Sicily: Not your Godfather's Palermo

J looking out from our balcony

Before we got to Sicily, we heard a lot about driving there. To be careful, that drivers were a bit crazy... but for most of our trip, the driving was pretty sane and the roads mostly country.

Until we got to Palermo.

Palermo is what folks are talking about when they mention the insanity of driving.

We were headed from Cefalu to the Kalsa neighborhood of Palermo. It was a bit harrowing, to say the least. As is often the case when you go to a new big city, we didn't know the rules of the road that locals follow, so we basically just followed what the cars in front of us were doing.

Our AirB&B was a nice one -- a big one bedroom with a lovely balcony that with a view of the nearby church. The weather was nice, so once we arrived and parked, we relaxed. There is always a point on a long trip where I need a day to not be a tourist, not do anything...this was that day. We hung out and watched movies, drank some wine, and eventually got ourselves together to get out of the house.

The first thing you must eat while in Palermo is arancini. These things are huge, and delicious. They are usually filled -- with meats, cheeses, and sometimes both -- and a wonderful snack while walking around. And, in my opinion at least, walking is the best way to see Palermo. This is a big city, and as such, you should take the same precautions you would take in any big city. My understanding is that there has been a concerted effort to rid the city of the mafia, and other than the Godfather souveniers, I didn't see any overt evidence of it. So there is nothing to fear there. But while there, like in other cities, be smart.

Quattro Canti

We walked towards the Quattro Canti, an important corner with beautiful artwork on each side of the street. This was the first but not the last time we visited this area -- you can spend quite a bit of time wandering the streets, following a parade, and checking out the various churches and monuments...you can also pop into a bar when you need a drink or to hear some locals shout about their families.

Eventually we made our way towards the Teatro Massimo, which takes you through the main pedestrian area. These streets are lined with shops, people, and food vendors.

Stop by il Siciliano to have a few drinks. Arrive early enough that to get some seats...then sit and watch the local nightlife unfold around you. The drinks came with some appetizers -- enough to hold us over for quite some time.  Eventually stumble out and over to get some proper Sicilian food -- it'll be filling and delicious and just what you need before you go pass out!

We spent our last night in this neighborhood, surprised how busy the restaurants were on a Sunday night. We found ourselves at Ciccio Passami l'Olio. The bar here was particularly great -- and had several local, Sicilian beers; I'd highly recommend.

Palermo is ideal for wandering around, eating until you burst, and drinking granitas. I also loved that I didn't feel like I was running into too many other tourists, especially in the neighborhood where we were staying (that was what you would describe as "up and coming").



il Siciliano
Via Orologio, 37

Ciccio Passami l'Olio
via 90133, Via Castrofilippo, 4

Brew Tour: Cellarmaker Brewing Company

Cellarmaker Brewing Company is the latest on the scene here in San Francisco. It's a definite local place, located off the beaten path in an old warehouse-type space in SoMA.

My friend E & I found ourselves there one mellow Saturday about two weeks after it opened, and it was love at first sight. The tasting room space isn't too huge, and at that point pretty much every table was full but there weren't too many others hovering for a spot (which, for me, I like...I don't like to feel the pressure to have to drink quickly).

The day we were there, they were pouring 8 types of beer -- all super fresh! We decided to taste them all -- which we did. For 20$ you can get a generous sampling of everything on tap. Make sure to save a clipboard listing the beers; there are good descriptions of each. Also, you may want to ask the server the best order in which to taste -- when we were there they gave us the beer in the order the menu listed them, which was not the best order to taste (i.e. you don't want to go from a Saison to a Porter then back to an IPA).

My personal favorite was the Coquette -- a Belgian-ish style, which I always like. Really, I enjoyed most of them, enough to take some home with me. The cool thing here is you can bring in any brewery's growler and they'll fill it, but they also offer two sizes of their own. I got a smaller one of the Coquette, and one of the Hop Slangin' IPA (mainly for my friend who would be visiting me the following week).

This place is definitely gaining popularity, so it'd be wise to get there early. While they don't offer any food on-site, they do have a variety of food trucks visit on the weekend.

En Madrid: Best Craft Beer - Fabrica Maravillas

After a week or so of pretty much only drinking wine (or Port), it was time to switch things up.

In all my times in Spain -- from living there to visiting -- I can't remember good beer being much of a choice. There were maybe one or two national brands available (depending where you were), and they weren't all that great. So, to say Spain isn't known for beer is an understatement.

But beer is what we (or perhaps just I) were craving, and beer we needed to find. Luckily, times in Spain they are a'changin'.

Much like in other parts of the world (or at least here in San Francisco), there is a surge in beer popularity, craft beer in particular. So I took a chance and did a little googling to see what I could find while in Madrid, crossing my fingers that there would be something, and not too far from our place.

And the finger crossing paid off! We came up upon Fabrica Maravillas, located not too far from our place in the Malasana neighborhood. This modern space is where the beer is actually brewed -- as evidenced by the clear casings showing off the tanks. It is modern while still being comfortable, and has a serious neighborhood vibe to it. We arrived just moments before the placed started filling up, and found ourselves a space at the bar.

When we arrived, they had perhaps five beers on tap. There are three different sizes to choose from -- a taster, half pint, and full pint. This is one approach I see very rarely in the States but really appreciate those choices when you just don't want to commit to a full glass. I started with a half pint of the Weitbeir (spelling incorrect, I know), which was very traditional and tasty. My friends had the Saison -- that is not my favorite style in general, but this was a good variation of it. Next I moved to the FL(ipa), which was a pretty nice IPA. I also had the Malasana, a pale ale named for the neighborhood occupied by Fabrica Maravillas. This was my favorite of all of them -- lucky for me this was also one of two beers they had actually bottled!

We liked this place so much we returned the next night just to taste (or heavily drink, depending on how you look at it) again. Thankfully for us, the staff speaks English so we could ask a question or two before the place got too crowded (and be warned, it does get crowded). With each drink, you'll get a bowlful of Spanish green olives or a snack mix. But that is the extent of the food they serve there. But if you want to escape the tourist trail and hang out with some locals and drink some good beer...this is your place!

Fabrica Maravillas is located at Calle Valverde 29 in Madrid.

Pour a Perfect Pint

Most people who drink it will tell you, there is a real method behind pouring the perfect pint of Guinness, though, I would venture, not many of us know just what that method is aside from pour some, let it sit, pour some more. Then, of course, wait until it settles to drink it (or risk getting yelled at!).

If you visit Dublin, it is well worth it to visit the Guinness Storehouse and learn the exact science behind pouring a pint. The Guinness property spans many blocks -- on one side of Thomas Street you'll see the old factory buildings on one side, and the current factory on the other. It is quite amazing to think all of this is made so close to the City Centre (just a quick walk away).

As you walk up to the Guinness Storehouse to begin your tour, you'll be traveling across very old cobblestone streets. You'll also be dodging some horse-drawn carriages (and the treats they have left behind), so watch your step. Throughout the days I was there, I could often smell a heavy scent of yeast... if it turns your stomach a bit as it did mine, don't worry too much as it does let up once you get inside.

The tour experience itself is fine -- you start by looking at the 9,000 year lease that was signed (great rent control!), they have some cool motion-sensor story tellers, and you can walk through and read all about the various mechanisms used to make Guinness. Then, finally, you reach a floor where it is time to taste!

Despite my great concentration... I still messed up

We first went to the tasting room. It was a cool chamber wherein they first have you smell the various essences that make up Guinness, then give you a small glass of Guinness. As they talk, they ask you to taste -- very similar to a wine tasting...roll it around on your tongue, wait for the finish, etc. It was a cool little detour from the main event...

...of pouring the perfect pint! You stand in a quick-moving line, where they instruct you, several times, to write your name clearly on this little notepad they are handing out. The importance of this becomes apparent later. You end up in a group of about 16 people, and are soon directed to a bar counter with two working taps. The kind bartender explains the method to the madness, then a few volunteers get up to pour the first pints.

But, never fear, everyone in the group gets a chance. I guess I should have paid more attention, as I was the only one to get reprimanded for doing it wrong. Go figure.

About 5 minutes later, the pints are poured and settled, and we are all now certified Guinness pourers. Armed with this knowledge and our perfect pint (which...I pity the person who mistakenly took my pint because she didn't pay attention to where she set hers down, and moved to quickly for me to grab it out of her hand -- it probably didn't taste too good because of the aforementioned wrong pour), we were free to roam in this little pub-like space, or head upstairs to the bar.

I highly, highly recommend doing the latter. You will never get a view like that of Dublin, and being able to enjoy it with a pint of Dublin's city drink.