A Slice of Palermo

Is there pizza here? Of course--usually a whole one per person!

May 06, 2024

**Pizza eaters at Ristorantino Pizzeria Leone in Palermo.**

“Only tourists eat pizza in Sicily,”scoffed one critic when my husband Jeff posted about all the great pie he planned to eat on our forthcoming trip to this southern Italian island.

But during our first few days in Palermo, we have happily discovered how mistaken this guy was.

Not only do Italians eat pizza here; the custom seems to be to order an entire pie per person—and these are not the Pizza Hut “personal pan” variety. They’re large and substantial, with high-rise, pillowy crusts, topped with a variety of cheeses, meats, sauces, vegetables and nuts—usually pistachios, which seem to be popular in everything from pasta and pesto to gelato.

At Pizzeria Frida in a quiet square just a short walk of insanely busy Via Maqueda, we treated ourselves to a whole pie each. Mine was a square pizza named for the artist Frida Kahlo, the inspiration for the restaurant as well. It included cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, mozzarella, pesto and, yes, pistachios. Jeff’s, a “Vulcanotti” variety probably inspired by Sicily’s three active volcanoes—including its largest and most famous, Mount Etna—was made with tomato, mozzarella, sausage and stracciatella cheese. It was called Friarielli, the name for broccoli rabe in Naples, which Jeff, notoriously picky, asked our server to leave off the dish.

Our pizzas at Pizzeria Frida in Palermo. Jeff's, at left, was described as a Neapolitan pizza with higher edges, a "Vulcanotti" because of its volcanic appearance. (Center photo by Jefferson Graham)

Jeff’s verdict: The pizza was among his favorites, but he still says that the one he had many years ago at Pizzeria Due in Chicago is the best he ever had.

Mine had a bit too much fresh cheese (in both the crust and the center) than I wanted, but it was delicious nonetheless.

But there’s more pizza to be had—along with some amazing local specialties and a many glorious churches, a wealth of history, and beaches too! So stay tuned. Much more to come!