Postcard from Morelia, Mexico: Vamos a comer

Gaspacho. Spelling the word with an “s” and not a “z” makes a world of difference in Morelia. Cubes of refreshing fruit with no tomatoes in the mix. Traditional gaspacho stands are found everywhere in the heart of the city, with locals more than willing to line up at their favorite ones. Although customized for the individual, don’t miss out experiencing estilo Moreliano with its contrasting flavors of tangy lime juice, cotija cheese and chile layered into the combination of regional fruit. Beware. It’s highly addictive.

With that ideal breakfast out of the way, time to head out for more substantial repasts at restaurants listed alphabetically. By chance, these first three spots are a bit off the main tourist grid but are all a walkable distance from the center.

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Postcard from Siracusa, Sicily: Restaurants from La to Scu-

Above: Vegetable strata at Moon

A few more dishes originating in Sicily are introduced in this second part of alphabetized reviews of restaurants we sampled during our stay.

The first is braciolettine Messina, or spiedini. Thin slices of beef, pork, veal or fish are wrapped around a paste-like filling made from bread crumbs, parsley and provolone moistened by olive oil. The small bites are then threaded tightly together on wood skewers before grilling.

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Postcard from Siracusa, Sicily: Celebrating the bounty of the sea

Above: Spaghetti a scoglio at Cod da Saretta

It must be frustrating to a traveler who only wants meat to visit Sicily where seafood dominates. For us, that was heaven. We were surprised we didn’t frequently order some of the dishes we expected to devour almost daily. Too many other temptations popped up on menus.

The first was pizza. Every city anywhere we have been, we are always on the lookout for Neapolitan-style pizzas. We even eat pizza in Austin once a week.

But despite the fact that Sicily has great pizzas exactly the style we love, we only consumed about three in two months. One reason was that the best restaurants and pizzerias, perhaps an over-simplified generalization, only offer it at night; the ones featuring it at lunch time tend to be tourist-oriented and often not as good. We tend to eat a main meal at lunch, one so substantial that’s it for the day. No room for late-night pizzas.

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