I’m a little sad today, as it’s the finale of our Great Italian Road Trip from February. Today, we’re exploring Palermo. Some new experiences, some familiar faces. Let’s get to it.
If you’ve read last year’s entry, you’ll know there’s an overnight ferry that links Palermo and Naples. Last year, we took that ferry. This year, not so much. The sea was very angry that evening, and–despite no actual seasickness–there was very little (nearly zero) sleep achieved due to the unbearable pitching and yawing of the vessel. Not a complaint, because it’s the sea and that can happen. Just pointing out that it’s not always sunshine and rainbows.
So this year, the second (faster and–surprisingly–cheaper) option was utilized. Drive back to Rome, and fly to Palermo. Knowing that the need for a car would be nearly nonexistent, it just made sense. Upon arrival on the island, the very expensive taxi (it’s about 45 minutes from the airport to the city center, which can be close to 100 euros in a cab!) was skipped and the very cheap but sliiiiiightly more time-consuming bus was chosen. At 7 euros, it’s a no-brainer for anyone wanting to save their money for the stuff that matters–food, beverages, tours, etc. Upon disembarking the bus, it was about 10 minutes’ walk to the hotel. Which hotel? Well, that’s obvious. The B&B Hotels Palermo Quattro Canti. Last year we loved the rooftop bar, the staff were phenomenal, and the rooms quite spacious and comfy. This year was absolutely more of the same, if not even better. But more about that in a little while.
After checking in and dropping off bags in the room, we found ourselves back down along Via Maqueda at Taverna Dei Canti. Yes, just like last year. Sue me, it’s frickin delicious.
After a negroni and a ragu, an exhausted Professor decided best to retire to the room and start fresh on the morrow.
And the morrow came with proper Sicilian gusto.
Astute readers will recall a delicious breakfast upon the recommendation of a local at Bar Al Capriccio. Well I’m happy to report that became the daily hub of operations from which all outings/adventures commenced. With an unparalleled proximity to one of the most spectacular sights in the city, Teatro Massimo, and a true local buzz about it (roughly 70-80% of the patrons were greeted like family, so I can only assume they’re locals) I can report with extreme confidence that the cornetti and cappuccini are top tier.
Normally I’d have taken the photo before taking a bite of the cornetto con marmellata. I was hungry.
Anywho.
After breakfast, it was time to get down to business. What business? Learning to cook. Again. And who better to teach, than one of my favorite people on the island of Sicily, Marco Cillari! His classes, offered via “A Casa di Cilla”, are individually-tailored to not only the students he’s generously hosting (in his home!) that day, but also what’s available fresh at the Mercato del Capo, just north of Teatro Massimo. We were joined by a lovely young lady from Australia and a British chap (whom I suspect–given his prowess and knowledge regarding culinary arts–has spent time in more than a couple fine dining kitchens in his day) who were sooooo much fun to banter back and forth with. I won’t mention their names here because 1. it doesn’t matter and 2. nobody cares BUT they really made it that much more fun. At least this year nobody was averse to eating meats other than fish. Marco seemed relieved.
After deciding on a menu of lasagna, stuffed squid, and swordfish rolls, it was time to hit the market and patronize Marco’s preferred stalls. If you haven’t ever experienced a proper Sicilian (or really ANY Italian city for that matter) open-air market…..please go check some videos out on the ol’ YouFace or whatever the kids call it these days. Vendors screaming at the top of their lungs, talking shit about one another, hawking their wares….and they’ve been doing it that way for nearly 1000 years at Mercato del Capo.
After securing everything we’d need for the meal, we meandered back to Marco’s apartment where we got a chance to catch up a little, talk about life over the past year, etc. He’s an absolutely delightful man and I adore him completely. He even refused to let me buy a simple 4-pack of aperol spritz pre-packaged bottles at a little grocery shop on the way. Such a great guy.
After arriving at his apartment and “warsching up” as we say in the midwest, we got right to business combining raisins, pistachios, pecorino, garlic, and a few other choice ingredients as the stuffing for both the squid and the swordfish rolls. Marco cleaned up the squid by removing all ancillary portions from the main body. The fins were lightly fried and enjoyed as-is, while the tentacles (no hentai jokes pls) were finely chopped and added to the stuffing. The swordfish was sliced and then pounded out to a certain thickness, stuffing added, and everything rolled up nice and tight (think like Chipotle does with your burrito). Off to the oven with those two.
Next up, lasagna. Hooo boy lemme tell ya….Marco’s got a killer recipe for this one! Obviously the pasta was scratch. Barring super-fancy shapes, you won’t find a self-respecting chef anywhere on Sicily or even within greater Italy itself who goes premade pasta. Long story short we made a *LOT* of lasagna layers and I made one that looked like a rabbit and it made Marco laugh. But if you look at that subtle smile as he checks the filling….that’s one happy Sicilian.
Once the layers of scratch-made perfection found their way into the oven, it was time for the most important part of the meal. Cannoli. WHICH IS PLURAL. If you’re talking about one, it’s cannolo. Anywho, we made a handful of cannoli as well as a smattering of cassatelle, which is effectively the same dough for the cannolo shell, but instead of frying it in a tube shape then stuffing with a mixture of ricotta and sugar, the dough is dolloped with ricotta/sugar combo BUT ALSO with added zest of lemon, folded over like a raviolo, and *THEN* fried. Y’all. Y’all. OMG. It’s even better than cannoli. Yes, really.
By the time the cannoli/cassatelle were finished, everything else was ready to come out of the oven and it was time to truly enjoy the fruits of our labor. Unfortunately for you, dear reader, I was too busy gorging myself on unbelievably wonderful food and wine and may have forgotten to snap photos of several things. Sorry, but also…not really all that sorry.
After a big group hug and saying farewell to Marco once again (seriously I can’t tell you how much I love that guy!!) a little wander in awe of the fantastic city that Palermo is. So many world cultures collide here it’s hard to keep track of them all.
“Lunch” with Marco really was just a single giant meal for the entire day, so just some wandering led us–eventually–to Cioccolateria Lorenzo, which I’ve personally followed on Facebook for a while now. I had a chocolate cake-pie thing and it was glorious. Fun fact: There was a total douchenozzle at the next table attempting to flex woo upon a (French?) woman he was with. He was being unbelievably awkward and she was just rolling with it so I’m 99% sure she was just hoping to nix a dry spell. The only explanation for her not getting up and walking away within 30 seconds of sitting down with this guy.
Also there was a Shiba.
After Lorenzo, a quick walk (to include a short stop to pspspspspspsps a gatto) back across Via Roma found your faithful Professor at Tatum Art, a well-regarded jazz club. Sadly, the show didn’t start until……very late. So a manhattan and il conto, per favore….then back to the hotel to crash for the night.
The next morning, after another cornetto con marmellata and cappuccino at Bar Capriccio, the first stop was Chiesa del Gesù di Casa Professa, a very plain-looking (from the outside) Jesuit church. The inside, however….WOW.
Also there was another cat. Enjoy this photo of a cat.
Some more wandering before the day’s scheduled tour found us arriving at Dr. Dick’s. What’s Dr. Dick’s? It’s a……confectionary. But not for kids. Let’s phrase it thusly. Also a tuktuk (ape in Italy, which means bee, because it’s based off a vespa which is italian for wasp) and a clothing store fit for Arthur Morgan.
The day’s tour, however, was the Palermo Capuchin catacombs. Apologies for no photos, but there’s literally mummies and skeletons hanging on the wall so no photos allowed and they are–as in Rome–VERY strict on enforcement of that rule. Simon, our guide, is a history professor in Palermo and *CLEARLY* very much enamored with the subject material. I can only recommend that (coupled with a quick google images search) you book yourself a tour with him (be on the lookout for an upcoming post of recommended things in Italy!) and experience it for yourself. Thousands of mummified people dating back hundreds of years, and FASCINATING stories to go with them. Seven out of five stars. Also there was a street cat along the way who demanded the scritch tax be paid in full. Afterward, dinner was at Il Salumaio di Santamarina, with a lovely DOCG Chianti that just *HAPPENED* to have Lady With An Ermine on the label paired with a carbonara and lamb that were beyond heavenly.
Of all the ways to toast one’s final evening in Palermo, I’d venture this as one hell of a way to do it. The next morning, sadly, it was up *VERY* early for a taxi ride from the hotel to Palermo airport, which at one point consisted of about 60-70kph the wrong way down a one-way street WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. What a driver. What a town. What a country.
Palermo, to Rome, to Frankfurt, to Dulles, and sadly….back to “real life”.
At least until May…..stay tuned!
Fino al prossimo anno, Italia!
The cooking. The stories. The pics. Your writing style. All amazing. Thanks for sharing