Sicilian summer

Finally! I’ve waited so long to visit the stunning island Sicily and now, we’re finally here. We’re here for the beautiful beaches, the Etna volcano but - of course - mostly for Sicilian cuisine. The authentic dishes reflect the diverse cultures that formed the island throughout the last centuries. I couldn’t be more excited to try all of them: caponata, insalata di polpo and pane cunzato, all in their most authentic, Italian way. In any case, there is one thing I know the Sicilian and I surely have in common: our big love for food and wines.

First stop: Four Seasons, Taormina
Our first stop is the Four Seasons hotel. Yes, the famous Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in Taormina, the shooting location of the Netflix hit The White Lotus. Loved seeing the locations of the series in real life. We stayed in the most beautiful suite, where the staff made sure Oscar had absolutely everything he could wish for, including a little Four Seasons bear. So cute! That first night, we had dinner at the hotel restaurant, overlooking the sea we would definitely take a dip in the next day. And yes, I already had the chance to taste the insalata di polpo. Together with a glass of local Carricante, shining of sulphur flavors of the nearby Etna, this delicate dish was one to remember.

For the rest of the days, we strolled around Taormina, had some swims, laid at the pool, had beautiful walks around the flowered venue, had great lunches during day-time and some drinks and bites at the music bar at night. In short: we amused ourselves just fine. Our upcoming days of our Sicily trip would be filled with activities, so for now, we just let ourselves be fully pampered in the Four Seasons heaven and enjoyed every little bit of it.

Wine, wine, wine

After we left crowded capital Taormina, we made our way to (even more crowded) Catánia and Palermo. We drove across the center of the island and we were impressed by the beauty of the nature there. On an island, it could be tempting to just stay at the coastline, where most hotels, restaurants and other hotspots are situated, but when on Sicily, make sure to not skip the inland. Erice was one of our favorite medieval villages.

We visited several wineries across the island. We got to taste all different wines of Sicily, from Marsala to Etna. The thing that surprised us is the amount of bites that would come with the tastings. The Sicilians make sure you never leave a place hungry. For Oscar, this was also very nice, since he amused himself with all kinds of Italian snacks while we challenged our taste buds with the wine tastings.

Sicilian haute cuisine: restaurant Limu*
You can find several Michelin restaurants on the island. One of the renown ones is restaurant Limu in Bagheria, near Palermo. The minimalist appearance immediately draw our attention and we were so excited to visit this restaurant, situated in the city center.

Chef Nino (Antonino Ferreri) was the kindest chef ever. He personally welcomed us at the door and his enthusiasm about his restaurant immediately transferred to us. His concept consists of four T’s: tradition, territory, technique and talent. Combine these four elements and you get yourself a fresh and tasteful dish with Limo signed all over it. Chef Nino calls his dishes ‘simple’; we call them ‘delicate’.

The menu is fully dependent on the season and local ingredients. There are some signature dishes, such as the Sgombro in Crosta di Sale Nero (salt-baked mackerel),, but the other ones on the menu change rigorously every two months. All dishes are based on local products, where the chef chooses to select ingredients only from small artisan suppliers and controlled and sustainable supply chains.

All in all, restaurant Limu was a reflection of the Sicilian culinair mentality we experiences all over the island: the staff made sure you had everything you could wish for in terms of alert hospitality, cordial service and high-end cuisine.