Rome & Sicily with Chris & Natalie McDade

Day 1: Rome

Benvenuti a Roma! We’ll slip right into the teeming street life of Italy’s capital on a foodie walking tour with none other than Katie Parla, author of award-winning cookbook Tasting Rome. Together with Katie, we’ll visit and taste at off-the-beaten-path bakeries, covered markets and gelaterias, and try Italy’s finest pizza by the slice (sorry, Naples!) in Rome’s former Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere neighborhoods.

We’ll have time to relax back at our hotel before meeting up for cocktails with Chris and Natalie, followed by dinner at Rimessa Roscioli. This traditional trattoria is run by one of Rome’s famous baking families — and it’s the perfect celebration of Rome’s classic dishes.

We’ll end the day with the ultimate when-in-Rome adventure: zipping around the city in classic, candy-colored Fiat 500s. Some three million of these iconic little beauties were produced between 1957 and 1975, and nothing could be more quintessentially la dolce vita than this very special nighttime excursion.

Day 2: Rome

After breakfast, the dolce vita awaits! This morning we embark on a sensory journey through the eternal city,  while experiencing the capital’s most storied attractions — as we navigate the winding alleys of ancient Rome, we’ll follow the plot of the famous film, “La Dolce Vita” (make sure to watch it before you arrive) and immerse ourselves in the history of the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and even the Stadium of Domitian.

The afternoon is ours to explore Rome’s backstreets and caffè-lined squares or to take a bit of riposo back at the hotel. Just don’t wander too far because our tastemakers have curated an incredible dinner this evening. Alongside Italian chef, Sarah Cicolini, Chris will prepare a private meal, thanks to a few of Sarah’s secret recipes. The wine pairing? A vibrant list of local varietals sourced by Natalie just for tonight’s dinner. This is a true unicorn dining experience, and we just can’t wait to see what these three dream up. 

Day 3: Rome to Sicily

We’ll be up bright and early this morning for the short flight to Sicily, landing in Catania on the island’s east coast. We’ll head straight to the market, where fishmongers hawk fresh octopus and other catch of the day from the Ionian Sea. As this is Chris’s happy place, he’ll lead the way as we sashay through the stalls and settle in for a fresh market lunch. 

After lunch we’re off to Taormina, pearl of the Mediterranean, to explore on foot starting with its ancient Greek amphitheater, overhanging the crashing surf below. From our perch at arguably the world’s most famous outdoor theater, the views of the bay of Giardini Naxos to the south, and mainland Italy to the north, are spectacular. 

Relax and explore our hotel’s grounds, nestled in Mt Etna’s foothills, before settling in for dinner. Every single dish on the menu features ingredients from the property’s abundant gardens.

Day 4: Mt Etna & Around

After breakfast we’ll head out to visit majestic Mt Etna, an active volcano towering nearly 11,000 feet over the island. We’ll meet a local shepherd and sample his homemade ricotta. After hearing a few tales of life on the mountain, we’ll wander over to one of Natalie’s favorite vineyards, Benanti, where heritage vines clamber up the volcano’s slopes to an altitude of over 3,000 feet, producing delicate whites and intense, fruit-forward rosés and reds.

Following our tasting, we’ll sit down to a family-style lunch under the benevolent eye of Le Mamme del Borgo, a collective of local grandmothers who will teach us how to knead the ancient flours into a supple pasta dough for our maccarruni, a typical Sicilian pasta traditionally rolled by hand. Chris will roll up his sleeves here, and under the loving yet vigilant gaze of these Sicilian grandmothers, he’ll prepare us a meal of epic proportion and historic significance. But it’s not just the pasta that we’ll be writing home about. Natalie, a disciple of Sicilian wines, will dole out carefully selected wines from Mt Etna, to make this experience that much more sublime.  

Dessert is a tasting course courtesy of pastry chef and granita maker Giovanna Muscumeci from nearby Randazzo. Granita is now famous world-wide, but it was invented here, on the slopes of Etna, using ice from the volcano’s summit.

Day 5: Siracusa

We’ll head for Siracusa today, wending our way across the island to this 2,700-year-old seaside wonder that’s an intricate blend of Greek, Roman, Byzantine and North African influences.

Siracusa’s ancient heart is the island of Ortigia; we’ll dive in on a walking tour of its cobblestone alleyways — crowded with markets and temples, castles and churches. Then we’ll head to Tenuta Cavasecca for a visit to its olive groves and the ancient temple that now houses vats of freshly pressed oil as it rests after harvesting and milling. Finally, we’ll head to the ancient hall for a tasting of this liquid gold, followed by a family lunch straight from the garden.

We’ll have time to rest back at our hotel, and explore the sprawling grounds of this beautifully restored baglio (fortified farm), before reconvening for dinner with Chris and Natalie.

Day 6: Ragusa & Modica

Ragusa, the City of Bridges, is a harmonious jumble of Greek and Roman ruins, Arab neighborhoods, ancient monasteries, Baroque churches and endless beaches. We’ll explore the old town of this UNESCO World Heritage site, squeezing our way into the warren of tiny medieval streets.

In the afternoon we’re off to Modica. It’s hard to know whether Modica is more famous for its chocolate or its beautifully preserved caves and catacombs — both are stunning. We’ll visit a cioccolateria and sample its wares, picking up a few favorites to add to our stockpile for tonight’s dinner.

We’ll have the option of playing sous-chef for tonight’s feast, selecting vegetables and herbs from the hotel garden, then rolling up our sleeves and assisting Chris to craft a menu celebrating many of the market ingredients he’s secretly procured over the past week. Natalie too, has been working behind the scenes, and we’ll enjoy her special pairing with this hyperlocal feast. 

As for dessert? It’s a surprise, but one thing we know for sure: today’s chocolate will make its way into a special cannolu, the quintessentially Sicilian dessert better known to us as cannoli.

Day 7: Agrigento & Palermo

We’re off to Palermo this morning, stopping along the way in Agrigento. This former Greek colony was established in the 6th century BC and was a leading city-state in the Mediterranean world. Agrigento’s magnificent Doric temples dominate the ancient town, much of which still lies intact among acres of olive, pistachio, almond and fruit trees. We’ll drink in the sumptuous beauty of the gardens over an al fresco lunch.

Palermo, the former capital of the Kingdom of Sicily, is one of the most dynamic cities in the Mediterranean. We’ll have some downtime and then meet for dinner at our hotel, a gracious Belle Epoque space with views of the Tyrrhenian Sea, showcasing timeless Sicilian dishes and flavors. 

Day 8: Palermo

There’s no better introduction to freewheeling Palermo than the colorful Capo market; even better, experiencing it in the company of Nicoletta Polo, a Sicilian duchess who will share stories of Palermo life as we wander the stalls, listening to the singsong calls of vendors and inhaling an intoxicating swirl of aromas: the sharp tang of Sicilian citrus fruits, fragrant sesame-seed loaves pulled from a wood-fired oven, savory arancini (fried rice balls) and thick slices of sfincione topped with sweet tomato sauce.

We’ll meet the duchess again tonight at our farewell dinner at Palazzo Lanza Tomasi, the last home of Prince Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, author of the iconic novel The Leopard. Nestled in the heart of Kalsa, the old Arab quarter, this 18th-century palace overlooks Palermo’s stunning seafront, its terraces and courtyards a tapestry of hanging gardens perfumed with subtropical essence. It’s the perfect setting for our farewell banquet, as we raise a glass to Natalie and Chris, our new friends and our adventure together.

Day 9: Palermo

Arrivederci Sicilia! We’re off this morning after nine immersive days of adventure and culinary adventure. After breakfast we’ll say ciao to Chris and Natalie, and to each other, knowing the memory of our adventure together will live in our hearts forever! We’ll organize a group transfer to Palermo’s PMO airport for flights to mainland Italy and beyond.