Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

A Putia do Calabrisi Restaurante

Catania, Sicily

Warning: if you don't like authentic Italian/Sicilian food leave this page.

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

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If you are looking for an authentic Osteria experience away from the tourist crowds in Catania, look no further than A Putia do Calabrisi Restaurante.

This is a local favorite nestled outside the city center and it offers a legitimate Catanese dining experience, perfect for adventurous FOODIES and curious travelers.

Definitely not-to-be-missed.

People queuing up to enter the restaurant

We heard this restaurant was very popular with the locals queuing up early just to get in.

There is no menu, no reservations and there is no waiting list. You must go to Santina (there in the doorway) and show your face, letting her know how many people you want a table for.

Somehow, she remembers everyone and everything.

Meanwhile, people sit on their motorbikes, tap on their smart-phones or wait on a bench, drinking wine or smoking their cigarettes or weed.

What. A. Place.

Billy decided it was best to sit with his back to the wall

As you know, the Mafia began in Sicily.

The feel of this restaurant was so Sicilian, and with looking at the photos on the wall (behind Billy), we had fun dubbing Calabrisi  as "The Mafia Restaurant."

Hence, Billy's choice to sit with his back against the wall... "just in case."

"Leave The Gun, Take The Cannoli” - from Goodfellas.

We are sharing our table with 2 locals - Sylvia and Maximillio - who didn't speak a word of English. Thank God for Google Translate!

The antipasto plate

On our first visit to Calabrisi, it was packed both inside the restaurant and out.

The energy was electric.

Quickly, I Google translated to Santina that we wanted to be on a waiting list for lunch.

There was no list.

But.

She remembered us (we were the only foreigners there) and when a shared table opened up, she motioned to us to come inside and sit with another Sicilian couple, Silvia and Maximillio.

They were friendly and we hit it off spectacularly.

We sat down, ordered a half-carafe of wine and a bottle of natural water and then it all started.

The plates came.

A closer look at the antipasto

We had an antipasto plate which was a combination of cured salami and cheese, different cooked peppers, olives, grilled eggplant, and little fresh tomatoes.

 From the first bite it was OMGOD OMGOD OMGOD.

The FLAVOR.

Barreled table wine

Amedeo is the father and he is in charge of serving wine from these barrels or draft beer from the tap.

Santina and her sister, Giovanna, take orders and deliver food. Mum (and her team) are in the kitchen cooking.

A real family affair.

Using Google Translate

We are speaking with Sylvia and Maximillio via Google Translate.

This is Sylvia's response to our question about the after-dinner aperitif wine they ordered. "It's good for the digestion!" they said.

Zibibbo is a white grape variety native to the Mediterranean region, specifically from Egypt, and widely planted in Sicily and its islands. It is also known as Muscat of Alexandria, due to its supposed origin from the city of Alexandria in Egypt.

Zibibbo has been cultivated for at least 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest grapes still used in today’s Italian wine industry.

Because this grape has remained relatively unchanged genetically over the course of these 5,000 years, it is considered a “viticultural miracle.”

A lively atmosphere at the restaurant

Did I mention that there is no menu?

Santina comes by and - depending on the day - basically says "Beef, pork, chicken, or fish."

Then she starts to serve you whatever Mama has cooked that day.

I grew up Italian so the warm chaos, the elbow-to-elbow, with everyone talking all at once - well, it felt like home.

Oh, if my Grandma could see me now!

Look at that smile on my face.

I was transported back to my childhood.

The second dining room

There is a second dining room, and on one of our return visits we sat inside there.

Santina is standing in the center of the photo, speaking to the people at the table.

There is no pretense here.

Dishes are seasonal and fresh.

Mama cooks, and they serve what they have that day, course after course for about 100 people daily.

A simple salad

I know this doesn't look like much - just a simple salad.

But looks can be deceiving.

Every bite was a zesty burst; crisp and sun-ripened.

And all of this contrasted against the impeccable virgin olive oil.

Pasta with Pomodoro sauce

Pasta, in the Sicilian style of eating, is simply one course, not the main one. And it's the pasta that is featured, not the sauce.

That being said, this Pomodoro sauce is made from fully grown garden tomatoes with a grilled slice of eggplant on top.

Grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese is sprinkled on top.

Grilled whole fish with lemon and olive oil

This grilled whole fish, served with olive oil underneath, parsley, and sweet lemon on the side, was my main course.

If you have never tasted the famous lemons of southern Italy and Sicily, you have truly been missing out. They have been famous for centuries, back to the days of the Romans and Greeks.

What made this dish so delicious, was the contrast of the grilled skin of the fish, against the distinctive olive oil and sweet lemon.

Fresh grilled squid with lemon and olive oil

Billy's main course this day was the grilled calamari - again with the olive oil and sweet lemon.

People claim that Calabrisi is almost a food museum, because it retains Catania's culinary traditions so exactingly.

You won't find "trendy" or "upscale" here, just a real-deal trattoria that has survived changing styles and gentrification.

Billy and Santina

Santina is the sweetest, nicest, funniest host you’ve ever met in your life. And... she's a ham. "Wanna take my photo? ok! Sure!"

This restaurant serves family-style fare and it hasn't updated the interior to keep with the times. It's kept its wood paneling with family photos (and photos of Cardinals, Bishops and priests) and offers pitchers of wine from barrels.

The prices are amazing and there's a sense of old world home-cooked food that they've been serving for decades.

Fish with potatoes and mushrooms

This fish dish with potatoes and mushrooms was simple yet memorable.

There is no shyness in Sicilian food.

Everything is a winner. Every dish is a star.

We found that no course competed with any other, as they were all unique in their own way and fabulous.

A plate of grilled whole sardines

Santina chose this dish for me on one of my return visits. She knew I loved the food and that I was game to try something new.

Or at least, new for me.

I'm a bit embarrassed to say that - despite being raised Italian - I have never had a plate of grilled sardines before.

You eat the whole fish, bones and all.

Let me just say that regardless of what you might taste in canned sardines, this dish was neither fishy nor salty. Just remarkably fresh and wholesome.

Giovanna, Ameda and Santina

This photo is taken from our seats in the second dining room.

Standing is Ameda, the father, with his two daughters Giovanna on the left, and Santina on the right.

This restaurant is a serious WOW.

And you don't have to take my word for it.

People are waiting outside before they open just to get in, and when we left, people were still waiting outside wanting our seats!

All these courses, a carafe of wine, and a bottle of water came to $25E for the 2 of us. There was no coberto (Italy's cover charge in lieu of tipping).

What. A. Deal.

This place was authentic. Honest. True to their heritage.

What did John Gotti say? "I never lie because I don't fear anyone. You only lie when you're afraid."

And this family is not afraid to be who they are.

Would we recommend A Putia do Calabrisi?

ABSOLUTELY!

__________

A Putia do Calabrisi

Via della Concordia, 185

 95121 Catania, Italy

Open daily but Sunday from Noon - 3:30pm

Tele: +39 349 843 6479

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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