<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ipupiristorante.it/">I
Pupi Ristorante</a>

Via del Cavaliere, 59

90011 Bagheria (PA) Italy

Tel. + 39 091 902579

Food:

Crudo tasting with infused olive
oils and salts from around the world

Pasta con i tenerumi

La Stigghiola

Crispy red mullet; lemon, red
onion and lime zest sauce

Cassata Siciliana ‘Affogato’

Wine:

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 2013 Animalucente Etna Bianco Contrada di Santo Spirito &nbsp;
 </td>
 <td>
 88
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2013 Tenuta delle Terre Nerre Etna Rosato
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 NV Jacquesson Cuvée No. 738
 </td>
 <td>
 92</td></tr></tbody></table>

Named
after the famous Sicilian puppets that recount legendary Medieval tales
throughout the island’s many marionette theaters, I Pupi is an oasis of
exceptional food and wine. I Pupi is located off a small street in downtown Bagheria, a
small town outside of Palermo with a rich tradition of gastronomy focused on
seafood, sweets, ice cream and a wide range of street foods. If you are looking for off-the-beaten
track Italy, this is it. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1437668488477-crudo+-+Copy+%282%29.jpg"> Crudo tasting with infused olive oils and salts from around
the world

Chef/Owner Tony Lo Coco presents playful takes on the
classics along with plenty of his own creations, although the inspirations are
always the bountiful raw materials that Mother Nature has bestowed on this part
of Sicily. Laura Lo Coco runs the small, cozy dining room with grace and
manages the small, but well-chosen wine list. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1437657505273-pasta+-+Copy.jpg"> Pasta con i tenerumi

The crudo tasting is a great way
to start lunch. Each piece of fish is served with its own infused olive oil in
a dazzling interplay of scents, flavors and textures. I can’t resist the pasta con
i tenerumi, a classic Sicilian country dish that evokes so many
childhood memories. Broken spaghetti is cooked in a broth made from tenerumi,
the green, leafy part of the zucchini plant that in Sicily has a unique flavor
all its own. I Pupi’s version is superb. Animalucente’s 2013
Etna Bianco Contrada di Santo Spirito is a tasty, straightforward white
that pairs nicely with the antipasti. Crisp and floral, but with a good
underlying backbone of minerality, the 2013 is quite pretty.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1437657532771-stigghiola+-+Copy.jpg"> I Pupi’s Stigghiola

Stigghiola, a staple of the local street
food culture, is another peasant dish with rustic origins. Lamb or other meat
innards are wrapped in leeks (sometimes simply on a skewer) and grilled. Lo
Coco substitutes tuna for the lamb and squid for the leeks in a flavorful
interpretation of stigghiola that showcases the purity of local seafood.
Far from an easygoing Rosé, the 2013
Etna Rosato from Tenuta delle Terre Nere offers superb tension and energy
that is the ideal foil for the rich flavors of Tony Lo Coco’s cuisine, with
plenty of Etna focus. This is a terrific showing from Terre Nere.

Red mullet (triglie) is a
deeply flavored fish that is hard to eat because it also has a lot of bones. Lo
Coco takes care of that by placing cleaned filets between crispy slices of
bread for his triglie croccante, which is served with a lemon, red onion and
lime peel sauce. I can’t resist Jacquesson’s Cuvée
No. 738, as these Champagnes aren’t as easy to find in the US as they are
in Europe. Cool, bracing and beautifully focused in the glass, the 738 is
superb, with tons of pure energy and vibrancy that refreshes the palate on this
blistering summer day. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1437657571428-wines+-+Copy.jpg"> 

Pastries, ice creams and desserts
of all kinds are among the specialties in Bagheria, a haven for anyone with a
sweet tooth. I Pupi’s Cassata Siciliana, served with a dose of espresso, is the
perfect way to wrap up this fabulous lunch. The flavors are dark, bold and
lusty, in other words a perfect reflection of a culture where everything resonates
with intense passion and a real connection to the land. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1437657627451-red+mullet+-+Copy.jpg"> Crispy red mullet; lemon, red onion and lime zest sauce

I Pupi has one Michelin star
today. The second will surely arrive in due course. Tony Lo Coco’s ambition is
to bring Bagheria and its gastronomic culture to center stage in Europe. I can
only hope he succeeds. The food and ambience are quite refined for Sicilian
standards. I Pupi feels more like a restaurant one might find in a city than in
a small town. Unless you are a Sicilian history or art buff, Bagheria is a bit
off the beaten track for most visitors, but take my word for it, I Pupi is
worth the trip.

-- Antonio Galloni

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social