Located in Bradenton’s Arts Village, Ortygia brings the authentic flavors of Sicily to Florida’s West Coast.
Chef Gaetano Cannata’s extensive knowledge of Sicilian cuisine comes from his tight-knit Sicilian neighborhood in Hoboken, New Jersey, where his family’s home was often the gathering place for friends and relatives to bond over the elaborate meals prepared by his father, a native of Siracusa (Ortygia), Sicily.
After moving to Florida, Gaetano honed his culinary skills in local restaurants while furthering his career as an educator. He was eager to fufill the dream of sharing his unique cuisine with others and has a definite gift for gab and passion about his heritage and style of cooking.
In 2007 he converted a charming cottage in Bradenton’s somewhat funky, though up-and-coming Village of the Arts into “Ortygia,” where he serves up “Monzu” cuisine, a hybrid of Sicilian-French cooking that datesback to Napoleon’s time.
Chef Gaetano embraces the diverse culinary influences found in Sicilian cuisine, including Arab, Greek, Spanish and North-African–Sicily, at the heart of the Mediterranean, was truly the crossroads of many cultures, each one leaving its culinary and cultural influence.
Napoleon’s invasion of Naples in 1798 forever changed Sicilian cuisine. At that time Naples and Sicily became collectively known as “TheKingdom of The Two Sicilies.” The Monzu introduced among other things, butter and cream into the kitchens of Sicilian nobles. Their roots were in the French culinary tradition, but their flavors were connected to the bounty and history of Sicily–becoming a Sicilian-French fusion. In fact there is a distinctive dialect spoken in remote parts of Sicily, including in San Fratello, where my dad’s family is from, located in the beautiful Nebrodi Mountains overlooking the sea in the northeastern corner of Sicily, west of Messina, which is nearly impossible to understand (you have a better chance if you speak French than classic Italian).
In time, “Monsieur” became “Monzù”– if a particular Monzù served a particular family for a long time, he was referred to as Monzù, followed by his employer’s last name, while the best dishes he created were given his employer’s name, and kept secret.
The Monzù became very prestigious and influential in Sicilian culture, and is credited with adding consommé and foie gras to the Sicilian menu.
In the early decades of the 20th century, Sicily emerged as a favorite winter resort for European royalty, and the Palermo Monzù chefs cooked for kings and Kaisers from the rest of Europe. As the era of Sicilian aristocracy faded around the turn of the20th century, the time and energy spent on preparing such foods made it difficult to continue this noble tradition. Withthe decline of the aristocracy the great Monzù were forced to leave their masters; some turned to cooking at social clubs, while others opened restaurants, and to this day Neapolitans and Sicilians use the term Monzù to refer to a great chef.
Ortygia prides itself on featuring the best of authentic Sicilian cookery- not only the cuisine of the Monzù, but also the simple, delicious food of the common people, “La Cucina Povera” and features fresh local organic produce, top quality seafood and meats, as well as products imported from Italy.
Ortygia serves lunch Thursday-Saturday and dinner Wednesday-Saturday. While Chef Gaetano offers daily and seasonal specials, and changes the menu periodically to reflect what is fresh and available in the market, and the time of year, some favorites include:
Finocchio Arrostito- fennel roasted with Chardonnay cream with black olives and pancetta, topped with pecorino and bread crumbs and baked, Peperone Ripieno- a sweet red bell pepper filled with aged provolone, golden raisins, fresh tomatoes, pine nuts, and black currants, daily soups, and salads including Lentils with fennel, red onions, black olives, and mint are favorite starters.
Pastas include daily specials (the last time I visited, Gaetano wanted bucatini with anchovies, garlic, tomato, and evoo, topped with toasted fresh breadcrumbs and parsley), so that was what I got to enjoy! Other mainstays include Timballo di Penne (a wedge of a baked pasta dome filled with meatballs, eggs, mozzarella, provolone, and roasted peppers in between layers of pasta, and classic “Pasta alla Norma” (called Pasta Siciliana at Ortygia, as it is considered THE most famous pasta dish of the island), consisting of imported San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, basil, grilled eggplant and topped with ricotta salata.
Entrees include Seafood of the day, Pollo con Carciofi (chicken breast sautéed in white vermouth and lemon with artichokes, black olives, spinach, and pecorino, “Farsumagru,” Sicilian stuffed sirloin with provolone, prosciutto, sausage, hardboiled eggs, asparagus, and pancetta, braised in tomato-wine reduction–essentially a large “Braciole” which is sliced and topped with additional sauce.
The wine list focuses on wines from Puglia in southern Italy, and include a nice Merlot-Cabernet blend and a more intense Primitivo (precursor to red Zinfandel). The setting is a quaint, charming house– relaxed and home-style. The neighborhood requires a bit of an adventurous spirit, but it is worth the effort to experience authentic Sicilian cuisine prepared by a passionate Chef/Owner.
See you in Bradenton– and be sure to tell Chef Gaetano Fred Bollaci sent you!
Ortygia
1418 13th Street West
Bradenton FL 34205
941.741.8646
