I had been asking my friend Giuseppe how the market was in downtown Catania, since I dare not…read moreventure into town alone, so he finally surprised me one day and off to the fish market we went. Bustling market with so many unusual fish and all sorts of displays. Shark, Swordfish, octopus, sea urchin, clams, shrimp, and too many fish to name. Kids enjoyed the displays but could hardly handle the smelly fishiness-honestly I think the Asian market in Vegas smells fishier-at least this was an open air market. If you buy the fish here, you are the butcher-so we came here just for pure enjoyment. We did buy some fresh parsley since we would be cooking some seafood (but we bought our fish elsewhere). Lots of fruit and veggie stands too. Open daily until 4 p.m. behind the Piazza Duomo.

Absolutely stunning place to visit when it is going in full force. So much seafood to choose from…read moreand its all fresh! Pretty cool to watch them butcher swordfish that probably weigh 500lbs. Smells great, lots of variety, great prices. Only downside is there are virtually no vendors that sell anything ready for consumption. If in Catania this is a must see though!

Definitely not for the squeamish or faint hearted, but if you're curious about food and culture…read morethen do try the food at this humble restaurant. The speciality of the house is horse meat, cooked in many different ways. We got a rib and a lemony meatball, both were actually pretty good, not very gamey but the meat tends to be more tough than your typical beef. We also had their pork sausage and a couple of side salads. The meat is all cooked out on the grill outside the restaurant's entrance, so you actually get to watch your meat getting cooked. The bill was not cheap (50€ total) but it was definitely worth the experience.

Some of the best panini I've ever had, made with delicious fresh ingredients. Also functions as a…read moredeli. A great spot for lunch, and very affordable. Caters to locals, so don't expect the staff to speak English, but they were very friendly and helpful despite the language barrier.