Dolce Sicilia
Paceville
Food: 7/10
Service: 9/10
Ambience: 6/10
Value: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
This outpost of Sicily stands proudly on a corner in Paceville. It is a place I love, located in a place I detest. The fact that I repeatedly make the pilgrimage through Paceville’s odious streets is testament to the quality of food found here.
Dolce Sicilia welcomes you with open arms, arms that are laden with goodies. This place is a gelateria, pasticceria, pizzeria and wine bar all rolled into one. You might think that this is too many hats for one establishment to juggle but, from what I’ve sampled, they seem to know well enough what they’re doing.
Sicily is famous for its sweet treats, but we were consumed that day by an intense craving for something savoury. An abundance of ever-so-tempting pezzi di rosticceria beckoned – an array comprising arancini, calzoni, pizzette, rollo con würstel and ravazzate. They would make the perfect lunch.
The rosticceria siciliana represents Sicilian street food at its best: greasy, calorific and utterly moreish. These humble, home-grown classics are an expression of the colour and vibrancy of Sicily. With the exception of the arancini, the base dough of these ‘pezzi’ is always the same. All pieces are made with a Sicilian brioche pastry – a versatile, fluffy, leavened dough of distinct character that has just the slightest hint of alluring sweetness to it.
Dolce Sicilia’s pizzette were mediocre. In the rosticceria Siciliana’s pizza there is none of the elegant sophistication of a thin crust pizza. Far cruder, the unpolished rounds of spongy, doughy pastry, topped with a good passata di pomodoro, melting mozzarella and sprinklings of dried oregano made for a reasonably good, rustic Margherita pizza. It wasn’t perfect. The thick crust was a bit too chewy and very stodgy, and the simple blanket of topping was extremely tasty but far too thinly spread.
Made with the same semi-sweet Sicilian pasta brioche were the calzoni – a folded-over pizza-like affair filled with a range of colourful ingredients. There are two kinds to be had: the calzone fritto, deep-fried until its crust is smooth and golden, or the calzone al forno. Our choice of calzone, having been baked to a light golden brown in the heat of an oven, consisted of a soft, pillowy interior, packed with slivers of ham, a sumptuous tomato sauce, strands of melted mozzarella cheese and spinach. While the pastry case itself was a joy to savour, the filling lacked seasoning.
The Cipollina, a baked puff pastry parcel that was light and delicately flaky, sent crisp, golden flakes flying in every direction as I took my first bite. It was mouth-wateringly good; generously filled with the sweetness of the soft, fried onions and the tomato sauce, and the saltiness of the ham. It was wonderfully savoury.
Brave Paceville and search out this unabashed celebration all things Sicilian
The ubiquitous arancina, named after the little oranges it is said to resemble in shape and colour, made an appearance at our table. But this is so much more than a shot of Vitamin C. At the heart of every true Sicilian it lies, the undisputed queen of the rosticceria siciliana. It epitomises Sicilian street food.
These lusciously plump rice balls should always be eaten hot, with your hands. Traditionally filled with a meat ragu, there’s an endless range of filling combinations to be had. I adore elaborate fillings such as shrimp with pesto or swordfish. Here at Dolce Sicilia we opted for the vegetarian option of spinach and cheese, the kind you’ll find everywhere in Palermo.
Having been fried to a crispy, golden brown, the bread-crumbed croquette was utterly delicious. Its texture was flawless; the rice was soft as it should be, and out of the centre oozed melted mozzarella and unruly strands of spinach. Bursting with rustic simplicity and heaps of flavour, it was devoured in minutes.
Pastry is clearly a strength here. Other visits to Dolce Sicilia earlier in the day revealed a host of beautifully executed sweets and breakfast pastries.
There is a sumptuous apple tart. The pasta sfoglia that forms the base of this pastry is crisp and light, formed into shallow, little cups that are filled with a silky custard and topped with slices of apple that are glossy, soft and swoon worthy. It is unctuously satisfying and promises a lip-smacking start to the day.
There are some frightfully good cornetti ripieni to be had, puffed crescents swollen with a variety of fillings. The cornetto alla crema is quite something. The pastry is soft and supple and the velvety-smooth custard cream filling is delightful.
The Sicilians go positively weak in the knees for their ricotta-laden desserts. Gloriously poised are the mini cassate. A sliver of light sponge topped with sweetened ricotta, draped in green marzipan and studded with a glace cherry, this seductive, bite-sized morsel is a little labour of love. Airy and moist, with an almost melt-in-the-mouth quality to it, this perfect rendering of a classic is a true model of its kind.
It is so easy to overdo it with these. Dangerously easy.
A recent discovery that I have made at Dolce Sicilia is the Cassatedde di ricotta; the sweet version of a calzone, which, like the latter, can also be baked or fried. A crescent of thinly layered pasta sfoglia, light and crisp, is dusted with a coating of granulated sugar that cracks and crackles as you bite in, to find a layer of creamy, fluffy ricotta concealed within. I chased every last crunchy crumb round the plate with greedy fingers.
They understand comfort food at Dolce Sicilia. The sweets will have you grinning from ear to ear. And the pezzi di rosticceria are the perfect cure for all manner of ills, especially the self-inflicted variety that so plague us this time of year.
Pushing any thoughts of indigestion firmly aside, let the size of your appetite dictate how many you try. Of course, it’s all quite cheap. The rosticceria siciliana items carry single-digit price tags, but they are filling and make for a substantial, if a little stodgy, snack type of lunch. This is maximum calories at minimum cost.
Brave Paceville and search out this unabashed celebration all things Sicilian.