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Noto sicily11/2/2022 It ticks all the boxes of what good gelato is. The gelato case is unassuming, yet you can tell its contents are the real deal. One of each, please! The gelato at Caffè Sicilia They are as attractive as they are delicious. #Noto sicily fullThis passion shines out of every cake and cookie in the café. Cases full of traditional Sicilian sweets, including cannoli, cassatine, and a sweet of Caffè Sicilia’s own creation called terra nostra, or our land (two layers of pistachio and almond sorbet) line the interior of the café. He works with and advocates for local farmers, even going so far as to organize direct sales between himself, other restaurateurs, and the growers of mandorle romane – Roman almonds, a rare variety typical to Noto – in order to prevent their extinction. He is deeply respectful of agriculture, and of the earth and its bounty. Inspired so deeply by his home, he states on Chef’s Table that he wants to protect it, but also to share it with the world, in order to show us all what Sicily has to offer. Local fruits, nuts, and cheeses are the stars of all the dishes. These are also available at Caffè Sicilia.Ĭhef Assenza has made it his life’s work to bring Sicily to his guests’ plates. “They don’t change!” I’m lemon. Caffè Sicilia offers several types of granita, including the traditional lemon and almond ones, flavors like coffee and various berries, and the inventive but oh-so-Italian combination of strawberry and tomato.Īnother common Sicilian breakfast is a brioche, a kind of sweet roll, filled with a few scoops of gelato. On Chef’s Table, Chef Assenza declares that there are two types of people in the world – those who have almond granita for breakfast, and those that have lemon granita for breakfast. Instead, Sicilians often enjoy a granita, which is flavored crushed ice. In the rest of Italy, the most common breakfast is a cappuccino and a pastry, but the Sicilian heat doesn’t lend itself to a hot beverage in the morning. It is, after all, the birthplace of cannoli. Sweets are a large part of Sicily’s culinary culture. None of them got frustrated or huffy as they asked us to move or shift slightly when they needed to get through. Waiters buzzed around, bringing past trays of coffee, delicious looking little cakes, bowls of granita, and scoops and scoops of gelato. It was crowded in the small space, but I was surprised at how well the system worked. Two lines formed in the front room, one for people who wanted to take away pastries, and another for people who wanted to sit. The interior room at Caffè Sicilia Getting a table at Caffè Sicilia The front room is where the food is displayed and the coffee bar is, and the back room is a dining area with another handful of tables in it. As you can see, the outdoor dining area has about eight or ten tables. The entrance to Caffè SiciliaĬaffè Sicilia is small. Its unassuming entrance in Noto’s city center could easily be missed. If you haven’t seen the episode, please go watch it now so that we can be friends. The episode on Corrado Assenza and Caffè Sicilia is particularly captivating. If you’ve seen it, you know that he’s the fourth-generation owner and head pasticciere. #Noto sicily windowsI love the music, the stories, the shots of the chefs’ amazing creations, and the windows it provides onto different cultures. I first heard about Caffè Sicilia on an episode of Chef’s Table (season 4, episode 2). Breakfast at Caffè Sicilia had me brimming with excitement. I remember days and trips according to what I ate. When an amazing culinary experience coincides with travel (I’m lucky it so often does), it is the ultimate fusion of my two passions, and generally causes me to be the happiest I am on the road. Few things make me happier than making food for friends and family, most especially sweets for my sweetheart, who is an expert dessert-eater. I’ve always liked cooking, but over the past few years, I’ve started to get really into it, trying new things, having huge dinner parties, and experimenting with my own recipes ( here’s one for asparagus risotto, and here’s another for Amatriciana).
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