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In Parco Fluviale Alcantara... alont the trails of Nature
After leaving the Ionian coast and the rich pearls of the Sicilian tourism (Taormina and Giardini Naxos), go towards the green Alcantara Valley.
Near the toll booth of Giardini Naxos.
First meeting: Trappitello, a rich and populated country ward of Taormina
- The restaurant A Massaria, with country cuisine
- the holiday farm Villa Antonella, surrounded by lemon and orange orchards, with kind and familiar service and a very good catering offering typical products (dried tomatoes in oil)
- the restaurant Il Feudo, with its wild boar breedings, the zoo which can be visited by children, and the sale of typical products.
After leaving the town of Gaggi, immediately after the bridge over the stream Petrolo, in the Municipality of Graniti
- the restaurant A Casitta, with Sicilian appetizers as specialities
- in the pinewood, the family-run restaurant Flora, with very good mixed grills and local wine
- with a view over the Valley, rustic but refined, in the contrada Muscianò, restaurant PARADISE, with home-made maccheroni as speciality.
In the Municipality of Motta Camastra
- on the bridge of S.Cataldo, a very good bakery with wooden oven and Sicilian biscuits as speciality ("cuddureddi chini", "mastrazzola", small almond biscuits, orange and lemon biscuits): Strazzeri Grazia Tel. 0942/985313
- from the bridge of San Cataldo, towards the homonymous farm holiday, in contrada Pitarri, stays, farm holiday catering, rest for horses, and tourism on horseback
- contrada Ladreria, the famous Gole dell’Alcantara; plants, catering and bar of the Azienda Agrituristica Gole Alcantara s.a.s.; liquor specialities and jams based on citrus produced by the firm itself; stays in the farm holidays "Il Poggio" and "La Casa delle Monache"
- in front of the above-mentioned plants, the Artisanal firm of Margarete Frese and F.lli Oliveri, produces Sicilian preserves in oil
- in contrada Fondaco Motta, the restaurant La Palmara, is also a typical pizzeria obtained from a country structure and furnished with typical Sicilian decorations; spicy preserves as specialities
- in the same contrada, at n. 98 of the National Road 185, there is the liquor firm of Elisa Pasqualetto, specialized in limoncello and lemon creams: Tel. 0942/985419
On the road towards Francavilla di Sicilia (3 Km from Fondaco Motta)
- at the edges of the road the farmers directly sale their products: fruit in season (citrus, prickly pears, olives), cultivated and wild vegetables
- at the Monastery of the Capuchin Friars (Tel. 0942/981017) friar Concetto prepares liquor specialities typical of the Franciscan and farming tradition
- at the bakery of Del Popolo Angela, in via Oberdan, 19 - Tel. 0942/981731, you can find home-made bread cooked in a wooden oven, typical biscuits with almonds, honey ("mastrazzola"), hazelnuts and honey ("cuddureddi chini"), "cudduri cull’ova" (for Easter), orange and lemon biscuits;
- following via Vittorio Emanuele at n.232, there is the confectionery of David Palmira, with almond specialities ("paste di mandorla", mignon typical of Messina): ask for Gaetano (a young confectioner belonging to the Associazione Pasticceri Etnei, whose President is the famous Condorelli) Tel. 0942/981282
- at the confectionery of F.lli Di Costa in contrada Barbazza (Tel. 0942/982580-981936) production of soft torrone with almonds and chocolate (exported in 14 foreign countries) show room
- at Vincenzino's Bar, in via Vittorio Emanuele, there are the famous lemon crushed-ice drinks, torrone with hazelnuts, "paste di mandorla", and typical Sicilian ice-creams - Tel. 0942/981557 - v.Vittorio Emanuele n.62
- further on, at n. 32 of the same road, the confectionery of Letterio Russo, who is considered in the area the master of the "paste di mandorla" and of “cuddureddi chini”; he still produces anice biscuits - Tel. 0942/981349
- at the main crossroads with via Roma, in front of the Church SS.Annunziata, the Caprice Bar of Ignazio Princiotta, Tel. 0942/982225, produces very good almond confectioneries, Sicilian pastry rolls ("cannoli") with ricotta or cream, "sciauni" with ricotta cooked in the oven or fried, "totò" biscuits, "bersaglieri"; in summer, the famous black mulberry crushed-ice drink and the torrone ice-cream
- at the Kiosk of Turi Del Popolo, in Piazza Matteotti in front of the Town Hall, refreshing lemonades with seltz and lemon, red orange juice
- at Campanella's bar, there is Pippo Patanè, fond of the medieval period and of the Sicilian culture, in particular the culture of the Alcantara area, master pyrographer; bar with wonderful pictures of the Valley, tea room, speciality “liquor with red pepper”, seat of the Association “A MMinestra e fora“ (wild soup), Club Sicilia Etnalcantara, cultural gastronomy and wines - Tel. 0942/982147
- in via Umberto, there is the Circolo Culturale Enogastronomico Slow Food Etnalcantara - mobile 333/3159308
- next to it there is the trattoria Rapisardi, where Salvatore together with his family prepares Sicilian specialities: "pasta con le sarde", "pescestocco alla ghiotta messinese", "maccheroni di casa" (of their own production), local wine; good relation price/quality.
5 Km from Francavilla, in the province of Catania, there is Castiglione di Sicilia, seat of the Park's Environmental Education Center (former Church of San Giuseppe), first town of the wine of Etna
- at the Dispensa dell’Etna, near the Church of Sant’Antonio, tasting and sale of the specialities of the Alcantara Valley and of the Etna (pistachios, jams, "doc" and "docg" Etna red and white wines of every producer of the doc); small annexed restaurant obtained from an old cellar (contact Carmela or Franco Campione - mobile 339/7139000)
- at Vincenzo Fallone's Bar, in piazza Lauria, specialities of the Sicilian confectionery (owner of bed & breakfast)
- in the wine shop Torrepalino, in the Country ward of Solicchiata, of the wine firm soc.coop. Patria, at nr. 174 of the national road towards Randazzo, "doc" and "docg" wines, quality sparkling wines (Palici); prestigious wine production of Sicilia (contact Franco Di Miceli, Mr. Raciti, Mrs. Magaraci - Tel. 0942/986072); if you book, it will be possible to have tasting and to visit the great barrels, where works of art are displayed
- Alcantara Formaggi of Camuglia Salvatore, lab of dairy products, via Federico II n.105 - Tel. 0942/984268
- wine firm Cottanera of F.lli Cambria, crossroads to Randazzo, at the exit of the country ward of Verzella, possibility to visit the firm, ask for the agronomist Giulio Vecchio 320/0382581, prestigious wines Fatagione, Sole di Sesta, Ardenzia
- wine firm Antichi Vinai srl of Gangemi, in via Castiglione n.49, in the country ward of Passopisciaro, wine-cellar, sale of very good wine - Tel. 0942/983232-983218
- Golf Club “Il Picciolo“ of F.lli Leonardi, 120, v. Buscamento country ward of Rovittello, 18 holes, golf house with restaurant, 40 beds - Tel. 0942/986252
In Moio Alcantara
- Possibility to buy very good peaches directly from agricultural producers
- the butcher's shop of Angelo Trefiletti, preparation of the typical pork "frittole" (boiled and flavoured pigskin)
- the confetionery of Gaetano Strazzeri, in viale Europa, produces typical Sicilian sweets: pastry rolls and cakes with ricotta cheese, "sciauni", "chiacchiere", "mastrazzoli" with honey, sweets with peaches.
In Roccella Valdemone
- directly at the shepherds, possibility to buy fresh ricotta and other cheese
- pasta with “sparaconci“ (wild asparagus)
In Randazzo, a medieval town unique in Italy and with a territory lying within three natural protected areas (Etna, Nebrodi, Alcantara): there is the Visitor Center of the three Parks, where you will find exhibitions, information, brochures (Via Umberto, 195 - Tel. 095/7991611)
- at the bar-confectionery “Da Arturo”, elegant and prestigious, specialities of Etna, with pistachios, but above all superb almond milk (Via Umberto, 154 Tel. 095/921068) (closed on Wednesdays)
- at the Confectionery of F.lli Lo Presti, Via Vagliasindi, 13 - Tel. 095/921460 (closed on Tuesdays), specialities with almonds and pistachios
- at the Corso's bar, Via Umberto, 138 - Tel. 095/921244 (closed on Mondays), very good ice-cream and confectionery
- the catering of the VENEZIANO is good and of high quality: it also manages the catering of the Farm holiday PARCO STATELLA; mushrooms of Etna as specialities
- the catering of SAN GIORGIO E IL DRAGO is very good and of high quality: Sicilian specialities, typical and country place
- the catering of CASTELLO ROMEO and of BRISTOL PARK is very good and of high quality, also for parties, meetings, and conferences
- the catering and the welcome of Hotel Scrivano are also of high quality: elegant, nice and kind.
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