I’ve found a couple of posts on Sicily but are more focused on wine or broader in their treatment of the island. I’ll be around Etna/Taormina for a few days in late-October and don’t expect to venture too far. Any restaurants recommendations are appreciated. I’m less interested in Michelin stars than good casual food.
Nero d’Avola - great restaurant in Taormina with a really nice wine list featuring wines from Mt. Etna. If the owner/chef stops by your table and learns of your interest in local wines, you’ll get an opinionated but entertaining education. He’s totally plugged in to the local wine and foodie scene and he may tell you about how he bagged the game which is sitting on your plate. Did not find this kind of passion at other local restaurants. We had a fantastic evening here.
Features wines made from Nerello but called Nero d’Avola? Is that to get folks who have only heard of NDA to come try the Etna wines?
Thanks - saw your post in the other Sicily thread so this is at the top of my list.
Not sure what was the impetus behind calling the restaurant Nero d’Avola. I don’t recall whether there was also a good selection of wines made from that grape, but I do recall the nice selection of Etna Rosso. That’s what I was most interested in. Better yet, he had a pretty good selection of Etnas with some age on them, too.
I was in Taormina this past spring. Nero d Avola is a must visit. I think the owner’s name is Turi. He had some amazing lemons. And you should also try Da Cristina for great arancini and pizza - take out only. Try to read the book Palmento by Robert Camuto. And on Etna a great place for food is Sandro’s Pizza/Cave Ox. Tons of good wine and many winemakers also.
http://www.tachu.net/frank/blog/2011/sandros-pizzeria-is-open/
I went to see Etna and taste wine. Passopisciaro, Graci and Terrre Nere are good choices.
I read Palmento before my visit to Sicily and took it with me as a guide book. Really added to my visit. I would echo Gary’s recommendation.
Etna was very active during our visit. Orange and red clearly visible during the night. We went up as high as you can go without entering the park. Kind of looks like a lunar landscape. 30-35 F drop in temp from Taormina. We also went over to Benanti, located on the south side of Etna. Warmer and more modern wines. Some of the visits can be a difficult to arrange.
If you are there now, I hope you are enjoying the show.
Left Taormina on Wednesday so missed the fireworks.
I have/did read Palmento, which was both entertaining and a useful resource. Nero d’Avola was very good. We also really enjoyed the restaurant in the old Nero d’Avola spot down an alley at the end of the main street in Taormina, called Osteria RossoDiVino. Great (mostly Sicilian) wine list and fish.
Any updates for restaurants in Taormina? Heading there in two weeks.
Thanks
On a recent visit, we got a bit more attitude than I would have liked at Nero d’Avola. Don Ciccio, just the opposite, and the food was as good if not better.
Nero d’Avola was not bad, though the wine list was only ok. Tiramisu was awesome though! If you want you can find some details on search.
Cave Ox also has good wine and tasty casual food - it may or may not be close to Taormina for you.
We dined at Osteria RossoDiVino two weeks ago. Very good food and wine.
To report back, we had three dinners in Taormina and did takeout one night.
First up, Osteria DiVino - best meal of the trip. Great service, good wine list and great food. Scampi pasta was best dish of our trip to Italy. Great setting too. Closest to they way we like to eat, fresh, local menu, not gigantic portions.
Next up - Tiramisu - Not good. Reminded me of North Beach in SF where they try to call you in off the street. Plastic menus that appeared to be ten years old, pushy service. Food was bland, particularly the mixed seafood plate. Tried to sell us on the fish per kilo but we resisted. Tried to double up some of the dishes as well but we made them go over our order multiple times to prevent it. A real disappointment and wasted meal in not a very nice setting.
Vicolo Stretto - Recommended by our hotel. Up the narrowest of stairways, nice setting. Good to very good food. Had an incredible “half wild” pork or wild boar tenderloin that was a highlight dish on the meal. Good langostine pasta, not as good as Osteria. Service was good with very broad wine list. Recommended.
For takeout hit up Da Cristina, which has multiple choices of pizza by the slice and the small cheese shop in town (La bottega del formaggio) where we got prosciutto, salami, stuffed peppers and grilled eggplant all for 10 euros. Great place that does cheese and wine tastings, but we did not have the energy for that, having tasted on Mt. Etna all day. Highly recommend both of these for takeout.
Sorry my rec let you down. Did you at least check out their wine cellar and get a cool bottle?
Doug - No worries, hard for me to complain when fortunate enough to be on vacation in Sicily. I did not check out their wine cellar but we had a bottle of Etna Bianco that I enjoyed.