Soul Sicilan Fusion

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

From Catania to Cleveland Street

Born in Catania, Sicily, Chef Nello built Soul Sicilian Fusion around a simple conviction: that every plate should carry the memory of an ancient way of cooking. The result is a restaurant on Cleveland Street in Clearwater, Florida, where Sicilian cuisine is the foundation and a measured touch of innovation gives it new life. Gambero Rosso recognized the kitchen with a fork in its 2025 guide — a meaningful nod from Italy's most authoritative food authority to a restaurant doing serious work far from the island that inspired it.

The Kitchen's Approach

The menu is seasonal, shifting to reflect the freshest ingredients available, and it reads like a love letter to the Mediterranean pantry. Antipasti lean on produce and quality dairy — creamy burrata with prosciutto, a Parmigiana di Melanzane built from eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan. Pasta is where the Sicilian identity comes through most clearly: the Rigatoni alla Norma, a declared Sicilian Classic, arrives with roasted eggplant and ricotta salata; the Linguine alle Vongole, a house favorite, brings clams, garlic, white wine, and parsley. For something richer, the Linguine al Tartufo Nero pairs black truffle and mushrooms with parmesan.

Seafood and the Chef's Signatures

From the sea, the kitchen leans on Mediterranean instincts. The Branzino in Almond Crust — sea bass baked with almond crust, lemon zest, and parsley — is the chef's own recommendation. The Sicilian Double-Cooked Octopus, served with asparagus, sautéed spinach, and potato cream, stands as the kitchen's most distinctive signature. Grouper arrives Mediterranean style, pan-seared with tomato, capers, olives, and white wine.

Pinsa, Dessert, and the Full Picture

Alongside the main menu, the kitchen offers Pinsa Romana — a traditional Roman flatbread made with wheat, rice, and soy flour, naturally fermented for a lighter dough. Toppings range from a simple Margherita to Truffle & Sausage with burrata and black truffle sauce. Desserts close the meal with Sicilian conviction: a Cannolo di Ricotta with crispy pastry shell and sweet ricotta cream, a Limoncello Tiramisù, and house-made Italian gelato in rotating flavors.

Beyond dinner service, Soul Sicilian Fusion offers catering, private parties, delivery, and takeaway — making the flavors of Sicily accessible well beyond the dining room on Cleveland Street.