Restaurant La Piazzetta was recommended to us for a visit to Mario and Antonella, in whose villa we stayed in Sicily. The restaurant is located 7 kilometers from the center of Trapani, but a 10-minute walk from the villa.
There is no problem for the Italian to drive 10-15 km for a good restaurant, and some of my friends from Bologna have dinner 40 times from their home several times a week and do not see anything strange in this. So do not be confused by some remoteness from the city and the location of La Piazzetta.
As you will see below, this gastronomic center of the Salina Grande Valley liked us so much that during 5 days of rest we had dinner there 3 times.
Of course, first of all you (yes, I confess) are interested in the prices of dishes, and in order to dispel your curiosity, I photographed the menu.
As befits a decent Italian restaurant, the menu begins with antipasti, and since we are on the island, the marine, fish theme prevails. Immediately ask you to put a note in the submenu with the name "Cozze", which means "mussels". The first night I didn’t pay attention to them, but I “recouped” my next visits and at the Restorante Pizzeria San Gusumano restaurant. Okay, let's talk about everything in order.
As you can see, the cost of pizza is quite affordable in the range of 5-8 euros.
First and second courses in the region of 10-15 euros.
First dinner
As an antipasto, I decided to try a small octopus. It looks a bit intimidating, but the taste is great.
Another appetizer on our table was a seafood salad.
And grilled vegetables. By the way, they let us down, because turned out to be overcooked. In places it’s straight quite embers.
Squids here are prepared quite specifically. In our opinion, again overcooked. But, apparently, a good roast is a feature of the restaurant.
Sword fish (Involtini di Spada-10 euros), very tasty, very tender. We advise everyone to take this dish. Without extra sauces and complex side dishes, the real taste of fish and a little salad.
The pasta with mussels also pleased us. Regular readers are aware that one of the first dishes I always taste pasta and if it is cooked well - this adds bonuses to the chef's karma.
A little limoncella as a digestif. Traditions in the area greatly influence our behavior. For example, at home, the dad of the chief editor Yana Yakutsevich never drinks wine and limoncella, and in Italy their use is completely natural.
The final bill for dinner was 74.50 euros. Please note that a tip of EUR 2 per person is already included in the bill.
The interior of this restaurant, like many other establishments in Sicily, does not have a special design, not to mention some kind of luxury. But you should not be confused, because the main thing in any Sicilian restaurant is the cuisine.
The restaurant’s interior hall was not filled to capacity, but it was not possible for us to talk calmly. It's no secret that Italians are noisy, Sicilians are apparently especially noisy, so we had to shout a little this evening.
This is how the road to Villa Mario looks like on a pleasant June evening.
View Restaurant in Sicily: La Piazzetta (Trapani) in a larger map
Second dinner
A few days after a real Sicilian dinner with Antonella and a meal at Restorante Pizzeria San Gusumano, which is the main competitor to the Calvino pizzeria in the gastronomic ranking of pizzerias among Trapani residents, we returned again to La Piazzetta.
This time we were much wiser and immediately started the meal with huge bowls of mussels, which, however, are only a snack for most Sicilians. In ordinary life, such a kilogram of such mussels is bought at the local fish market for 3-4 euros per kilo. Observing the neighboring tables, I noted several times that everyone takes a bucket for himself, and then eats pizza and easily finishes the meal with dessert. Although we are big lovers of food, we did not dare to do such feats, limiting ourselves to 2 servings for 4. In total, mussels are served in this restaurant in 4 different ways. This dish is called Zuppa di Cozze on the menu.
And Scoppiata di Cozze. Opinions were divided: someone liked the first mussels more, someone liked the second. So you try everything.
The second brought us again Pesce Spada, but in a different form. This one is more spicy, with stewed vegetables and spices.
Couscous with seafood.
Here is such a sauce. Be sure to add it so that couscous is not so dry.
And finally, we tried pizza, of course, with seafood. Where without mussels and shrimp in Sicily. It is very tasty, although not familiar to see such pizza on your plate.
And again, the account with the same amount and full bellies. Satisfied as elephants we rolled out of the restaurant.
Of the interesting points that I would like to note - a company of police officers who stopped before or after work to fight hunger.
Third dinner
On our last night in Sicily, we decided not to look for adventure and predictably have a delicious dinner in our favorite trusted place. They decided not to stuff their bellies as usual, but to opt for appetizers. Sicilian bruschetta or Sicilian sandwich: toasted bread with tomato sauce. To warm up the most.
And of course, mussels! The fried bread bribed us and we ordered Cozze di Zuppa again.
And for men, also a fish. Pesce Spada is always tender and tasty.
A modest four-person bill of 49 euros, including a liter of home-made white wine. Probably, our bodies have already refused so much food at the end of the holiday. Come to Sicily and you will experience the same feeling.
