During my time sailing on my recent birthday trip, I made it a point to try the street food of Sicily. Of the many varieties, one that was especially yummy and different were arancine, which means “little orange” in Italian. Basically a hand-formed ball of saffron and herb-infused risotto that is rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried. Traditional fillings include ragu, ham and cheese and butter and cheese. However, while waiting two hours for a table at the incredible pizzeria Frida, in Palermo, we happened upon an arancine store that had over 40 varieties and a line out into the street. A sure sign for me of something good! Anyway, we tried the curried chicken, ratatouille, wild mushroom and something else I’ve since forgotten. Definitely the best version of this item I’d tasted. As is my wont, I headed back into the store for a card, checked out their website and saw they were indeed franchising. Lightbulb!
So, one Skype phone conference and 7 months later, I am on a plane bound for Palermo with my trusty sidekick, excel spreadsheet master and notable skeptic, Matt Simon. We meet with the 4 owners of the operation, tour the laboratorio, where all is produced, listen to what they’re looking for re growth and brand and experience a warm connection with all. Questions fly back and forth and a translator is invaluable in a few of the meetings. After two days of this, it seems we’ve covered most everything we can until the company’s financials are delivered to us in a couple of weeks, so we agree to get back together for a final meeting and dinner on Friday. But first, Danilo says that he has arranged a meeting with the mayor for us. The mayor is a larger-than-life figure with quite a history, a great interest in supporting the export of Sicilian culture and cuisine and has built a reputation for beating back the Mafia. His current campaign centers on receiving all immigrants immediately as citizens of Sicily. In this way, he believes, he at once aligns their interests with those of the community and motivates them to become productive, proud citizens. A very impressive man, who is skilled at touting his accomplishments, which we listen to with rapt attention:
Since our meetings are concluded (Tuesday evening) until Friday, we decide to rent a car to go and check out Mt. Etna and Taormina, both on the eastern side of the island. After a 3-hour (tour) drive, we approach and arrive and I am squealing and dancing a jig like a schoolgirl. And if that weren’t enough, it’s actually active enough that we can see smoke and red-hot rocks spewing from the top. So we take the cable car up,
check out the other-worldly landscape:
and then jump on a bus, until we arrive at the base and can experience it up close and personal:
We walk around in the 30 degree weather and whipping wind, and ask the guide to snap a mother-son shot:
and then back down. Another hour and a half drive, and we arrive at our super lovely hotel in the hilltop town of Taormina. Relax for a bit and then walk into town – but wait, what’s this? Matt detours down into an incredible garden with quite an ancient history, and the landscaping and structures are beautiful:
as is the view from the bottom:
to our dinner at Osteria Nero D’Avola…which turns out to be beyond heavenly. We’re enjoying incredible food,
lovely ambiance, some jazz, and then the music goes off, the owner sits down at the piano, and what followed was a lovely one-hour concert. It can’t really get any better than that!
The next morning we have breakfast in the 3rd floor hotel restaurant, enjoying the terrible view:
walk through the beautiful town,
do a bit of shopping, and head over to the Greco-Roman amphitheater, preserved in such good condition that concerts and opera are often held there:
Back to the Osteria for lunch, where we have what I will remember as one of the top 5 meals of my life. Eating outside today, and everything is spectacular. From the pan sautéed fresh artichoke hearts with roasted Sicilian cherry tomatoes:
that I obviously enjoyed:
to my happy boy, anticipating his fresh burrata, a repeat from the night before:
from the home made pasta:
to his seafood carpaccio:
and the local, fresh lemon salad in the foreground. It was a meal and restaurant I will always remember!
That afternoon, we head over the Cefalu, which I had previously visited. A walk into town for a more casual eating experience, back for a good night’s sleep, and then we hit the road early so as to get the car back by 10 am. TCB until about 5, when we head over to the offices of Gomez & Mortisia, the advertising company run by one of the 4 partners (2 married couples) who own the arancine business. Through a translator, we review our discussions thus far and outline next steps. We then proceed to Frida (yes, the same pizzeria who’s 2-hour waitlist led to us trying their arancine 7 months earlier) for a great meal, a lot of laughter and fond farewells.
