If you’re coming into Trapani by late-morning ferry from one of the Egadi Islands – Marettimo, Favignana or Levanzo – don’t miss lunch at Caupona Taverna di Sicilia before your Sicilian adventures continue. This could be “THE culinary adventure” of your western Sicily meanders: it certainly was a culinary gran finale to our recent stay on the island of Marettimo.
The ferry from the Egadi Islands arrives at Trapani’s port
Hydrofoil coming in from the islands
Caupona, Tavena di Sicilia – not to miss
In a nondescript modern locale (once the home of the local post office) on Piazza Purgatorio, across from the 17th – c Baroque Trapani splendor, the Church of the Purgatorio, jocular bearded host Claudio waits tables, serving up the Sicilian goodness that wife Rosi turns out in the kitchen. Young assistant chef Dario (from Palermo) flanks Rosi and both pop out of the kitchen now and then to bring their dishes straight to clients.
The Church of Purgatory, right across the piazzetta from Caupona
Caupona was once the local post office.
Bearded Claudio near his Sicllian wine display
Rosi chats with Pino about seafood as she serves
Dario serves up polpette of swordfish
The few tables set with canary yellow tablecloths (matching walls of the same color) and bordeaux napkins and Caltagirone ceramics in the center, fill quickly. Caltagirone ceramic art hangs on a red side wall, too. Simple tasteful adornment on the restaurant walls, simple tastes on the tables, but – like the ceramics – showing off the best of Sicilian artistry, creativity.
This cheery restaurant fills up quickly
Colorful Caltagirone ceramic art on the walls
Caltagirone ceramics as table centerpieces, too
Just take one of Rosi’s antipastos: polpette (literally, “little bits of pulp”- usually translated as “meatballs”) of cuttlefish and swordfish. “How did you learn to cook like this?” I had to ask Rosi. “At home,” she replied with a smile, “from my mother, from Nonna, too.”
Rosi’s savory polpette of squid, of swordfish with fresh tomatoes
Rosi tells me how she started cooking
Young Rosi – mother of three – has taken the best of Sicilian traditional cooking, adding savory nuances. Her enticing seafood couscous is an example: a traditional dish of the western Sicilian coast where the nearby Arab influence penetrates, Rosi’s seafood couscous is topped with a julienne of grilled summer vegetables.
Rosi’s tasty couscous topped with grilled vegetables, fish broth poured on top
Another typical western Sicily dish? Pesto made with almonds (not pinenuts): Rosi adds fried eggplants to hers and serves the pesto on homemade corkscrew busiate pasta.
Busiate con pesto alla trapanese (with almonds), topped with fried eggplants
Busiate crowned with prawns, fresh tomatoes, crushed pistachios is another winning Rosi dish.
Busiate with prawns, fresh baby tomatoes and crushed pistachios
Fresh seafood stars not only in the first courses, but in the main dishes, too. After steamed mussels, Pino enjoyed the catch of the day, small Mediterranean whitefish. I was so satiated by the couscous that I could only watch Pino enjoy his seafood, chatting with the couple at the next table while he ate. Ironically, Marinella and Alfredo were in Sicily on vacation from Umbria (Perugia), too. And not only: they are friends of a building restoration client of Pino! Che piccolo mondo.
Mussels always for Pino’s first course
Pino in heaven over the mussels
Pino chose Mediterranean whitefish as his second course
Perfectly fried, just-caught seafood
Alfredo took on the giant ricotta-filled cannolo for dessert.
“Alfredo, sure you can handle that cannolo?!”
We took on the same challenge – but were only able to split the largest cannolo either of us had ever seen.
“Think we have any room for this cannolo?”
Even half is too much!
Rosi, Claudio, on our next Sicily trip, we’re stopping off in Trapani again, on our way to or from the Egadi Islands. Or maybe just to feast again at Caupona.
See the photos below and you, too, might fall to the same temptation.
Read about Marettimo, where we’d stayed before Trapani.
Read more on Marettimo
Read about Castelluzzo, also in western Sicily
Read about good eating near Castelluzzo in San Vito Lo Capo.
Read more about tempting Sicilian flavors
Read more on Palermo good-eating
Read about another Sicilian treat with Arab roots
Read more on Palermo street food
Read more on our Sicily adventures (and a recipe)
Read how Sicily is all about food
