“One of the greatest culinary marriages came about when dried pasta, introduced by the Arabs to Sicily in the 12th century, met tomatoes grown from seeds brought to 16th century Spanish Palermo after Hernan Cortez gathered them from Montezuma’s gardens."
—Robert Eliason, San Jose Spotlight
Cecile and I had dinner with our good friends and neighbors Bill and Sarah Rothenberg who recommended we dine at Palermo Italian Restaurant that specializes mostly in Southern Italian and Sicilian cuisine and some Northern Italian dishes. It was a very nostalgic experience as Cecile and I used to frequent Palermo in our younger years when it was located at another location in San Jose. We took my late Sicilian mother, Maria and my dad Frank there in our younger years. We asked to be seated in the spacious covered patio surrounded by trees and overlooks the Los Gatos Creek trail that Bill and I have pedaled our bikes dozens of times over the years on our way to downtown San Jose.
Cecile and Sarah had their favorite Lemon Drop cocktail & I had a Peroni beer, after the friendly waiter brought us sliced sourdough bread and for starters we ordered Arancini (fried rice balls with asiago cheese, mushrooms and saffron.) for the table. It reminded me of my late Sicilian Zia Cettina who used to make them for us. Cecile and I shared a Sicilian Salad (mixed greens, oranges, tomatoes, shaved onions, anchovies and olives), and I had tortellini and meatball soup.
For our entrees Sarah and Cecile had Penne Palermo, Bill had a thinly sliced veal dish with pasta, and I had Palermo’s classic Chicken Parmigiana, with a double portion of veggies. The smooth rich red sauce is made with imported San Marzano tomatoes, which are the number one canned tomato in Italy.
Cecile and I shared a scoop of Pistachio and Cherry gelato Bill and Sarah shared a scoop of Vanilla and Chocolate gelato in a tall soda fountain-style glass.
The ambiance at Palermo is warm and inviting, featuring rustic decor, soft string lighting with vintage style art including a decorative two-wheeled, horse-drawn wooden Sicilian Cart (carretto) and horse. It symbolizes folklore, craftsmanship, nature, and is an ode to Sicilian history and the way of life on this beautiful island, that I have many fond memories of visiting throughout my life.
La bella vita, Italian for “to the good life."
