Top Rank

Licati, May 20, 2010—

NOW AND THEN WE eat at a top-rank restaurant — not a Michelin three-star, of course, but something that requires good clothes, a little thought, probably some research. In December the food writer Faith Willinger thoughtfully ran a series on eating in Sicily in The Atlantic Monthly, and I downloaded the whole thing and printed it out, and read it over once or twice, and brought it with us. She mentioned one restaurant as being the best in Sicily, and you can be sure we took note of that. Tonight we put it to the test.

It's on an unassuming street in an unassuming city on the south coast of Sicily, an hour's drive east of Agrigento. We booked a room at a hotel, sight unseen, after first phoning the restaurant to be sure they were open and had room. And after killing time with a Cynar at a bar across the street, because we were early, being unsure about the parking possibilities (they were simple: right on the street), we rang the doorbell and were ushered into the restaurant by a smiling, affable host, who took our jackets, showed us to our table, and brought a little hook to hang Lindsey's purse from the table next to her chair.

It was eight o'clock; only one other couple seated. Room for two more couples at widely spaced tables in one half of the dining room: in the other half a long table was set for eighteen. Hmmm: just like last night in Sciacca.

Short report: everything was impeccable. We were warned there were no artichokes available; otherwise the menu was completely reliable. From a fairly extensive range of offerings we ordered a single order of baccalà split between us and a secondo — our first meat in what seemed like weeks. Tonight we'll have a bottle of red wine.

First, though, we were given an amuse-gueule: house-made mozzarella, so light as to seem whipped, floating on a layer of bread and tomato and oil with a little onion. Bread soup, in fact, elevated from the paesano's kitchen to Haute Cuisine. It was wonderful.

Then the baccalà, also prepared in house, salted and smoked in the pizza oven with pine branches, whipped until airy, served with potatoes whipped similarly, dusted with bottarga. Again, peasant cuisine elevated to the top rank.

My lamb chops came with potatoes à la vapeur and — what's that, a whole clove of unpeeled roasted garlic! My first garlic in days! Delicious! And Lindsey's beefsteak was tender, fat-free, and dressed with ash-flavored olive oil: fascinating.

Then another amuse, this time a lemon granita with a soft, subtle little brioche; and then Lindsey ordered a tortina di mele for dessert, which I could hardly imagine sharing.

This is a fine, resourceful, imaginative restaurant run by a chef who respects the material he works with. The room was comfortable and pleasant; nothing was overbearing about the service. We left very happy to have been there.

Pithos, Azienda Agricola Cos (60% Nero d'Avola, 40% Frappato, fermented and aged in terra cotta, extremely interesting, complex, fresh, bricky, sound), 2007

Ristorante La Madia, Corso F. Re Capriata 22, Licata