Let's Go To Sila Together ๐
Happy New Year!
We hope you had a fantastic holiday season and joyfully rang in the New Year. January and February are without a doubt the sleepiest months in sunny seaside villages like Le Castella. But the skies are clear, the days are brisk, and the sea is calm (for now). Perfect walking weather is you ask us.
A Visit To Sila
With the coast sleeping, we look to the mountains of Calabria. Weโre talking about Sila a national park located an hour inland from the Ionian coast. We recently put together a lil' guide that covers when and how to visit Sila,ย here. What's not included is our short but mighty list of favorite places to visit within the National Park. Today we're sharing them all with you!
ย
Skyler & Giuseppe's Sila List
Eating in Lorica
When in Lorica eat at Il Brillo Parlante. It gives quant winter chalet, cozy pub, and local grill spot vibes. But once you meet the servers youโll remember youโre in Calabria and not the alps. The restaurant is owned by a young Calabreseย who has a fascination for BBQ (Italian BBQ that is).
Youโll find simple yet delicious grilled meats, roasted veggies, and some of the best dang beer weโve ever had. The menu is extensive (in the good way) and they do not serve pasta. Almost everything is fantastic, however, we recommend the following grilled items: pork chops, podolica steakย (a delicious local beef), pancetta, and caciocavallo (cheese). Also made sure to get some bitter greens if they're in season.
Most importantly, Il Brillo Parlanteย serves patate della Sila which we've spoken about several times over the past year. You can get potatoes any kind of which way but we highly recommend the patate 'mpacchiuseย and regular ol' fried. The potatoes are always sliced thin so the patate 'mpacchiuse are perfectly layered and fluffy on the inside, while the fried potatoes are crunchy on the outside and feel like a mix between a thick potato chip and a french fry.
I fear weโve probably made you really hungry. If you now need some potatoes you can find a recipe of ours here. Il Brillo Parlanteโs website can be found here. If you choose to visit, make a reservation a few days ahead of time. Itโs a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. Lastly, this isย a great place for kids.
Eating in Camigliatello
Where do we begin? The wine cellar, the property, or the chef? La Tavernetta is a lovely high dining restaurant located amongst the fields of Camigliatello. Itโs run by a chef named One of the Best Chefs in Italy Under 30. As a family-owned and operated establishment (they also own a small B&B attached) this restaurant has a certain warmth.
The restaurant La Tavernetta has been around for a while, but itโs only in the last 7 years or so that theyโve shifted things. Dabbling and then fully immersing themselves into the world of fine dining. They almost exclusively prepare food thatโs locally grown and raised. Much of itย from their garden or foraged in the fields and forests of Camigliatello by the chef himself (who does that?). Our favorite time of year to visit is in the fall when they have fresh chestnut bread and porcini mushrooms, however, the menu changes often. If they have fresh chips (hi, potatoes) get them, they make them in-house.
This is a fine dining establishment and the price will reflect that. Children are welcome at La Tavernetta, however, unless your little one enjoys sitting through 5-course lunches it may not be the most comfortable. Visit their website here.
Shopping
For jewelry head to Spadafora Gioielli, a family owned jewelery store with several locations in Calabria. Their largest store is in San Giovanni in Fiore, however, thereโs nothing quite like walking down the main street of a snowy Camigliatello and stopping in front of that bright red door. The staff is lovely and they have a lifetime guarantee. Ideal for all genders and ages, youโll find gorgeous studs emblazoned with the spadafora (seven-headed sea horse) or rings back with mother of pearl layered with gold. If you make to Sila be sure to stop by! Their website isย here.
Food Shopping
If you rent a place with a kitchen in Sila then make sure you buy some great local produce, cheese, and meat! The options can seem limitless. At the top of downtown Camiglatello (road SP256) youโll find Alta Gastronomia Campanaro, a delicatessen with loads of locally made goodies. They have great liqueurs and wide selection of cured meats and local cheeses! We recommend the caciocavallo.
If youโre looking for meat there are a few great butchers downtown all within walking distance of each other (still on SP256). Lastly, one or two streets over is Mercato Silano Arturo Falcone where you can find everything from carciofi sottโolio to bistecca di podolica. You can eat in or take food to go. Itโs a hybrid between aย market and a restaurant. You can pick the exact cuts of meat you can prepared there or for future use.
ย
Where To Stay
We are currently scoping Biofora Hotel and Spa, however, we havenโt had the pleasure of staying there yet (Covid). They have a spa and thatโs about 50% of the reason we would like to visit. So TBD. There are loads of B&Bs you can peruse online.
These are all of our recommendations. Sila is a huge park with dozens of small towns, thus we still have much to explore.
What To Make When This Weekend
Patate e Peperoni (after all the potato talk). Fried meatballs AKA Vrasciole.
Pre-Orders
Have you snagged some new oil yet? Pre-orders are OPEN! The No.9 already sold out. Grazie mille <3 There's still plenty of sets left and individual bottles of 500ml oil!
Pre-Order Shipping
2021 harvest is still in transit to the US. Weโll email you before orders ship to catch any last-minute order updates. As soon as product hits the warehouse we'll fulfill all orders and you will receive an email stating your package has shipped (with tracking #). Just in case, here's ourย FAQ.
If you need to make changes to your order please contact us hello@exauoliveoil.com.
Follow us on Instagram or Facebookย for more!
A presto,
-Skyler & Giuseppe
www.EXAUoliveoil.com