A Life Worth Eating

To anyone whose food vocabulary includes the words “decadent” and “sinful”, I don’t recommend a trip to Sicily. I’m afraid it would be sensory overload — all the “guilty pleasures” may be too much. You see, Sicilians take their sweets very seriously. As soon as your flight touches down at the airport, you feel it. Better yet, they enjoy, nay, love their sweets — a clear manifestation of a culture that truly appreciates pleasure. They respect their sweets, protecting their traditional recipes like national treasures. Any Sicilian will tell you that any time of day (yes, even breakfast) is the perfect time for a treat. And Pasticceria Alba in Palermo is, in my opinion, the perfect place for it.

To say that I think this place is special is an understatement. I’ll even go out on a limb here and declare it the best pasticceria/gelateria/bar I’ve ever been to. A bold claim, I know, but just hear me out. I arrived in Palermo the same way I arrived in all the other Italian cities: without the slightest clue where I would sleep or what I would do, much less where I would eat. Pasticceria Alba was mentioned only quickly in passing through my old Fodor’s guidebook. For those without a car as I was, it’s not the most centrally located place around, so I’m not sure what whim led me there. But as soon as I walked in, I knew I was in the right place. One of the window displays featured probably the most famous Sicilian treats: cannoli. A giant, shoe-sized version of this treat tempted me to start with something sweet, but I already smelled my first victim. A fresh arancina con spinaci e besciamella had just emerged hot from the fryer. A fried ball of risotto stuffed with spinach and creamy béchamel, this tasted even better than it sounds. The breading on the outside was perfectly crisp, the inside was creamy and rich. Definitely among the best renditions of this Sicilian specialty that I’ve had anywhere.

I took another walk by the massive display case of sweets, and saw several sizes of cassata siciliana., which is sort of like cannoli cake. This is a regional specialty of the area in and around Palermo, and while I had tried several cassatine (basically the Mini-Me version) already during my time in the city, I had yet to sample a slice of one of the larger ones. I chose the prettiest one that I could find, and asked for a slice. While the guy sliced my piece, I walked over to the bar and ordered something else that had caught my eye already: latte di mandorla. Pistachios and almonds are the two nuts for which the island of Sicily is famous, and this drink was made with the latter. This almond milk was cold, slightly sweet, and incredibly refreshing. It was the perfect way to wash down the cassata, which was very sweet but not overly so. The ricotta filling was fresh, almost milky tasting, while the candied fruits on top added a different intensity of flavor into the mix. Very tasty.

But now, a moment of silence, please, for the gelato… I can say, without ANY hesitation, that this is the finest gelato I’ve tasted in my life (and I’ve had my fair share). I had a cone with two ridiculously delicious flavors, pistacchio di Bronte and Il Siciliano (mandorle siciliane e pistacchi di Bronte). Words cannot describe these flavors, but I’ll try. The pistachio had a distinct roasted flavor, tasting of the purest natural essence of the nut, rather than any color or flavor additives. Il Siciliano was a wonderful symphony of flavors and textures. The slight bitterness of the Sicilian almonds was countered by the sweetness of the tiniest shards of candied almonds and pistachios. The perfectly creamy texture of the gelato was countered by the tiny intermittent crunches from chunks of roasted almond and pistachio. I was practically brought to tears it was so good.

If you are simply looking for my recommendation for the best gelato in Italy, then stop reading right now and go book your tickets to Palermo. If you ever find yourself in this city, or anywhere near it for that matter, this place undoubtedly warrants a special trip. For me, it was, hands-down, the best food experience of a week spent eating quite well in Palermo.