ABOUT US
ABOUT US
Citrus is a symbol of luxury and hospitality in southern Italy, particularly in Sicily from where the Cicala family emigrated. It is also a dedication to Joe Cicala’s great-grandmother, Clementina. The snake represents Angizia, the pagan snake goddess of the Marsi tribe who inhabited Angela Cicala’s familiar region of Abruzzo.
We are proud to serve authentic family recipes, rooted in the folklore and traditions of Italy’s southern regions.
Benvenuti e buon appettio!
We are a southern Italian restaurant located inside the historic Divine Lorraine Hotel on North Broad Street, in Philadelphia, where husband and wife chefs Joe and Angela Cicala, bring you the region’s most authentic Italian dining experience which focuses on seasonality, sustainability, and most importantly, simplicity.
Citrus is a symbol of luxury and hospitality in southern Italy, particularly in Sicily from where the Cicala family emigrated. It is also a dedication to Joe Cicala’s great-grandmother, Clementina. The snake represents Angizia, the pagan snake goddess of the Marsi tribe who inhabited Angela Cicala’s familiar region of Abruzzo.
We are proud to serve authentic family recipes, rooted in the folklore and traditions of Italy’s southern regions.
Benvenuti e buon appettio!
We are a southern Italian restaurant located inside the historic Divine Lorraine Hotel on North Broad Street, in Philadelphia, where husband and wife chefs Joe and Angela Cicala, bring you the region’s most authentic Italian dining experience which focuses on seasonality, sustainability, and most importantly, simplicity.
TORTA DI MIMOSA
Celebrate the ladies in your life this March during International Women's Month, with these mini torta di mimosa cream filled cakes given to women on La Festa Della Donna every March 8th in Italy. They are meant to resemble the mimosa flower that grows in spring in the countryside. Light and delicious, our version is lemon scented.
visit an Italian
coppersmith
Step into the workshop of Coppersmith, Cesare Mazzetti. This third generation Italian artisan is still creating beautiful copper pieces at his anvil, working well into his 80's. His copper pots are especially great for cooking risotto, fish, and pastries. Visit him in person on our tours to Italy.
Longing for Neapolitan style pizza but don't have a wood fired oven at home? Chef Joe Cicala shows you how to make a Neapolitan
pizza in a regular oven
One of the most important holy days in Italy, La Festa di San Giuseppe, (St. Joseph's Day), celebrates the arrival of spring and Father's Day. Try our recipes for Sicilian sfingi, spaghetti con le briciole, and the decorative bread, pane di San Giuseppe and get a perspective on the holiday from a few locals in Italy.
Sunday
Morning Focaccia
Chef Angela Cicala bakes focaccia in Montepulciano, Tuscany. This light and fluffy focaccia with a crispy, salty crust borders on a savory cake, and is perfect to dip in a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
A bright basil pesto from Genoa with the addition of potatoes and string beans with garganelli pasta. Perfect summer dish!
During the Covid-19 quarantine, Joe Cicala built a Neapolitan wood-fired pizza oven in backyard. See the process from start to finish.
CASATIELLO EASTER BREAD
A traditional, savory, Easter bread from Naples filled with cured meats and cheese.
Join us on one of our small, private culinary tours to Italy. Our Napoli and The Amalfi Coast itinerary captures the true spirit of the people of the region of Campagna, with amazing cuisine and gorgeous views.
Catch a glimpse of what our guests experience on our Sicilian tour. We visit Palermo, harvest salt in Marsala, dine at a Michelin Star restaurant in Ragusa, fish with locals in the Egadi Islands, make pasta with Chef Joe Cicala's family in Messina province, visit wineries on Mt. Etna and more!
OUR WOOD-FIRED
OVEN IS BACK
In 2014 Joe Cicala traveled to Napoli to buy a Gianni Acunto wood-fired oven. When he and his wife Angela left the restaurant in 2017 they thought they would never see their oven again. But thanks to restaurant owners David Feola and Scott Calhoun of Ember and Ash, their beloved oven comes home to their new restaurant in the Divine Lorraine.