Posted by KB on August 2, 2011
Somehow we seemed to have ended up with an Italian food mindset which equates authentic with traditional. Where the only ‘real’ Italian food comes from a home-style kitchen, just the way nonna used to make it. But unfortunately that leaves something of a gap between that and the modern Italian restaurants.
And that’s why we like Caffe Sicilia so much. A bold black and white outfit, with plenty of marble and gold trim, it seems to come straight out of 1940s Sicily and landed perfectly between our two extremes. It’s as authentic as it comes, but there’s nothing home-style about it.
As you’d expect from an island, Sicilian cuisine is heavy on the seafood, which is reflected in the menu here. There are other options (braised spatchcock, veal involtini) but it makes sense to stick with the waiter’s suggestion of fish; the staff really know what they’re doing.
Whitebait fritters from the antipasti menu are a welcome change from the often mushy mess, the delicate cakes pulling apart into fully intact individual fish. Risotto (served in true Italian style as a first course rather than a main) is a rich serving of prawns, calamari and mussels in a wonderfully savoury base. At this point it should also be noted that as well as knowing their food, the staff are also highly capable sommeliers. The Teresa Manara Chardonnay suggested to us is not only a fine accompaniment, but quite delicious.
Our main has a little of a spectacle to it; snapper fillet baked in the bag with prawns, pippis and calamari, opened at the table for maximum olfactory enjoyment. It’s cooked perfectly and thankfully light (considering what we’ve already eaten), but we make a note to try the swordfish tart on the next visit.
By this point dessert is on everyone’s mind. Not simply because it’s the end of the meal, but because the view diners have of the chefs preparing pastries. (If that’s not food porn we don’t know what is.) And its arrival is no disappointment: a traditional cassata topped with candied fruit and ricotta filled cannoli with a perfect snap to the shell.
What might not be immediately obvious if you come at night is that this is also quite a good spot for a weekend breakfast. The coffee is good, prices are in line with the other cafes on the Crown Street strip, plus it’s perfectly excusable to have a meal comprised entirely of those wonderful pastries.
Caffe Sicilia is at 628 Crown St, Surry Hills. Ph: (02) 9699 8787.
caffe sicilia, italian, surry hills