If you want to be served fresh al dente Italian pasta made by the restaurant or enjoy authentic Italian soups, you should try Ciro’s Cucina in Parktown North, a hidden gem you’d be forgiven for missing along 7th Avenue connecting the suburb to Hyde Park. The restaurant is run by chef Ciro Molinaro and prides itself on farm-to-fork Mediterranean cuisines. For my meal, I kicked off with a classic that no Italian restaurant should go without – bread, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, a common pre-meal ritual in many Mediterranean cultures. Then for starters, I went for Sicilian fish soup served with potato bread. The soup typically features a medley of fresh catch, simmered in a tomato-based broth infused with aromatic herbs like basil and oregano. Sicily's history as a melting pot of Mediterranean cultures is evident in this dish, as it incorporates flavors from the Greeks, Arabs, and Normans who have influenced the island's cuisine over the centuries. Then for mains, a classic Cacio e pepe. Cacio e pepe is interestingly a Roman pasta dish that beautifully embodies.
