Named after a city located on the east coast of the island of Sicily, this less-than-a-year-old restaurant, located at La Plaza Center, is a toe-dip into Europe. Open for lunch and dinner as well as brunch on the weekends, Catania is the newest addition to the Whisknladle Hospitality Group, offering ocean views over the rooftops of the Girard Street stores, an open-air patio and cozy inside seating both casual and upscale. The restaurant defines its fare as coastal Italian so as not to pigeonhole the cuisine into specific areas of southern Italy, and the dishes are about as authentic to the region as they can get. Southern Italian cooking has been farm to table for centuries; you eat what you grow. Catania’s daily menu is a collaboration of executive chef Vince Schofield and partner Ryan Johnson. Although of Mexican descent, Schofield trained in Tuscany for years and speaks fluent Italian. He has a specific idea of the kind of cuisine he wants to serve and how. “We try to stick to very traditional techniques, sometimes 125-year traditions,” says Schofield. “Then we use the things that are around us, the things that are fresh here, the things that are local, and put them into a dish where they blend, meld and come together.” This lunch began with homemade sodas – orange tarragon, lemon thyme and apple clove, refreshingly delicious with just a hint of sweetness. Over ice or spiked with a suggested alcohol, the drinks prepare the palate for what’s to come – dancing taste buds. The menu is varied and uncomplicated and has something for everyone. The choices of antipasti are not numerous, but they are interesting. Neither the Ahi Crudo nor the Crispy Octopus disappointed – many restaurants offer octopus, but very few prepare it correctly. This dish was crispy on the outside and delicately firm on the inside, paired with merguez sausage, chick peas and capers. The Ahi Crudo was presented beautifully, with various shades of red among the ingredients – beets, meyer lemon (a cross between a lemon and a mandarin or orange), poppyseed and basil. Duck Sugo Orecchiette, the most popular item on the menu, was chosen as the pasta. It is from the Apulia region in southern Italy and resembles a small ear. Considered a comfort food, it is light in texture and taste. The whole duck is used. Skin, liver, meats, fat – everything goes into the dish. Subtle and delicious, it is a riff on a dish Schofield created when he worked in Tuscany. After the opening last March, there was a battle of perception wherein some people expected American Italian, which can be very different from the food in Italy. Stephen McGlynn, general manager, describes the ideal Catania guest. “(Schofield) can go as far out-there and esoteric with the food as he wants, but there’s a happy medium where you’re trying to find your sweet spot between a clientele that isn’t quite as adventurous and those that are. Our dream guest is one who comes in, sits down, picks up the menu, puts it facedown on the table and says ‘I have no food allergies; bring me whatever you want.'” The dining experience at Catania is as important to the restaurant as the food. One of the European characteristics that Americans admire openly (and secretly) is Europeans’ ability to sit down and really share a meal. Schofield wants to encourage that kind of atmosphere at Catania. “We have to run a line,” he says, “between giving people things that they know and things they don’t know, running a balance of the menu so that they don’t get scared away. So far, people have been very receptive. We’re not looking to send a pretentious vibe or come off like we’re trying to teach someone something – we’re just trying to stick to what we’re doing collectively. It’s all about the collaboration between us and our guests. We try to encourage a sharing experience, drink some wine, have a good time. Food is a gateway to conversation, to getting to know someone, and that is a big part of the philosophy behind this restaurant.” For more information, see cataniasd.com or call (858) 551-5105.