Tag: travel

Travel to Italy: rediscovering Taormina – Italian Cuisine

Gluttonous Taormina guide with addresses for food jerseys. In the footsteps of the Grand Tour to rediscover – this all-Italian summer – the Sicilian pearl of the Ionian Sea

Rediscover Taormina in the year of the revival of Italian tourism. In 800 the Ionian pearl – lying on a natural terrace overlooking the sea and protected by the watchful gaze of Etna – it was a mandatory stop for travelers of the Grand Tour, especially during the winter period. In the modern era, however, it has become a sought-after summer destination, without losing that allure that has captivated intellectuals and artists from all over the world. According to ENIT (National Tourism Authority) estimates, 2020 records a 55% drop in international arrivals, a serious blow to the economy of the Sicilian town which has always been able to count on a high spending foreign clientele, with Americans in top of the list.

After an initial moment of concern, due to the cancellation of reservations due to the effect of Covid-19, the first positive signs of recovery are felt, and starting from July the large hotels, the pride of Taormina, have resumed their regular activity. The Belmond Group – luxury brand of hospitality founded 40 years ago and now acquired by the French holding Lvmh, which boasts in its portfolio icons such as the Cipriani of Venice, the Caruso of Ravello, the Splendido of Portofino and the legendary Orient Express train – is present in Taormina with two structures: the Grand Hotel Timeo and the Villa Sant’Andrea, the latter directly overlooking the Bay of Mazzarò, with private access to the sea. A season different from the others, with an increase in Italian presences and the forecast to recover the lost months in autumn and winter, taking advantage of the mild Sicilian climate. Belmond hotels are the perfect base for discovering Taormina in a gourmet key, starting right from the three restaurants – including theOtto Geleng of the star chef Roberto Toro – and from the bar on the panoramic terrace of the Timaeus, where theEtna Spritz, the only Italian drink in the magazine's ranking of the best cocktails in the world Condé Nast Traveler Usa. Here are all the tips for a tasty holiday in Taormina.

Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo and Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea

In 2019, exactly one year after the opening, the Otto Geleng gourmet restaurant of the Grand Hotel Timeo obtains the coveted Michelin star. An important recognition for the executive chef Roberto Toro that sees thus rewarded the research and experimentation work carried out with his brigade in the Timeo kitchen. Open only for dinner for 16 guests, arranged in eight tables, which can savor the chef's creations while admiring the breathtaking panorama of the Bay of Taormina, with the summit of Etna that stands out on the horizon. Alternatively, always on the terrace, there are the Timeo Restaurant, with a selection of the great classics of Sicilian and Mediterranean cuisine, and then the Literary bar, perfect for an aperitif at sunset accompanied by the notes of a piano and a cocktail prepared by barman Claudio Adelfio, like new Milan – Taormina based on Cynar and Etna bitters. For a fish-based lunch or dinner, go to the Oliviero restaurant del Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea, partner structure connected to the Timaeus by a free shuttle service.

Via Teatro Greco 59 – Taormina (Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo)
Via Nazionale 137 – Taormina (Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea)

Kistè – Easy Gourmet

Kistè is the original food and wine container wanted by Pietro D'Agostino – starred chef del La Capinera restaurant, mainly characterized by a fish cuisine – together with his partner, the sommelier Morena Benenati. The restaurant is located in the heart of the historic center of Taormina, inside a historic fifteenth-century building. New this year, a drink list divided into 12 zero km cocktails that pay homage to Sicily. The creations are designed by Mattia Cilia, among the best bartenders in the world, and made by the student Sofia Mammana, young Sicilian promise of mixology. The raw materials used – as is the case for the menu proposals – are personally selected by the chef who signs the label with the "Io Pietro D'Agostino" brand: the Pantelleria wine of the Francesco Rizzo company, the Mediterann liqueurs- IO from Giardini D'Amore, the fragrances of orange blossom and jasmine, chestnut honey, medlar and citrus from Sicilian black bees by Claudio Meli, fruit and seasonal vegetables.

Via S. Maria dè Greci, 2 – Taormina

Osteria Santa Domenica

The local of Gianluca Savoca, a few meters from the Ancient Theater, is the landmark of the inhabitants of Taormina. Opened in 2014 as a wine bar, two years later it evolves and transforms into a restaurant. Among the strengths is the wine list, with a rich and targeted selection of labels that reveals the owner's great enoic passion. Well 350 wine labels, between small natural productions and big brands, which can be requested by the glass. The menu includes few and targeted courses, ranging from the mountain flavors of the inland areas of Sicily to the classic traditional fish-based recipes, always accompanied by excellent Sicilian bread with grains. Among the dishes to try are the fresh pasta tagliolini with Palazzolo Acreide truffle and Mazara red prawn. Note of merit for the tasting of Etna extra virgin olive oil, served as soon as you sit down at the table. Upon request, Gianluca Savoca also organizes cooking lessons including a morning walk for shopping and a slush break.

Via G. Di Giovanni, 47/49 – Taormina

Minotauro pastry since 1979

The best pastry shop in Taormina is located in a small alley in the center, a few steps from the Ancient Theater. In the laboratory of Rosy and Nuccio Cingari substitutes and essential oils are banned to make room only for natural products, such as the delicious Sicilian sheep ricotta and Avola almonds. Among the specialties to try are the biscuits of the Messina tradition: piparelle is 'nzuddi with carob flour. As soon as you cross the threshold, your gaze is captured by the colorful marzipan fruit, made with 50% almonds and hand painted by Nuccio.

Via Di Giovanni 15 – Taormina

Roberto – the Wizard of Cannoli

Walking through the maze of narrow streets in the center, you come across the laboratory of Roberto Chemi, better known in the city as the Wizard of Cannoli. The dessert par excellence of Sicilian pastry is certainly the specialty to try: the crispy wafer is filled on the spot with a small spatula, just like it was in ancient times. The sheep's milk ricotta used is not blasted and is characterized by a balanced percentage of sugar and the addition of a pinch of cinnamon and a drop of liqueur, following the family recipe handed down by his father, who was also a pastry chef in Taormina.

Via Calapitrulli 9 – Taormina

Bam Bar Taormina

Thanks to word of mouth – and social networks – the Bambara family bar has become an obligatory stop for the Sicilian granita. You can choose from 24 fresh fruit flavors and 7 other proposals with the addition of milk. The most popular granita is the almond one, accompanied by the inevitable Brioche with Tuppo, and then the seasonal mandarin (in winter) and figs (in summer).

Via di Giovanni, 45, 98039 Taormina ME

Morgana Lounge Bar

The trendiest venue in Taormina is the ideal stop for those who want to spend an evening full of fun. Great music, designer furnishings that change every season, a small internal garden with the inevitable bougainvillea and a selection of cocktails home made that they prefer Sicilian ingredients (agave, prickly pear, jasmine, passito di Pantelleria): this is the formula for the success of the cousins Christian Sciglio is Guido Spinello. "Malandrina" is one of the specialties of the Morgana drink list, made with Belvedere Vodka, fennel syrup, lemon juice, elderflower and lime, scekerato and served with ice.

Descent Morgana 4 – Taormina

Naxos Archaeological Park – Taormina

Since 2013 the Archaeological park of Naxos – Taormina has the management of some of the most important monumental and landscape sites in the province of Messina: the Archaeological Museum of Naxos with its collections, the Ancient Theater, Villa Caronia, the Naturalistic Museum of Isolabella, the archaeological areas of Taormina and Francavilla, Palazzo Ciampoli and the Basilian Monastery and Church of Saints Peter and Paul. From 1 July the Ancient Theater – second most visited site in Sicily after the Valley of the Temples – has resumed the usual time of view (every day from 9 to 19) while the positive news of this post-Covid phase, which has led to a remodulation of the times and ways of activities, is the tourist package (21.50 € per person) which, together with the entrance ticket, also includes a one-hour tour accompanied by professional and multilingual guides (free for children up to 10 years old).

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The ideal travel destinations for 2020 according to Lonely Planet – Italian Cuisine

The Lonely Planet has compiled the list of the best travel destinations for 2020: among the green, exotic and cultural destinations, the Marche region also appears

The 2019 is about to end and, while the sums are drawn on the past year, we begin to plan trips and adventures for the next. It is not by chance that it is in this period that on the site of the famous travel guide Lonely Planet the list of the best travel destinations or, better, of the is published lesser-known or tourist places to discover or re-evaluate. Among the suggestions for the 2020, divided according to different categories including best country, city and region, we find exotic, cultural or zero-impact destinations, tourist-less locations to be re-evaluated or reachable thanks to new air connections and finally cities that will host important events. Surprisingly, Italy is also given a place of honor, as the Marche region ranks second among the recommended regions.

The best countries to travel in 2020

Bhutan, England, Northern Macedonia, Aruba, eSwatini, Costa Rica, Netherlands, Liberia, Morocco, Uruguay.

Guru Padmasambhava Lhuntse, Bhutan (@Destinations 2020 travel countries).

The first of the recommended countries is the Bhutan, a pristine gem of the eastern Himalayas, bordering with India and Tibet but less known and less touristy. This small state of rare naturalistic beauty, whose 60% of the territory is covered with forests, was already noted two years ago for having been elected "happiest country in the world", as well as for being a unique eco-sustainable example for a long time in the world. The guide Lonely Planet remember, however, that the national policy based on "high value, minimal environmental impact" includes a daily tax that tourists must pay to obtain a visa and to visit the country.

In second place we find England and, in particular, theEngland Coast Past, the long-awaited National Trail coastal route that will be completed in 2020 and that with its 5000 kilometers it will be the longest in the world. Thanks to this railway section it will be possible to easily explore the extraordinary and picturesque English coast, between wild and rural stretches, castles and characteristic villages.

There Lonely Planet then suggests to consider a trip to Macedonia, Balkan country still unexplored, but from next year more accessible thanks to the inauguration of new flight routes; among the recommended excursions, the one to Lake Ohrid, one of the oldest in the world, as well as a day of trekking along the High Scardus Trail.

The best cities to travel in 2020

Salzburg (Austria), Washington D.C. (USA), Cairo (Egypt), Galway (Ireland), Bonn (Germany), La Paz (Bolivia), Kochi (India), Vancouver (Canada), Dubai (Uae) Denver (USA).

Salzburg, Austria (@mete viaggio 2020 città, flickr, Robero Ferrari).

The most recommended city for 2020 is Salzburg, which this year is preparing to celebrate the centenary of the Salzburg Festival, one of the most prestigious and famous opera and classical music events in the world; provided an exceptional poster with prominent names and titles such as Elektra and Don Giovanni.
Another centenary that, according to Lonely Planet, deserves a trip next year is what will take place in Washington D.C. in the United States, and that of the 19th amendment: to celebrate the anniversary of the law granting women the right to vote in fact, there are special exhibitions and events. In third place in the ranking of the cities to visit there is Cairo, in Egypt, where, after so many years of waiting, the doors will finally open on Great Egyptian Museum (GEM), a museum complex of almost 500 thousand square meters that will host thousands of archaeological finds.

The best regions to travel to in 2020

Via della Seta (Central Asian), Marche (Italy), Tōhoku (Japan), Maine (Usa), Lord Howe Island (Australia), Guizhou Province (China), Cadiz Province (Spain), Northeast (Argentina), Kvarner Gulf ( Croatia), Amazonia (Brazil).

Uzbekistan, Silk Road (@ Regions travel destinations 2020).

The region of the world at the top of the "Best-in-travel" of the Lonely Planet and the Central Asia Silk Road, an ideal tour through countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, rich in history and tradition. From 2020, in fact, this itinerary will be made even more accessible thanks to the decision of Uzbekistan to introduce a new system of electronic visas as well as a visa-free transit regime for short stays.
In second place there are the Marche, of which the Australian guide praises the sea as much as the countryside, the suggestive medieval hilltop villages, the splendid Renaissance palaces, festivals and festivals that promote regional cuisine; as if that were not enough, in 2020, the "picturesque city of Urbino" is preparing to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Raphael's death.

La Rocca di Offagna, Ancona, Marche, Italy (@Wikipedia).

In third place we find the Japanese region Tōhoku, unfortunately known above all for the damages suffered due to the tsunami and the earthquake of 2011. This region, which is slowly flowering again, now offers excellent tourist facilities and can be reached within a few hours by train from the capital. There Lonely Planet, on the occasion of the Summer Olympics to be held in Tokyo next year, therefore suggests an "escape" to the discovery of this country, to admire its authentic lifestyle, the breathtaking landscapes, the ancient traditions and the evocative sacred temples.

Opening photo: Bhutan travel destinations 2020

Mercello Trentini: travel, study, experiences and a great deal of freedom – Italian Cuisine

It's not often that you meet a chef with rasta pigtails on his head and Bermuda shorts under his uniform. But the Turin Marcello Trentini, often known as Magorabin (from the name of his local), could not be that way. You understand it when its loose talk brings you over the years of an irreverent and light-hearted youth or among the thousand experiences lived in kitchens all over the world without ever taking itself too seriously. So much so that, if you did not have that developed and stubborn pellet for the culinary art, you could imagine it, instead of driving a starred restaurant, in some New Age Indian community. And you would be wrong, because under the whimsical and anarchic nature of Magorabin there is something else.

166848 He tried this by opening a room with his own strength, together with his wife Simona, when he was just over 30 years old. There he planned to propose simple, well-cooked dishes first and then, gradually, to introduce increasingly original, interesting and complex proposals. Like the duck from the Marengo that he cooked for us: completely inspired by the famous chicken of Napoleon's chef, he knows how to combine the Piedmontese ability to bring together ingredients that are apparently incompatible with French and international haute cuisine techniques.

Said and done, the determination led him exactly where he wanted to go, that is to run only his creations and to conquer in a few years the major guides, the highly coveted qualification of JRE and finally the Michelin star. "Stuff that makes you shake your wrists", he says with the usual impetuousness of a former student with little model that today fascinates the auditorium of the hotel of Stresa with brilliant lessons on improvisation and re-use. "But certainly not enough to make me stop wanting the second".

The Magorabin restaurant in corso San Maurizio 61, in Turin. A few weeks ago the restaurant was "doubled" from 120 200 square meters, while the seats, that they were about twenty, they became 40. Among the interesting news, also the presence of a "Social Table" where 8 people at a time, even without knowing each other, can taste a special menu designed specifically for them.

He became a member of the Jeunes restaurateurs in 2008, at the age of 37, today Trentini fulfills the task with satisfaction of their vice president. And speaking of this association confesses: "A few years later I won the Michelin star, but being admitted among the JRE was the most exciting recognition of my career. At that precise moment I felt I was starting to play in the championship of the great ".

texts by Daniela Falsitta
video (below) Diego Stadiotti
on Sale & Pepe magazine
October 2018