Ciotola Pizzeria, Ragusa - Review

I have new favourite pizzeria! There are loads of places to get a good pizza around here, they say Sicily is second only to Naples when it comes to pizza and I have had some great ones in the few years I have been here but since I tried La Ciotola for the first time a couple of months ago, it has shone through above all others.

From the word go I was keen on the decor, a real mix of styles, perhaps they weren't going for quirky but that is what we have. Over sized objects, 1950s red bench seating, ceramic ducks, there's a lot going on... and basically, I want all of it in my house.

The pizza menu offers a rather different selection of pizzas from the usual. Over the last couple of months my friends, colleagues, boyfriend and I have managed to work our way through a good portion of the choices and we have yet to be disappointed. Fabulously crisp bases, just as they ought to be and beautifully cooked on top with extraordinarily delicious, fresh ingredients.

My favourite pizza so far has been Donna Sicilia, which is tomato sauce, mozzarella, fried aubergine pieces, olives and ricotta salata. It's just perfect in every way. Whether you prefer meaty toppings, fish or vegetarian, all tastes are catered for, whatever you choose, you are in for a treat. And, if you don't feel like pizza, there is also a restaurant menu which changes regularly with the seasons.

On my last visit, we also had a mixed fried fish and seafood platter as a sharing starter, which was absolutely delightful. Beautifully cooked, perfectly seasoned. Just great.

I can also recommend the restaurants selection of desserts... particularly their boozy choix pastry concoctions.

(Above: Group shot of my friends and I enjoying La Ciotola)

There is a good selection of wines but on a couple of occasions we have simply opted for a litre of the local red, which has always been satisfactory.

Getting a good pizza in Sicily really isn't difficult, in fact, you would probably find it more difficult to find a bad one. That said, I really feel La Ciotola has something special to offer. Also the staff are fabulous, there is one waitress in particular who is possibly the most bubbly, positive and attentive member of service staff I have come across since I came to live here - a very wonderful woman. One of the things I love so much about Sicily is the pride people take in their work and this is really evident here, the fabulous waitress and if you watch the guys in the kitchen, making the pizzas, even when they are cleaning up at the end of the night, you can see that they really care about what they do.

Not at all expensive either.

Top marks!

La Ciotola
Via Archimede, 23,Ragusa

Vegania, Ragusa - Review

Recently opened Vegania in Ragusa has become a firm lunchtime favourite with my colleagues and I over the last month.

Now, I'm not a vegan, I stopped eating meat at the age of eight (my own decision), since I moved to Sicily, I reintroduced fish to my diet as vegetarianism here seemed a distant myth but things seem to be changing and I am seeing more and more places catering to vegetarian, vegan and even macrobiotic diets. Even if you don't want to become a full-time vegan or vegetarian, the health benefits to giving up meat even for just one day are immense, not to mention the massive positives to the environment and to animal welfare making this choice has. I really recommend taking a look at the Meat Free Monday website where you can read all about how one day a week can make an incredible difference and really impact on the world as a whole.

And even if you aren't interested in the benefits of the vegan lifestyle, the delicious offerings at Vegania have swayed the opinion of even the most dubious of my colleagues, not to mention my meat-loving Sicilian boyfriend!

My featured visit is from a few weeks ago, when I popped into Vegania with my fabulous colleague, Emily, for a lunchtime bite. We were seated in the bright, canteen-style lunchtime dining area which is slick, modern and allows a great view of the open kitchen area. There is a second dining area for evening visits, a more elegant setting, with softer lighting and more intimate seating arrangements.

We ordered a mixed plate, which meant a selection of all the days offerings. This included softly spiced rice with tofu, vegan lasagna, roasted vegetables and a slice of Ragusa province's speciality foccacia (a type of rolled pasta dish - a kind of lasagna/pasty hybrid, if you will). Each mouthful so fresh and full of flavour, not to mention being incredibly filling. This was all served with homemade cardamon bread - not that extra filling was required! Each time I have had the mixed plate, I have been completely satisfied.

A real treat is the juice options. I always go for Carrot, Orange and Ginger. With every mouthful, I can feel the inside of my body feeling cleansed.

Not to mention, after a visit here, there is a great feeling of energy and well-being for the rest of the day.

The coffee is also a real treat. Made from barley rather than regular coffee beans, such as arabica, so as to cut down on food miles and encourage a more sustainable way of sourcing what we eat, you get a much more delicate flavour. It's very aromatic and leaves a beautiful after-taste.

Pictured above is Emily with Vegania's incredibly welcoming and friendly owner. All of the staff are warm and helpful. It's a lovely atmosphere to be in.

The price is excellent. For all of the above, you can expect to pay just a little over €10 per head.

I really can't recommend this place highly enough. It's an absolute gem and I am so pleased that it has arrived just a short walk from my workplace. Ten out of ten, absolutely no complaints!


Vegania
Via Risorgimento, 12, Ragusa

7https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vegania/782827725116641

Amici Miei, Modica - Review

Apologies to regular followers that I haven't posted for a little while. Christmas was spent restfully at home with Totó and January was a month filled with hospital visits, ill health and cold weather, we haven't been out much at all and when we have ventured out, it has been to our favourite places which I have already written about. Very much hoping February will bring better fortune and more opportunities to write about the wonderful places to eat and drink in and around Modica.

This weekend has been gloomy and rainy in Modica but yesterday evening we forced ourselves out of the house and decided to head over to Modica Sorda for aperitivo. We were a little early, seemingly too early, for a few places to accommodate us... it was 6pm but we were told in two cafés that we couldn't take aperitivo until 7pm. Eventually, we arrived at Amici Miei and were welcomed warmly by the bar's wonderfully friendly owner, Flavio.

Amici Miei was once a regular hang-out of mine, as I initially lived in Modica Sorda after moving to Sicily. It's a modern bar, elegantly decorated but it's premium asset is Flavio, who is always so accommodating. There is a great drinks selection, including some stunning wines and fabulous cocktails and food is served at lunchtimes, as well as on special dining evenings, as advertised within.

In the street just outside the bar, we bumped into an old colleague of mine so we invited her to join us for a drink. I took a gin and tonic, made with my favourite Tanqueray gin, Totó had an Americano - made exactly as he likes it and my tee-total former colleague had a freshly-made orange juice.

We were each served with a delightful fish appetiser, which included raw shrimp, a mussel and salt cod. Each mouthful was absolutely beautiful.

A lovely revisit and reminder of a great place. We will definitely be heading back soon for a full meal and more lovely drinks with Flavio.

Amici Miei
Via Resistenza Partigiana, Modica Sorda

https://www.facebook.com/amici.miei.7127?fref=ts