In the spring of 2009, the Italian government in Rome finally approved the long-delayed initiative to create the world's largest suspension bridge, linking mainland Italy to the offshore island of Sicily. The billionaire Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, announced that the project would cost approximately $22.5 billion. He also expressed hope that the massive project would help lift Italy out of its worst recession in 25 years. The project has its critics, who claim that high winds and seismic activity on both sides of the Strait of Messina would make the two-mile-long bridge hazardous to cross. Defenders of the project claim that the bridge would be designed to withstand earthquakes and high winds. Despite the controversy, work is set to begin on the bridge late in 2009, and will be (tentatively) completed in 2016.
The latest luxury resort in Sicily, Verdura Golf and Spa Resort, opened in 2009 on the southern coast of Sicily in the small village of Verdura, only an hour's drive from the airport at Palermo and about 30km from the city of Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples. The 200-room, 50-suite resort is operated by Rocco Forte, a hotel chain. Built at the cost of 130 million euros, the sprawling property incorporates two championship 18-hole golf courses, along with an array of sports facilities, a deluxe hydrotherapy spa, a mammoth swimming pool and a restaurant.
In other developments, Hotel des Étrangers et Miramra, which opened recently in the city of Siracusa on the eastern coast, has become one of the most stylish properties in Sicily. It lies near the Fonte Aretusa in the historic district of Ortygia, featuring a rooftop restaurant with panoramic views. Its 78 bedrooms are beautifully furnished, each with windows and balconies opening onto views of the harbor.
A special boutique hotel, Residence Angiolucci, has opened in a restored 19th-century palace in Catania. The villa lies north of the main artery, Via Umbreto, and south of the landmark Piazza Trento. The residence is composed of 30 apartments with bright, modern furnishings, including all the basic kitchen equipment. Each unit contains two floors, and many have large living rooms.
Motorists might be attracted to the Hotel Villa Paradiso dell'Etna, a 1920s hotel that lies 10km (6 miles) northeast of Catania. Once it was a famed retreat for artists, but during the early 40s General Rommel made it the Nazi headquarters in Sicily. By the end of the war, it was a military hospital receiving wounded soldiers from the battlefront. Today, this government-rated four-star hotel features sumptuous bedrooms, a centuries-old garden, and a swimming pool. Modern amenities include Wi-Fi and a first-rate gym.
Throughout Sicily, new restaurants abound, as well as exisiting spots that are receiving new attention from local foodies and the Italian gourmet press. In the capital city of Palermo, Kursaal Kalhesa lies along Mura delle Cattive (the old town wall) between Porta dei Greci (the Greek gate) and via Lincoln. This restaurant, with its garden terrace overlooking Piazza Kalsa, has been installed in an antique Gothic palace. The market-fresh menu changes with the seasons and is likely to feature such imaginative temptations as artichoke-filled ravioli in shrimp sauce.
Also in Palermo, Corvo dei Beati Paoli is located near the Steri Castle and the Garibaldi Gardens, and makes some of the best and most tantalizing typically Sicilian pizzas on island. Their specialty is a capricciosa pie topped with cheese, ham, and fresh artichokes. The chefs also have a full service restaurant with a range of succulent pastas, lamb, and fresh fish. In fair weather, try for a seat on the terrace.
If you're hankering for a midnight snack when most Palermo restaurants are closed, head for Dima's Late Night Piazza and Sandwiches located near Via Roma and the Politeama Theatre. All sorts of midnight snacks are offered until 3 in the morning, including tempting pizzas and well-stuffed sandwiches.
In Sicily's fabled resort of Taormina, a trio of restaurants surfaced new the top as the most requested tables for vacationers flocking here in the summer of 2009. They included the warm weather only Dracena, with a Sicilian garden surrounded by a stone wall, an especially romantic spot at night. The market-fresh menu is one of the largest in town, and the chef does winders with locally caught swordfish. The place closes at the end of October.
When many hotels and restaurants close for the winter, Gambero Rosso still sends out a beacon into the night, attracting February visitors with its piping hot pizzas and fresh, imaginative pastas. The kitchen's specialty is gambero rosso, which means red shrimp in Italian.
The cooks of Sicily are famous for their pasta specialty, alla Norman (made with aubergine, or eggplant), and Zammarà offers the best version of this dish in Taormina. Stuffed swordfish, another Sicilian specialty, and beef rolls, along with varied selection of Sicilian wines, are other specialties. The restaurant sits on the site of a Roman building. In summer, request a garden table.
In Catania, largest city on the eastern coast of Sicily, Al Gabbiano is attracting major buzz. In Italian, its name means seagull, but -- don't worry -- that's not on the menu. Located in the center of the oldest part of the city, the restaurant specializes in freshly caught seafood from shrimp to swordfish. Each dish is seasoned and handles almost to perfection. Open only for dinner, the restaurant is closed in August.
Though its name, Metro, may not excite, foodies in Catania have discovered a first-rate restaurant with an imaginative cuisine and an elegant décor. The chefs add creative touches to most of their dishes, including freshly caught seafood and fish along with freshly made pastas, imaginative salads, and a selection of meat and poultry dishes.
In the ancient city of Siracusa on the eastern coast, Trattoria Kalliope is attracting visitors to the historic Ortygia district. In a traditional trattoria setting that includes an outdoor garden terrace for summer, the restaurant specializes in fresh seafood, especially locally caught swordfish, as well as homemade pastas in some configurations you may not be familiar with.
Also in Siracusa, Trattoria La Foglia, meaning "the leaf" in Italian, also lies in Ortygia near the famous Aretusa Fountain. It is one of the best choices for vegetarians, because of the large number of meat-free dishes. However, it also serves plenty of meat and seafood (the grilled tuna steaks are succulent).
In Erice, La Pentolaccia, a rather rustic restaurant serving a regional cuisine, has become a hot meal ticket. The chef's specialty is seafood couscous. He also prepares a delectable stuffed beef roll called falsomagro. The informal trattoria is ideal for lunch or dinner.
In Cefalù, Trappitu, has become one of the best trattorie in town. In Sicilian dialect, a trappitu is an olive mill stone, and such a structure stands in the middle of the dinning room. The restaurant has drawn up a menu of Sicilian specialties, including swordfish, pasta alla Norma, and beef rolls -- though at night, pizza reigns supreme. The kitchen also does wonders with freshly caught sepia (cuttlefish).
Accommodations
- Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Contrada Vendura Sciacca, Verdura; (tel. 0925/998-180; www.verduraresort.com) opened in 2009 on Sicily's southern coast in the small village of Verdura.
- The stylish new Hotel des Étrangers et Miramare, Passeggio Adorno 10-12, Ortygia, Siracua; (tel. 0931/319100; www.hotel-desetrangers.it) features a rooftop restaurant with incredible views.
- Residence Angiolucci, Via E. Pantano 1, Catania; (tel. 095/3529420; www.angiolucciresidence.com) is a new boutique hotel housed in a 19th-century palace.
- Hotel Villa Paradiso dell'Etna, Via per Viagrande 37, San Giovanni La Punta; (tel. 095/7512409; www.paradisoetna.it) has been updated to include modern amneties in a rich, historical setting.
Dining
- Kursaal Kalhesa, Foro Umberto I, #21 Palermo; (tel. 091/616-22-82; www.kursaalkalhesa.it) is a new restaurant that features fresh, local fare.
- Palermo's Corvo dei Beati Paoli, Piazza Marina 50, Palermo; (091/6166634; www.alcovodeibeatipaoli.com) boasts some of the best pizza on the island of Sicily.
- Dima's Late Night Pizza and Sandwiches, Via Emerico Amari 110, Palermo; (tel. 091/333627; no website) offers tempting midnight snacks
- Dracena, Via Michele Amari 4, Taormina; (tel. 0942/23491; no website), located at the fabled resort Taormina, has earned the attention of many critics and vacationers alike.
- Gambero Rosso, Via Naumachia 11, Taormina; (tel. 0942/24863; no website) remains open even after many hotels and restaurants have closed for the winter.
- Zammarà, Via Fratelli Bandiera 15, Taormina; (tel. 9094/24408; www.zammara.it) is well known for its version of Pasta alla Norman, a Sicilian specialty.
- In the center of the oldest section of Catania, Al Gabbiano, Via Giordano Bruno 128, Catania; (tel. 095/537842; no website) specializes in fresh seafood.
- Under-the-radar spot Metro, Via Crocieferi 76, Catania; (tel. 095/322098; www.ristorantemetro.it) has caught the attention of gourmet enthusiasts in Catania with its imaginative menu.
- Trattoria Kalliope, Consiglio Reginale 26, Sircusa; (tel. 0931/468008; www.trattoriakalliope.com) offers fresh, traditional food in a historic setting.
- Trattoria La Foglia, Via Capodieci 21, Siracusa; (tel. 0931/66233; www.lafoglia.it) features a wide variety of vegetarian dishes.
- The rustic La Pentolaccia, Via Filippo Guarnotti 17, Erice; (tel 0923/869099; www.ristorantelapentolaccia.it) is becoming a hot spot in Erice.
- Trappitu, Via Ortolani di Bordonaro 96, Cefalù; (tel. 0921/921972; no website) is now considered one of the best eateries in Cefalù.