Lava Table

Looking for a gorgeous lava table? Bistro table? Coffee Table? Bench? Dining room table? Check out Tania Mazzaglia's work in Nicolosi. In 2007, she appeared in a New York Times article discussing her style and vision.

"Lava is the expression of where I was born and brought up, regardless of how it is decorated," she said. "I don't feel the need to cover it with traditional borders of fruit. I often get the stonecutters to leave the crude saw surface, or to bush hammer it so that it remains slightly rough. Like that the color is a more enticing shade of gray, which I integrate with the applied majolica decoration. It makes for an interesting interplay of texture and visual design....

Mazzaglia's creative versatility is evident at Dolce Vita, an irresistible pastry shop and wine bar in Nicosia. The bar she designed is made with blocks of dark, rough-hewn lava stone topped with colorful glazed fragments, while the lava stone tables feature a deep-red foliar motif created like a stencil on an off-white base."

Here are some pictures of her work. Here's our friend's gorgeous kitchen table that has left Sicily and is now sittin' pretty in San Diego. Also, here's a beautiful mural displaying Tania's work.

Yoghi & Booboo

We love Italian food! Sometimes, however, we crave a little something different. Like sushi. Or Tex-Mex. Or big salads. You can get German wurstel or a huge shank of pork. Grilled lamb chops. Noodles. And Tandoori Chicken and Creme Brulee. There's pasta too. And pizza, of course. So, head to Yoghi & Boo Boo. Via S. Filomena, 55. Their number is 095-32-14-30. Call ahead because they fill up, especially on the weekend.

Eggplant

Simple. Delicious. An awesome antipasti. Here's a recipe from Maria Proto:

Ingredients:
4-6 eggplants
5 Tbs sea salt
1 cup olive oil
2-3 tsp red wine vinegar
4 diced garlic cloves
1/4 tsp oregano

Peel and slice eggplant vertically into long 1/4 inch slices (thin). In a medium sized pan turn heat onto medium high and sprinkle 2 eggplant slices on both sides with salt and fry in the pan (without oil) until brown and soft (turning 1-2 times during cooking). Once eggplant is slightly browned and soft transfer into a bowl which has the remaining ingredients already mixed together (olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and oregano). Let the eggplant marinate about 5 minutes in the olive oil mixture, then remove and transfer to a serving dish. Repeat until all eggplant is cooked and marinated. Serve as a side dish or with bread.

Year of the Tiger With A Little Help from a Pig

Valentine's Day and Chinese New Years, together at last. Yep, those are pig feet. They are bony and full of sinews. But, they bring good luck when you eat then on New Years. (So do noodles, by the way, if you want to have good luck but don't want to eat gelatinous connective tissue).

In Catania, we like Acquario when we are looking for a "ristorante cinese." It's located at Piazza Mancini Battaglia, 8 (Lungomare Ognina). Their telephone number is 095491344. In the summer, there's a beautiful terrace. In the winter, you'll enjoy the glass-bottom floor filled with turtles and fish.

Milan

We love Sicily: the blood oranges, granitas in the summer, the slow pace. But, once in a while we crave a city. We miss public transportation and taxis. We miss the hustle and bustle. We miss large museums and sophisticated boutiques. Luckily, it’s easy to hop on a direct flight to Milan (1.5 hour flight). Here are some hot spots in the city. Truthfully, this post is more directed to girlfriends wanting a weekend away than a family va-kay. You can definitely go to Milan as a fam, but we’d have different recommendations.

Favorite areas:

Navigli:
The origins of the Navigli date back to about 1100, but today the Naviglio Grande makes up one of the most charming neighborhoods in Milan. There are the old, typical “case di ringhiera” houses around the “river.” From April to September, there are open-air tables and a great market the last Sunday of the month. There’s great sushi and Indian nearby. We also recommend Brellin in alzaia Naviglio Grande for an authentic Italian brunch.


Brera and Bastioni (Corso Garibaldi and Corso Como): You almost feel like you are in Paris with its many coffee shops and unique boutiques. Parts have a more Bohemian feel with several artists displaying their work and many fortunetellers ready to read your palm. Grab a drink at Radetzky or simply walk through Via Breraand and sit outside in one of the bars (Jamaica is a famous one). During the day there is a very famous museum to visit named Pinacoteca di Brera.


Parco Sempione
 is a park behind Castello Sforzesco. It is huge and beautiful with lakes, meadows and little bridges. It is the ideal place to spend a Sunday afternoon unless you visit Milan in winter.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
 was built around 1870 and is called the “salotto di Milano” (The Milan Lounge). Its amazing glass and iron structure filled with coffee shops, restaurants, high-end boutiques and historical bookshops.

Favorite places to eat:

Milan is quite popular for aperitifs where you can have a drink and eat for free during the so called "happy hour" which lasts from 6.30 p.m. till 9.Via Savona has many nice bars and pubs, and it's a the new fashion area of Milan. Locals love "Osteria del Binari" in via Tortona. It's a big place very close to an old railroad with the fireplace and superb Italian typical cuisine. If you are in mood for sushi, head to Nobu on Via Gastone. If you like kosher meat, try Salmone on Via Washington.


Favorite place for a hair cut and blow-dry:

There’s a hair salon on the top floor of Rinascente in the city center (Corso Vittorio Emanuele) near the beautiful Duomo. Locals prefer Intrecci in Via Larga which is open late at night. We got a fabulous blow-dry from a drag queen who looked like Madonna from her Blond Ambition Tour. Intrecci Via Larga 2, Milano Tel. 02.72022316

Favorite Spa:

Steeping into Baglioni Hotel’s spa, you immediately want to say “ommmmmmm.” That’s the sound of complete relaxation. They have great massages and a comfy white couch-beds to sit on while you wait. It’s pricier than a Sicilian massage, but when will you be back in Milan? It's a true 5-star hotel. We'd love to stay there, but we'd go broke. It was nice to spend an hour there thought.

Make a reservation:

Even in January, we suggest making a reservation on-line to see Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. We used this website: http://www.tickitaly.com. You can use this website to reserve several galleries throughout Italy.

Plate Restaurants Buon Ricordo

Sometimes the food is so delish that you wish you could ship it home to your friends and family. Well, you can't send home calamari, vongole e cozze, or caponata, but you can literally take a dish home as a souvenir if it's a part of the Unione Ristoranti del Buon Ricordo. Their motto is "Viaggio tra i sapori e i colori della cucina italiana, " or "travel through the tastes and colors of Italian cuisine." What do these places have in common? According to the website, "basically, our common denominator lies on the observance of local traditions, on the unquestionable quality of food, and on professionally warm welcome to make guests feel at home."

These restaurants all serve a specialita della casa (speciality of the house) served on special dish. If you order this dish, you can take home the dish which are hand-painted with a unique design. Some people literally collect hundreds of plates. If you want a great meal in Italy, chances are a Buon Ricordo restaurant will deliver. Here are the plate restaurants in Sicily. There are several more in other regions throughout Italy as well as Japan and Hong Kong. Here are the Sicilian restaurants. Start eating and start collecting. You can order whatever you want, but here's what you must order to get your dish.

Order Treccette at Ristorante Filippino "dal 1910" located in Lipari (Messina)
Order Arancinetto with squid ink at Ristorante Hotel La Tartaruga located in Capo d'Orlando (Messina)
Order Grouper Scalopine Ristorante Hotel Moderno located in Erice (Trapani)
Order Squid-ink cous cous Ristorante La Gazza Ladra located in Modica Alta (Ragusa)
Order Eggplant flan on a bed of tomato puree and mousse and Ragusano cheese at Ristorante La Scuderia located in Palermo
Order Grilled Stuffed Calamari at a Ristorante La Siciliana located in Catania (Catania)
Order beef bocconcini wrapped in lemon leaves and zagara honey at Ristorante Parco dei Principi located in Zafferana Etnea (Catania)

Tips from Sicily's most knowledgeable peeps

We may know a great deal about Sicily, but the truth is, there's simply so much to explore and see. Luckily, we have many tips from our friends who have been living here and want to spread their great ideas.

Tip #1: Go to Nouvelle Beaute in Motta for a great massage and waxing. but skip the mani/pedi. (Kristen)

Tip #2: Get into your car and head out to a little town you find on a map. Stop in a bar, walk around, and get a granita in one of the tiny green-grocers. Our favorite towns include: Centuripe, Mineo, Belpasso, Regalbuto, Agria, or downtown Paterno. (Blaine)

Tip #3: Try L'Orso Scuro in Trescastagni for steak (Tania)

Tip #4: Take strollers with big wheels to cities with cobblestones...which are most of them. (Nikki)

Tip # 5: Try Mammut. Great food and fun drinks. (Heather)

Tip #6: Villa Igiea is a charming hotel in Palermo. A little on the more expensive side, but lots of old world charm, courteous service, and an amazing view from the pool. (Diann)

Tip #7: A must see in Italy: Cinque Terre. Beautiful! (Amy)

Tip #8: Look into apartment rentals--esp. in Rome and Florence. These are 2 great hotesl with family rooms. One is near Salzburg but in Germany: Hotel Gablerhof.One is in Munich: Hotel Laimer hof (Anne)

Tip #9: Caltagirone rocks! (Clare)

Tip #10: The best pottery and ceramic deals are at Scordia Markets on Fridays. I bought plates for 1 euro each and a huge bunch bowl for 5 euro. (Lisa)

Tip #11: Trattoria Kalliope is a great restaurant in Siracusa. (Carrie)

Tip #12: Favorite Restaurant: Buongustaio in Motta. Via V. Emanuele, 192 - Motta Sant'Anastasia. Tel. 095 308066 (Becky)

Tip #13: Stay in Sciacca. La Lampara restaurant is excellent down on the wharf. Also, if you have children, invest time/money into buying books about your destination. Your children will be more engaged and you can revisit the books over and over again. Art books in particular. (Charlotte)

Tip #14: For the best cookies, try a biscottteria called Culosi Gisella. Via Stazione Motta, Tel. 095309245. She's open early or late afternoon so go when you wake up or after riposo.(Nadia)

Tip #15: This is a fabulous spa in Nicolosi with a good Italian restaurant attached. They have great packages in case you want to throw in a relaxing bath or facial with your massage. http://www.hotel-biancaneve.com/ (Rebekah)