SPECIAL PASTRY My…read moreDad's hometown of Modica is a beautiful town. It is also the undeclared Mecca of chocolate in Sicily. When I was a young child I was first introduced to a breakfast pastry. I truly loved it. In fact, it was always a gift sent to me from my Sicilian family along with bars of chocolate. Well I received a delivery today of those famous pastries and am enjoying one right now. If you ever go to Modica, these little treats are called 'mpanatigghi'. As I got older I started researching these little treats. What I uncovered was very surprising. In fact, if I had learned that these delicious little pastries were stuffed with minced meat and chocolate I would have probably never eaten them. But it is too late for me to stop now. They are really good and unique. You will not find them anywhere in the world. When I was little there was only one baker in town that made them. My heart still lies with the original but for some reason everyone in my family can't remember who that person was. All of the local bakers have analyzed this pastry and have come up with there own versions. They are all similar in taste but I don't discriminate. It's a childhood memory that is hard to let go. It is something that I can only find in my Dad's hometown. So on your next trip to Italy, then make your way to Modica to try this unique pastry. The great 20th-century writer Leonardo Sciascia once wrote this about Modica. He said, "Modican chocolate is unparalleled in savor and tasting it is like reaching the ultimate, the absolute. Chocolate produced elsewhere is an adulteration, a corruption of the original." Modica has been making amazing chocolate since the 1500's since the Spanish conquistadors introduced it. They probably never knew the locals were going to mix it with minced meat to create a pastry. Travel is an adventure and it's nice to find hidden gems of food like the 'mpanatigghi' pastry.

My favorite place for gelato in the summer or pastries in the winter! There's hundreds of gelato…read moreshops in Modica so you have to make sure you pick the best one. This is the spot you have to go to where you will have no regrets. You can get anything from amazing coffee, granita (Italian ice) served with their homemade brioche buns, ice cream cakes, regular cakes, gelato, pastries, cocktails, the list goes on and on. They have indoor and outdoor seating that is plenty for all to come. Everyone is very friendly. I was lucky enough to go on a behind the scenes tour of the bakery. They homemake everything literally everything except the ceramic plates they serve it on. When in Modica stop by and have a treat. Great shopping is nearby just down the street.

Most people have never been to Modica but I am lucky that most of my family is from here. It is so…read morenice to go back and visit. One place that is a must on your trip is Liola for a espresso, granita or some incredible Gelato (that's ice cream to you Americans)! Liola is a family run business and they are all hard workers. The owner Georgette makes all of the gelato's fresh every day...you will usually find her in the back making tiny gelato cones or amazing ice cream cakes. The tiny gelato cones are very popular and people buy them by the pound. The bad part is that once you start eating them you can not stop. Why can't our ice cream in America taste like this? I think I could live here on gelato alone. And if you are reading this there is a good chance you only speak English...so do not be shy when visiting here because Georgetta speaks great English and would love to have a conversation and show you her kitchen. I loved the tour...it was great getting to see how the gelato cakes were made. My favorite gelato that I had and I sampled most of them was the pistachio. I almost did not get it because it was green but then said, "You only live once!" Wow was I hooked. In fact, it was my favorite flavor and I could have eaten it every day. My second favorite flavor gelato was the Baci, which is chocolate and hazelnut. In past trips, Baci use to by my number one, until my summer trip to Sicily this year. Sorry Baci!!! The espresso is also amazing here to...one of the best I have ever had in Europe. There is also beer here too but I could not mix it with gelato and espresso. I also recommend you try the granita. It is like an Italian Ice but you can actually eat with out needing a shovel. When I was a kid there was one flavor...espresso and then eventually came a second flavor called lemon. I had no idea that there were advances in granita over the past few years...there was strawberry (which I loved) and many other flavors to choose from. So if you find yourself traveling through Modica, then make sure you stop by here and have a nice treat...you deserve it...your on vacation right!!!

The best Granita/Cremolata in Modica? Yeah, yeah, much…read moredebate about this - every place has the best, I know. But this is *good*. Locals swear by it. A lot. Not just the locals - we were there pretty much every day for granita/coffee in the morning, and a couple more during the day (And yes, the brioche is pretty damn amazing too - just the right texture for dunking)