During a recent trip to Sicily, my hosts decided to take me off to an adventure for dinner. We drove for a couple of hours up these winding, tiny roads………….full of pot holes and parts of the road unpaved. I was wondering what sort of culinary temple would be nestled up in this dense Sicilian forest and who in their right mind would EVER take the time, not to mention the risk of traveling to this outpost! It was late at night, around 10 P.M…………remember the Italians love to dine late. When the headlights shone off the edge of the road and there was nothing but darkness below,
I was reminded of my ride to the rainforest to visit my Aztec friends and wondered why I was alway being put at the edge of the abyss in my life!
After what seemed to be an all night excursion we rounded a corner and entered a parking lot FULL of vehicles!!! There were others out there who would take this venture……..feeling more confident now!
We found ourselves at an ancient hunting lodge, in the middle of the Sicilian forest on a mountain top!
The Ardigna was not always open to the public and for years was the private lodge for those who would hunt in these forests.
The interior was so very warm and inviting, the rustic charm so well blended with most incredible smells coming from the kitchen and the smiles of the staff……..
the meal began with a simple knotted bread, with the taste of pretzels and beautiful olive oil……
…oh a light dinner……..I thought…..
…………..and then it began……the virtual tsunami of antipasto………the first a tray of such incredible delights..quail eggs, some obscure meat on a skewer, grilled eggplant, prosciutto, delightful fresh tomatoes, fried mozzarella, olives and several items that were not of my known culinary universe……however they were delightful….
a stew of fresh lamb………..served in ancient copper pots…
………fava beans……….minus the hockey mask……..
…beautiful fresh cheese…
and we are so very, very lucky to have arrived during artichoke season and are rewarded with the most succulent, delightful artichokes……..
then……….oh might I swoon………..gnocci with saffron and pistachio……
followed by more pasta with fresh lamb………
and just when you think you cannot eat another mosel……….comes the platter full of meats that were hunted that day……
venison…….donkey……quail…….goat…..wild boar…..and more………
a most enchanting evening………oh did I mention the wine…….I consumed liters of it……most fantastic!!!
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Tales and Travels of the Tinman 
Oh my, that gnocci with saffron and pistacho. I wonder if I can copy a photo into my reply… I’d love to show you a dish my Sicilian friend made for me when I was there visiting. It had crushed pistachios on top!! I’d never heard of that, but it’s so delicious. How many courses did you guys have??
I believe there were 14 courses………too many really. You can send pic to emilcooks@gmail.com I have another blog http://www.Chef-Emil.com with my recipes on it.
Yum!!! 🙂
I just love your adventures as they always include such wonderful food. I think I might have been a little worried about the trip back down from the restaurant in the dark.
Thank you! I have another blog http://www.Chef-Emil.com (that’s me) so food is integral to my life. The trip down was fine……….remember all the wine I had! The driver did not partake in the wine so we were fine.
It is nice to have a driver…and yes, the wine would certainly calm your nerves going back down.
I am off to Sicily very soon – from a slightly cooler OZ. Thank you for sharing this magical restaurant and the rest of your stories. 🙂
If you do NOTHING else you MUST go to the ruins of Selinunte…………AMAZING. I am pea green with envy and want to go back with you!!!
I will do… I will let you know how I go! Thank you for the recommendation
Sounds like a medieval banquet, with its infinity of courses. How could you manage to eat something from each? (And obviously you had to do so, not just because of the hospitality, but because each one looks INCREDIBLE.)
It was quite overwhelming and by this time in the voyage I had learned to eat small helpings, knowing that many, many more courses were to come. It was quite the adventure!
I Think that I was there! Taken there by our family from Mazarra Del Vallo. It was incredible. After we had eaten for 3 hours, they brought out a wheel of what must have been 50 lbs of fresh ricotta.
Isn’t it the most amazing culinary experience!!! I can’t wait to go back!
While I haven’t been to Sicily yet, we have some excellent food here in France and all along The Mediterranean. C’est la vie!