Photos for Hotel Imperiale
November 24, 2011 by aelsius
Filed under Featured, News, Travel & Adventures
5 star Hotel Imperiale in Taormina asked me to help them take photos of their terrace. They wanted to show the terrace as a place for romantic dinners, relaxing evenings at the bar with live music, as well as for wedding and birthday banquets. It was a bit tricky as the season was already over and the terrace didn’t look her most inviting. We were also struggling with bad weather and little time and resources to organize models, props and clothes….but I think we pulled it off in the end.
Big thanks goes to Claudio di Mari www.claudiodimari.com a young and promising Sicilian designer that’s already made a name in Milan and other major cities and Parisi www.parisitaormina.it high fashion stores for men, women, children, jeans and accessories since 1950…who have been so kind as to supply the clothes for the “bride and the groom”
- The terrace of Hotel Imperiale just after sunset. Bea in a wedding dress from Claudio di Mari and Santi in a Dolce Gabbana suit from Parisi Taormina. Photo: Ami Elsius
Bea showing off the gorgeous wedding dress from Claudio di Mari at the terrace of hotel Imperiale with Calabria in sight at the horizon. Photo: Ami Elsius
Bea and Santi on the roof terrace of Hotel Imperiale with the bay of giardini naxos below. Bea wearing a glamorous evening dress from Claudio di Mari. Photo: Ami Elsius
Bea and Santi on the roof terrace of Hotel Imperiale, full moon reflected in the waters of the Messins strait. Claudio di Maris dresses really comes to life in the wind. Photo: Ami Elsius
View from the terrace at Hotel Imperiale; the slopes of Etna and the bay of Giradini Naxos. Photo: Ami Elsius
Dinnner with a spectacuar view from the roof top at Hotel Imperiale. Photo: Ami Elsius
Champagne at sunset at Hotel Imperiale. Photo: Ami Elsius
DInner with frinds at the roof of Hotel Imperiale, with the antique greek theatre in the distance. Photo: Ami Elsius
This is just a small part of the huge terrace with views of the slopes of Etna, the bay of Giardini Naxos, Taormina town, the greek theatre and Calabria. Photo: Ami Elsius
That was some some of the photos I took of the terrace…now for something totally different. Some food fom the Restaurant at Hotel Imperiale. It was a very quick shoot using natural light together with Litepanels Micro Pro LED light. www.litepanels.com
Buon Apetito!
Nero D´Avola, one of my favourite restaurants in Taormina
March 31, 2011 by aelsius
Filed under Travel & Adventures
Nero D´Avola (Mentioned in the Micheline guide) is located near the Post Office and Porta Catania, next to Palazzo Duchi Di Santo Stefano, just down from the main road Corso Umberto. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, the food is fantastic and the wines have been carefully selected. Turi, the man behind (and in) the restaurant is a well of inspiration and knowledge; his passion and skill is remarkable and his enthusiasm is catchy. He is a bit of en eccentric… a very positive, passionate and knowledgeable one. Ask him about the origin, ingenious and making of his Sicilian specialties and you will get a story almost to good to be true…almost that is, because it is true. It is true that he gets up before sunrise to hunt rabbits and pick the finest mushrooms or wild asparagus depending on what the season has to offer. He goes to the fish market himself to pick out the best seafood and he drives out to small family run business in the country to get the best organic pasta, vegetables and meat. Turi is always on the lookout for organic local products of top quality and makes a point of sponsoring small local businesses.
Turi from Nero D'Avola with Lemon. Photo: Ami Elsius
He is a connoisseur of fine wines and has a big interest and experience of Sicilian wines…. especially from the Etna region. One evening in September last year I went with him to Passopiscare in Etna, for a unique opportunity to try the best wines, from ten different producers around Etna. I had the privilege of not only trying some fantastic wines but also to be personally introduced to all the vineyard owners. It was a great experience and I can warmly recommend a visit. My favourites out of the wines I tasted was Aietna Etna Rosso from Cantine Edomé www.cantinedome.com and Ero Nero D’Avola from www.villapetriolo.com
Turi is a sought after chef that frequently cooks for the rich and famous, royalty and people in power. He wears the same singlet and worn jeans or board shorts as when trekking on the slopes of Etna, as he does when he meets the rich and famous. He has cooked for the Swedish crown princess Victoria and got fans all over the world. Turi is frequently hired to cook for party’s in Dubai and now when I met him again in March, he just got back from a trip to Kenya with his customers; bringing boxes of typical Sicilian products with him.
A visit to Nero D’Avola will not only satisfy your taste buds, pallet and stomach; it will give you a rich experience of the genuine Sicily and will most likely awaken or strengthen your interest in the Sicilian cuisine. And if you really want to emerge yourself, get to the heart of Sicilian fine wining and dining and unravel the secrets of the menu; I can warmly recommend that you ask him to hold a cooking course or a wine, olive oil or cheese tasting session.
If you have a bar, restaurant, gourmet shop or a genuine interest in Sicilian food and wine you can ask Turi for advice…he’s like the organic gourmet ambassador of Sicily. Due to the restaurants popularity it is advisable to book in advance during the summer months.
If you just want a quiet romantic meal it’s best to not ask him that many questions….he loves to talk and can be very intense.
Turi from Nero D'Avola. Photo: Ami Elsius
Restaurant: Osteria Nero D’Avola
Adress: Vicco Puches 8 (near Porta Catania), Taormina 98039
Email: osterianerodavola@alice.it
Phone: +39 339 401 0863
Turi’s olive oil and wine favourites are not surprisingly all from Sicily:
Product: Red Wine
Lable: Sciave 2005
Grape: Nero D’Avola, Eloro
Vinery: Riofavara
Area: Ispica (RG) di Massimo Padova Valledolmo, Sicily
Web: www.riofavara.it
Product: Red Wine
Lable: Quota 600 Etna Rossa 2006
Grape: Nerello mascalese and cappuccio grapes
Vinery: Alberto Aiello Graci
Area: Passopisciaro, Castiglione di Sicilia (CT)
Web: www.graci.eu
Product: Red Wine
Lable: Grammonte 2002
Grape: Merlot
Vinery: Cottanera (the Cambria family)
Area: Castiglione di Sicilia (CT)
Web: www.cottanera.it
Product: Wine White
Lable: Shiarà
Grape: Cataratto Lucido
Vinery: Castellucci Miano
Area: Valledolmo, (PA), Sicily
Web: http://www.castelluccimiano.it/
Product: Wine White
Lable: Grappoli del Grillo
Grape: Grillo
Vinery: Marco De Bartoli
Area: Marsala, (TP) Sicily
http://www.marcodebartoli.com/home.html
Product: White Dessert
Lable: Moscato Di Siracusa
Vinery: Don Nuzzo
Area: Siracusa Sicily
Product: Extravergene Olio di Oliva
Lable: Merlino
Olive: Nocellara Etnea (at least 70%) with up to 30% Brandofino olives.
Producer: Marco De Bartoli
Area: Randazzo, Etna , Sicily
Web: www.oliomerlino.com
Product: Extravergene Olio di Oliva
Lable: Filicjuso
Olive: Nocellara Etnea and Brandofino olives.
Producer: Chiara Vigo
Area: Linguaglossa, Etna , Sicily
Product: Extravergene Olio di Oliva
Lable: Sallemi
Olive: Tonda Iblea
Producer: Roffoch Sallemi
Area: Gulfa, Siracusa
Web: www.oliomerlino.com