Yesterday I got an email that read, “Hi Katie, I found you via a posting about food in Palermo on Chowhound. Thanks for the tips! You mentioned that ‘S Francesco sucks’. It was recommended to me by the Sicily expert on TripAdvisor. I was disappointed to read that it sucked.” I laughed. It sounded as though I had blasphemed the stigmatized saint from Assisi. It wasn’t poor St. Francis I was condemning, but the vomitous Antica Focacceria di San Francesco in Palermo.

For some unknown reason, some people (including so-called Palermo experts) recommend this vile establishment that serves soggy overpriced street food to tourists who don’t know any better. For the real deal, there are so many other great options. I have already posted on street food in Palermo in the past, but I will reiterate here: the best food in Palermo is the cheapest. Fresh, light, fried snacks eaten on the go are where it’s at. For a posh meal head to Catania or Siracusa and slum it when you are in the street food capital of Italy.

You can find more of my snide comments (and occasionally even some helpful dining info) posted to Chowhound here.