Above: A crispy slice of potato topped with fish, sauteed spinach and a crown of fried leeks at Il Mirto e la Rosa
In keeping with the practice of alphabetizing restaurants we visited to try to assist you in your future travels, A’Nica Ristorante e Pizzeria Gourmet is first up to bat. We already had been in Sicily for a month by the time we arrived in Palermo, so our standards had risen fairly high. A’Nica’s large outdoor patio was directly across a pocket park from our apartment, so it attracted us the first night.
While the crustaceans sprawling across the plates are photogenic, we found both the risotto and, in particular, the cacio y pepe anemic in flavor. One of us, you might recall, sampled cannoli almost everywhere we dined in Ortigia, and A’Nica’s was not memorable. The kitchen did deliver a handsome cocoa-dusted cassata al forno, a slow-baked ricotta cheesecake encased in crust. A’Nica is pleasant and bustling, just not a destination worth trekking far to reach.
Above: A’nica Ristorante e Pizzeria Gourmet
Antica Focacceria San Francesco dates from 1834, but the restaurant underwent major updating in 1902. Although we did not eat in the restaurant itself, we did stop by twice to grab some arancini to take back to our apartment. Many pronounce them the best filled rice-balls in the city, and we certainly would not dispute that claim.
Above: Antica Focacceria San Francesco
Vocal locals seem to love the bustling Bisso Bistrot. We enjoyed the sardine balls in a deep red sauce, and the braised fennel made a luscious side dish. Pasta with smoky scamorza cheese was a tad too rich for us, while the simple pasta con fagiolini swung the pendulum in the opposite direction. Would recommend ordering a menu item somewhere in between the two.
Above: Bisso Bistrot
Sfincione is among the famed foods of Palermo. A sort of spongy focaccia-type bread is topped like a pizza with tomato, sweet onion, anchovies and caciocavallo cheese, with the flavors seeping into the porous bread. It’s widely available, but Buatta Cucina Popolana is reputed to have the best. Perfection. We followed this intro with traditional bucatini with sardines and fennel; and pasta alla norma with eggplant. Both dishes were spot on.
So why didn’t we return to this highly regarded restaurant? Buatta is well-located; unfortunately, a little too well. On Via Vittorio Emanuele, Buatta gets slammed by the waves of tourists disgorged for the day by cruise ships. Don’t let that dissuade you, but first check online for the size and schedule of ships docking and make plans to avoid those days.
Above: Buatta Cucina Popolana
Il Mirto e la Rosa never seemed on our way no matter our plans, yet it became an immediate worth-the-detour favorite – at least three times. Bean-balls might sound dreadful, but the popette di favi were delicious, as were the saffron arancettas. The fish featured at the top of this post was as good as it looks, but we usually were seduced by their pastas with variations of sardines and wild fennel; clams; or other seafood. The cannoli-lover left satisfied, while I enjoyed a delicate combination of orange and cardamom in a flan.
Above: Il Mirto e la Rosa
When we emerged from an alleyway onto a small triangular plaza near the Capo Market, we spotted the sofas and stopped for a beer. As we sipped, we realized we were not at a bar but a restaurant, one with tempting plates of food emerging from its kitchen. The fried artichoke appetizer at L’Acerba Osteria Dinomica evoked memories of Rome. Crispy bluefish arrived with tender grilled asparagus, and generous amounts of saffron flavored the seafood gnocchi. A lucky find.
Above: L’Acerba Osteria Dinomica
I promise to feed you the rest of our Palemo alphabet soon.
Postcards from Barton Springs 