Crepes On
The Beach.
My favorite breakfast in the world is crepes on the beach, in
Sicily.
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| love-crepes at Il Girasole, Letojanni Sicily |
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| the best coffee in Sicily is at Il Girasole in Letojanni |
If you follow this blog you will already know that my favorite place on earth to travel to is the spectacular island of Sicily.
Not only is Sicily staggeringly beautiful with a rich and layered history, but it also has some of the very best food in the world. Everything you eat has been grown within a few miles of where you are dining, in nutrient rich volcanic soil that creates a flavor explosion with every bite.
And you won't find anything even remotely resembling the heavy, greasy, "Sicilian" food that they serve in the US.
My home-base in Sicily is the lovely little town of Letojanni, which sits adjacent to Taormina on Sicily's east coast, between Messina and Catania.
Unlike the picturesque town of Taormina, which is perhaps the most tourist-rich spot in Sicily, and therefore full of high priced souvenir shops costly accommodations and expensive places to eat, Letojanni is a small beach town that does cater beautifully to travelers but at the same time lets you feel that you are among the locals.
Letojanni sits just a side-step to the left of Taormina, on the Messina side. From your beach chair at the lidos in Letojanni you can look up at the hill and see Taormina. From the Greek Theater in Taormina you can gaze down at the beach in Letojanni.
The beach directly outside the apartment I rent in Letojanni is stunning. The red umbrellas of the Lido Copacabana provide perfect contrast to the sparkling blue water of the Ionian Sea. I honestly just never, ever want to leave.
When my son and I are in Paris every day we walk from our apartment on the left bank to the Place de la Concord to our favorite creperie, then take our crepes into the Tuileries and sit on the very same bench, every single time, and eat them as slowly as possible. Because they are so incredibly good.
And because we really love crepes.
Not only is Sicily staggeringly beautiful with a rich and layered history, but it also has some of the very best food in the world. Everything you eat has been grown within a few miles of where you are dining, in nutrient rich volcanic soil that creates a flavor explosion with every bite.
And you won't find anything even remotely resembling the heavy, greasy, "Sicilian" food that they serve in the US.
My home-base in Sicily is the lovely little town of Letojanni, which sits adjacent to Taormina on Sicily's east coast, between Messina and Catania.
Unlike the picturesque town of Taormina, which is perhaps the most tourist-rich spot in Sicily, and therefore full of high priced souvenir shops costly accommodations and expensive places to eat, Letojanni is a small beach town that does cater beautifully to travelers but at the same time lets you feel that you are among the locals.
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| Letojanni seen from Taormina |
Letojanni sits just a side-step to the left of Taormina, on the Messina side. From your beach chair at the lidos in Letojanni you can look up at the hill and see Taormina. From the Greek Theater in Taormina you can gaze down at the beach in Letojanni.
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| Lido Copacabana, Letojanni |
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| Lido Copacabana, Letojanni, Sicily |
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| the view from breakfast at Il Girasole in Letojanni Sicily |
When my son and I are in Paris every day we walk from our apartment on the left bank to the Place de la Concord to our favorite creperie, then take our crepes into the Tuileries and sit on the very same bench, every single time, and eat them as slowly as possible. Because they are so incredibly good.
And because we really love crepes.
When we are in Sicily every morning the two of us walk along the beach in Letojanni to Il Girasole, where we order crepes and sit under the
sun umbrellas on the beach, and look out over the Ionian Sea as we eat our breakfast. It’s my
idea of heaven.
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| Il Girasole, Letojanni, Sicily |
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| Sun up, sundown - always beautiful at Il Girasole in Letojanni |
And in our humble crepe eating opinion, the crepes at Il
Girasole Crepepperia on the beach in Letojanni, Sicily are the very best crepes
in the world.
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| Arancia crepe |
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| They serve sweet crepes and they serve savory crepes at Il Girasole |
Once you have tried them there is no turning back. Your daily breakfast becomes a carb fest of crepes, complimented by the best coffee on earth. It is an early morning fortification that sets you up perfectly for a day of sightseeing, or a day on the beach.
I wouldn't miss it for the world! And if you are in Letojanni you can't miss it either - Il Girasole (The Sunflower) is a bright yellow restaurant/cafe on the beach about halfway through town.
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| coffee at Il Girasole, Letojanni |
Il Girasole is owned by my charming and very charismatic friend Giuseppe "Peppe" Tama’, who I just adore, and who adds definite eye candy to any meal you are eating.
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| The boss at Il Girasole |
Peppe is delightful and engaging, and he has built an entire crew who have a zest for life and a sense of fun, just like he does. Which is probably why his business does so well.
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| The crew at Il Girasole, Letojanni |
Not only do they make the best breakfast you’ve ever had, and serve the very best coffee in the world at Il Girasole, but during the day they have lunch food, and they also serve evening fare.
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| fun nights on the beach at Il Girasole in Letojanni Sicily |
Speaking of evenings, when the day is done and everyone is out and about in Letojanni for la passeggiata (evening stroll) they wind up at Il Girasole for evening coffees, glasses of wine or limoncello, or for light snack fare. It is a delightful social hub, the perfect place to end another perfect day in Sicily.
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| midnight in Sicily at Il Girasole, Letojanni |
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| love-crepes in Letojanni at Il Girasole |
~ all images are via iPhone and are my own. Please do not use without my written permission.
Thanks!~
Thanks!~
