24/02/2025: Restaurant located in the center of Catania in the Piazza Stesicoro area, in a charming alley, adjacent to Via Etnea. The place is refined and with attention to detail. The exterior has an added value for its location and tranquility compared to the lively Via Etna located a few steps away. The food is of excellent quality and expertly cooked. Simple ingredients and selected and well-used raw materials make the dishes delicious and tasty. I had a first course with anchovies, breadcrumbs and fennel, a typical Catanese dish (spaghetti cu i masculina) which was truly, truly delicious. A simple but professionally prepared dish, rich in anchovies, not salted or peppered to cover the taste of the seasonings and with a reduction that looked like a cream. I will definitely be back just to taste them again! Then I had a second course, namely sea bass fillets with lemon, which were also excellent and cooked perfectly. Evo oil from the Murgo winery and local bread, all of high quality. Friendly staff and attentive service. Price in line with the proposed quality. Definitely one of the best restaurants in Catania.
23/02/2025: While walking along Via Etnea, a lady approached and said "Come and try our award-winning carbonara". Convinced by this incipit, we decided to follow her and try this carbonara and more, overall rating 5/10, pasta with courgettes very smooth, courgette almost raw and pasta exaggeratedly al dente 4/10, pasta with cockles (dish of the day) changed from with tomato to plain, excellent choice, delicate but with good taste, creamy to the point right, improved by a drop of raw oil 7/10, now, the piece de resistance, the carbonara awarded "an important prize", honestly easily placed in last position in the top 10 carbonaras eaten so far in various places (Catania and beyond) greyish colour, very watery, very absent pecorino and bacon without flavour, not crunchy, practically the flavor was only black pepper 3/10.
The only advantage of this lunch was the tomato bruschetta and caponata offered to us before the arrival of the aforementioned first courses (and I would like to point out, offers, honestly the only advantage of this lunch). Overall a nice place but the first courses are not recommended. (I attach photo of the carbonara)
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