In addition to lots of good restaurants, Marzamemi also has some good bakeries, fry shops, cafes and gelatarias. Here are my favourites. You’ll find them all on my map of Marzamemi.
Panificio Migliore 2, 43 Via Regina Elena
To my knowledge this is the best bakery in town. You can get pizza, arancini and various other baked and fried goods and if the huge cannolo nailed to the wall on the outside is anything to go by, they are pretty good too.
However I was keen to try their Scaccia (ska cha), a kind of baked stuffed foccaccia typical of the Ragusa region, and to a lesser extent in Syracusa where it’s known as Impanata or Mpanata, and in Agrigento where it’s called Bigliulata, or in Catania, where it’s named Scacciata.
They can be filled with many different things, including tomato sauce, broccoli, cauliflower, aubergines, potatoes, cheese (such as ricotta, tuma or caciocavallo), sausage, shrimp, black olives, onion, broad beans and saltcod. Panificio Migliore have around ten varieties. I breakfasted on a prosciutto with tomato and cheese version, which was still warm and totally delicious.
Fritti in un Coppo www.datadeo.it, 3 Via Marzamemi
I also loved this whole-in-the-wall fry shop where they serve Fritto Misto in a cone. As well as tiny fish there were also prawns, squid and octopus inside. No chips, but who needs them when you have all this.
Don Peppinu, 61 Via Marzamemi
This small chain has the best ice cream in Marzamemi according to my Airbnb host.
I was in birthday mode so I had their Cono Magnifico for a treat. You can have four flavours but I only had two as I don’t like mixing everything together. I went for the classic pistachio (a grey colour rather than bright green which is a sign of quality, and my Airbnb hosts, suggestion, “calacausi”; a peanut flavour, much loved in Catania and which I quite enjoyed.
It’s topped with fresh whipped cream, chopped nuts (choose either pistachio or almond), drizzled with either pistachio topping, or for me giandua (choc and hazlenut), and topped with two wafers and a mini cannolo for good measure. It’s quite a beast!
In addition they also do the best coffee in town (Illy), better than this posh place three doors down.
Caffe Al Ciclope 2 www.caffealciclope.com, 67 Via Marzamemi
Considered to be the best cafe in town, serving coffee, cakes, scaccia, granita and gelato, this is where I came for breakfast most often as it was nearest my accommodation. It was fine as an all-rounder.
Il Tuo Gelato 2, 7 Via Letizia, www.facebook.com/Iltuogelato2
A modern gelato and granita joint near the main square.
I wanted to try their granita alla ricotta, but they didn’t have it that day so I had their pistachio flavour instead. Classically it’s served with a brioche. The nob on the top, known as the ‘topo’ is considered the best bit.
I found the nuts to be a bit gritty but if you want a smoother one you could go around the corner to this old school ‘sorbetteria’ just around the corner.
Da Carletto Gelateria, 10 Via Regina Elena
I tried their almond granita on a hot day which was lovely and refreshing.
La Casa del Pomodoro, 43 Via Marzamemi, www.verdurazon.it
This ‘concept store’, specialising in tomato products (see also next post), was #1 on Tripadvisor when I was in town, probably because it’s a new business which the TA algorithms tend to favour. I didn’t put it in with the restaurants as it’s very informal and the food is served in laminated paper bowls.
I tried their Spaghetti alla Adelfio, with fresh pasta, sautéed mixed cherry tomatoes, dried cherry tomatoes, red tuna bottarga from the Adelfio shop down the street and toasted breadcrumbs. It was a bit greasy but all the tastier for it.
The glass of wine I had with it was pretty decent too and after I finished eating, I walked around the shop perusing the wares while taking a sip. Very civilised.
Which brings me on to food shopping in Marzamemi, coming next!