Catania Street Food Fest - Catania, Sicily

My cousin in Catania had kept an eye out for festivals…

…and he was sure to let me know about the Catania Street Food Fest.

That morning, after a cappuccino…

…and a cream-filled brioche…

…we walked along Via Etnea to understand the festival set-up (it wouldn’t start until later that evening)…

…referring to a festival map for a plan of attack.

I downloaded the app, which explained what each dish was, the restaurant that made it and how much it cost…

…and there were a few I was excited to try!

We took a nice, long walk that morning…

…climbing high above the city…

…and taking in the view of Etna and the city above…

…while occasionally checking out the goings-on of the city below.

That evening, the streets were filled with people.

As street vendors sold balloons and illuminated swords…

…a local winery sold wine tastings to start the evening (Vivera)…

…nut/candy vendors sold sweets to finish the evening…

…and the Spazio Gourmet tent was in full swing with demonstrations and tastings.

We headed first to one of the stands where you could purchase a payment card, but the line was really long.

I tried to purchase my card through the app, but you needed a codice fiscale (I actually have one but left it in the States).

Eventually, we waited in line – only for a short time, thanks to a side window that opened up…

…and I went off for my first purchase…the Panino con la Milza…

…prepared by the very talented and super-fast Antonino Buffa.

The panino con la milza is a sandwich with slices of boiled veal spleen and lung, caciocavallo cheese, some juice from the meat and some lemon juice I added…

…and while it may sound a little disgusting to some, I swear to you that this sandwich is absolutely delicious!

Once I finished the sandwich, the energy of the music pushed me to search out more…

…nabbing a quick bite of my cousin’s Sfincione Bagherese (like a white pizza with melted sardines, cheese, onions, and breadcrumbs) (Antica Focacceria dal 1856)…