Osteria I Tre Bicchieri
Via San Giuseppe al Duomo 31
Cuisines: European, Continental
About
This is the finest and most appealing restaurant in Catania. Established in 2000 in partnership with one of the best-respected wine merchants (Benanti, Inc.) in Sicily, it welcomes visitors to a location on a narrow, quiet street 2 blocks northwest of the cathedral. Note that this building contains two dining venues, the other a well-conceived wine tavern, called Cantina, in a woodsy-looking room near the front entrance. Food here includes the likes of fondue, steak tartare, carpaccio, pasta, and crepes, costing from 6€ to 15€ ($7.80-$20). But the real culinary vision of the place is found in the three high-ceilinged, vaulted rooms outfitted in a graceful 18th-century style, reached by walking through the Cantina and the kind of sliding, high-security door you might expect to see in a bank vault. Part of the success of this place derives from the culinary vision of Naples-born chef Carmine Laquinangelo, whose creativity is fast becoming legend among local gastronomes. The best pasta we tasted in Catania was his tagliatelle with ragout of suckling pig. He does wonders with fish, especially triglia, a local saltwater fish served with onion-stuffed artichokes and a sauce of smoked foie gras. His signature gnocchi comes with a cheese from Ragusa. The wine list includes at least 1,000 Italian vintages, many from Sicily. Note to wine experts: Make it a point to drop into the wine boutique, which sells both popular and very rare vintages. Best of all, it maintains a resident expert wine steward who really knows what he's talking about.
