, so I won’t bother saying (edit: all of) my same old again. LOL. I will say I did not worry about reservations and I was able to find a tables at places I liked through reservation apps that secured tables with a credit card.
My one regret is that I couldn’t try the fairly formal Armando al Pantheon that @roxlet recommended to me. (Edit: sorry, Armando al Pantheon is also closed Sundays). I would book that table at Armando al Pantheon on a future visit if I have a few days to a week in Rome.
You might want to consider a meal in the Jewish Quarter, since they have some nice regional dishes that don’t involve meat. I liked Nonna Betta, which is pretty good and quite cheap. There is probably an even better slightly more upscale option for the same types of dishes. Nonna Betta is open Sundays. Closed Tuesdays.
We only flew in and out of Catania & stayed much further south, save for the few days in Ortigia at the end, so I gotz niente, but as someone who fell in love with Sicily so much we’ve visited twice 2 years in a row I’m very much looking forward to your travel report.
When are you heading there? Earlier in the year to avoid the heat & masses — besides Rome, of course, which I hear is always packed, regardless of what time of the year?
I dont have any tips in Ragusa area other than a cooking class and an all day food/wine tour. And I havent been to Catania yet.
I will also be in Rome in May, and I get the sense that all the famous places like Roscioli, Armando al Pantheon, Cesare al Casaletto, ie any Parla or Manchilli recco are now strictly for tourists. While some places can be touristy for a reason, we can/should find some more local places that offer similar quality in the capital.
Very close to the Duomo in Catania is A PISCARIA, the fish market. At night, this area, centering in Vila Gisira (look for the colored umbrellas overhead) turns into a restaurant zone, with side-by-side eateries focused in fish and seafood–and vegetables!! There are many choices, but the one I’ve been to a few times is VUCIATA KITCHEN MARKET. It’s crowded, and it attracts tourists, but mostly tourists from Italy and elsewhere in Europe. I liked it a lot! Very good (round) eggplant parmesan and lots of fish/seafood dishes. Very reasonable prices.
A step up as far as atmosphere would be LE TRE BOCCHE, but that one is further from the Duomo (I think it’s walking distance but we took a taxi). That one has the large bank of fish/seafood on ice, sells by weight, and was filled with locals when we went. Very friendly service but little or no English spoken.
The B&B we loved in Ibla is SABBINNIRICA. We had only two dinners in Ragusa because we took a few day trips and had large lunches in other towns. We ate in IL DUOMO, which is not what you are looking for and really, you don’t need fancy Michelin-star dining there anyway.
For lunch/snacks (they are closed at night) go to CANTUNERA IBLA for excellent arancini in some unusual combinations (I remember speck and pears with Asiago). Fabulous fry technique. Sit on benches outside, or take to the park next door. Lots of school kids go there for lunch..
One place I recommend highly, for savory pastries, is PANEFICIO GIUMMARRA, in the upper town; you can walk or take a bus. Bring a very large shopping bag to bring home your treats. No English but everyone is super helpful and you can see what they have I the glass cases in front. Specialty is the Ragusa typical savory pastry: Scaccia. Stuffed with eggplant, tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms onions…or all of the above.
Also, if you are not going to Modica (chocolate) you can buy Modica chocolate in lots of shops. But the shop to the left as you face the Duomo in Ibla has a big selection (I think I brought home bout 30 bars!). Even more interesting: In the back of this small grocery, there is a counter. On top of the counter, they had some pastries that looked home-made. One of these turned out to be a typical Modica pastry combining chocolate and …pork. You may not want this, but maybe for LuLu?? It’s the only place I ever say this (did not go into Modica) and it was delicious, with no porky taste:
I dont believe any of these places are strictly for tourists now, @Ziggy. We have managed to get delicious meals at Armando year in and year out. They find ways to let their patrons visit and that should keep the quality up. I continue to say though that we do not go to restos of this sort for dinner, but usually take out main meal at lunch in Italy - I suspect most tourists are there at dinner. this is a business/govmt district, most Romans will have headed home for their evening meal. Perhaps you could try getting your “roman cuisine” meal at lunch time, and find some excellent pizza for dinner, something like that could work. I still find Katie Parla and slowfood generally reliable in Rome, tho the center of gravity for good meals has definitely spun out of the center
Its true that tourist density reduces immediately if you get out into the outlying areas- we had a very good Sunday lunch at Tram Tram in the San Lorenzo district on our last visit, for example. Several of the restos with the Roman standard dishes in Testaccio will be open, although the one we liked with a particularly diverse vegetarian menu, piatto Romano, is closed Sunday.
In Catania, in addition to the fish market , (as I have reported before) I really enjoyed the big delicious arancini at Savia, on Via Aetnea near the Parco Bellini, many flavors, pastries too but i did not try these, too full from the amazing arancino, also had an excellent meal at Me Cumpari Turiddu which has a very large, diverse regional menu and a strong local clientele of all ages very enjoyable traditional scene, definitely a good idea to reserve. I did not particularly love the pasta specialty I ordered with as I recall mainly breadcrumbs and anchovy but people were eating happily all around. (maybe I did not have much appetite after the arancino.
The food in Ragusa province is rich and excellent with lots of good vegetable dishes, interesting appetizers (all sorts of little sciacca, like@erica1 mentions, fine pasta with pork ragus (there are a lot of pork dishes and fine sausages there. I stayed at an agriturismo with a resto not far from there as part of a botanical tour a couple o f years ago and I think pork was served each night in some form! Also good fish should be on offer in Ragusa. The only resto we went to in Ibla was A’Rusticana, a slowfood pick which is also famed maybe to its detriment, as the place where Inspector Montalbano (from the mystery series) ate. The food we had was typical of the area and very tasty and homey, I believe a tomatoey pork ragu - we noticed that everybody else (the locals I guess) were eating lobsters and artichokes! FWIW in any event. The terrace is very nice with a beautifully executed green wall (note, this was a pre-pandemic meal)
Those towns and coast are lovely, enjoy!
I wish I was sure about the little place I found in Rome last time for lunch snacks. It was wonderful. I had artichokes (both ways), and the most amazing stuffed zucchini blossoms - cheese and anchovy and the lightest batter. Local wine, and a free limoncello to send me on my way.
Thanks Jen. Unfortunately if I eat my main meal at lunch I tend to immediately need a nap. But after the food in Sicily, I feel pretty sure we’ll be ok with something easy in Rome, like pizza, fried fish, sandwiches.
You will be in Sicily during Lent, which means lots of daily features of tuna, anchovies, chickpeas etc, I expect, at smaller mom and pop / traditional spots that locals may frequent.
San Giuseppe Day is March 19th. Not only Father’s Day across Italy, also an important Name Day, esp in the South.
there is a “thing” about most European places . . .
altho they may be ‘infested’ with local/American style ‘chains’ -
generally the local restos absolute excel in producing ‘fine dining’
to wit:
if you are going to visit {{{big USA city/area}}} there are mega-recommendations usually focusing on ‘(well)-known’ chefs.
in Europe, there are far fewer-to-none… restos by ‘famous’ chefs.
but, there are far more local restos with mega-star food offerings.
I think we have had this discussion before ! I was mostly responding to Ziggy - Im sure these places are fine in the evening too - because they have high standards. Ive just always - going back into the chowhound years - puzzled at people complaining that they are surrounded by tourists in central rome restos. I finally just concluded that was because Roman and tourists show up at different hours there and in other city centers. It does effect the experience and make you wonder - but I do beliieve that excellent cooks in excellent restaurants arent going to cook a different way for tourist guests. They have their standards Its going to cost and its going to be harder to get a seat in these places, but if thats where you are, it could be worth it especially perhaps to give a good time to LLD
I trust Roxlet’s taste in Italian food, so I was happy to attempt to try Armando al Pantheon on my last visit. She is an American of Italian descent who has visited Rome and other parts of Italy many times.
Does her background even matter? As a half Greek Canadian with Italian Godparents, many Italian Canadian friends, around 2 dozen half Italian relatives, and only 5 trips to Italy under my belt, I don’t know if I have more or less cred than anyone else who likes Italian food in Italy and abroad.
I can understand wanting to get off the beaten path.
I also realize some travellers will be seeking out good food in touristic neighbourhoods. And some Italians born and bred in Italy will dine at some of the better restaurants (at whatever price point they choose) in those neighbourhoods.
