Sicily in May - "Must Eat" Suggestions?

Ortigia- Locanda del Collegio,
Ristorante Regina Lucia
Avoid a ristorante with name beginning with Don!
Taormina- Nettuno( seafood)
Don’t eat at Nero d’Avola!!

Don’t miss an almond granita…granita di/alle mandorle….you’ll find them everywhere!

We are planning our second trip to Sicily in October. We are staying two nights in Agrigento so we can visit Villa Roma de Casale. There is a Michelin rated restaurant Al Fogher nearby that has a reasonable set lunch that is highly recommended.

In Catania we enjoyed a delicious dinner at “Cu a Voli Cotta & Cu a Voli Crura” on Vía Euplio Reina #18, not far from the cathedral and only a block from the Piazza Università. Friends who live near Catania took us by car to see Etna and the surrounding area. Our friends took us to eat Sunday lunch at L'Osteria del Siciliano in Nicolosi. https://www.osteriadelsiciliano.com/. It was very good and we were probably the only Americans in the place. In Ortygia wr ate at this tiny restaurant one night and enjoyed our meal very much and there was quite a long line waiting to get in. A Putia delle Cose Buone. Corso Roma #8, Ortygia. They did not accept reservations. It was quite small, and not fancy, but good food.

Foods to try in Sicily, panelle ( chick pea fritters), arancini (fried stuffed rice balls), sfincione ( thicker Sicilian pizza sold by slice), swordfish, cannoli, pasta a la norma, finocchio (fennel) and orange salad, caponata, cassata, granita, and the list goes on and on.

Off-the-beaten path, eh? How about fresh octopus cooked in front of you, and spleen sandwiches, from the markets. No, I didnt try them, but was told they were good if you like that sort of thing.

In Ortigia, stop by Casefieco Borderi for a panino (sandwich) the standard of which is absolutely loaded with meat, cheese, and fresh ingredients. The long line is worth it, and comes with the show of the owner making the sandwiches and stopping to hand out samples of fresh ricotta to those waiting. He’s earned some internet renown, but it’s an experience.

In general, order anything and everything with pistachio, almond or ricotta. It’s off the charts all of Sicily. I found cannoli was at its absolute best when you order it in more of a restaurant setting. Where bakeries will fill them fresh in the morning, restaurants tend to do it at the moment you order and it makes it even more spectacular. Sicily is also a great place for caponata, or anything eggplant. Pasta with sardines tastes nothing like I imagined and was life changing. Foccacerias are a great and cheap stop for lunch. The ubiquitous chick pea fritters were hugely disappointing, universally deep fried to a soggy mess.

Sicily favorites in September, 2022:

Palermo - Procopio Pizzeria (best ever pizza) and La Galleria (gamberini)

Ortigia - Trattoria La Pigna (mussels, select your own fresh catch)

Taormina - La Locando Dei Moro (pistachio bruschetta, burrata salad)

Winery - Emilio Sciacca Etna Wine (excellent wine, snacks/lunch, awesome view of Mt. Etna)

Wow thank you SO much for these recommendations and the tips (i.e., cannolis in a restaurant vs bakery!). I am drooling (except for maybe the spleen :)! Really grateful.