Ciao, friends! Today’s Meet Me In My Studio has us traveling to the sun-drenched island of Sicily! Our guest is Annalisa Pompeo, founder of GoSicily, who has spent the last decade crafting unforgettable food experiences for travelers from around the world. Through her immersive cooking classes, wine tours, and culinary adventures, she’s become a gateway for visitors seeking authentic Sicilian flavors. Annalisa’s latest venture, Donna Nnì, takes this vision even further. Nestled in the rolling countryside of Agrigento, this intimate villa offers guests the complete farm-to-table Sicilian experience. Her commitment to seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients and time-honored techniques from “Grandma’s Kitchen” hasn’t just built a business; it’s preserved a way of life. So tie on your aprons and prepare your taste buds – we’re about to discover the heart and soul of Sicily, one recipe at a time, in Annalisa’s kitchen studio.
Welcome, Annalisa Pompeo!
Please tell us where your studio is located.
GoSicily is based in Favara, in a cozy 1950s-style apartment located in the heart of the historic center. My second creative space is in the countryside, where I’ve recently launched Donna Nnì, a lemon farm dedicated to farm-to-table living.
What do you create in this space?
In Favara, I host cooking classes, food tours, and cultural experiences for travelers from all over the world. At Donna Nnì, I’m building something new — a space for growing food, lighting the wood-fired oven, making limoncello, and reconnecting with the rhythms of the land.
How would you describe the space?
The GoSicily apartment in Favara feels like stepping into a Sicilian grandmother’s home: colorful tiles, vintage furniture, family warmth. Donna Nnì, on the other hand, is full of sunlight, citrus scents, open skies, birdsong, and earthy smells from the garden. It’s a place of peace and rebirth.
What’s your favorite part of your studio and why?
In Favara, it’s the kitchen table — the heart of every memory. In the countryside, it’s the wood oven: the fire brings people together, and the smell of fresh bread always makes me smile.
What’s one thing you wish you could change about your studio?
At Donna Nnì, I dream of building guest rooms so people can sleep surrounded by lemon trees. We’re not there yet — for now, we focus on the garden, the harvest, and the fire.
Your Creative Process
What small rituals in your space mark the beginning and end of your creative time?
In Favara, it’s a moka coffee and opening the window to the sounds of the town. In the countryside, it’s watering the garden in silence before starting. I also love taking a few minutes just to be with the chickens — watching them peck and wander calms my mind and reconnects me to something simple and real. It’s a grounding way to begin and end my day.
How do you approach your work or creative practice?
I ease into it — I listen to Sicilian music, open my notebooks, let the smells and memories guide me. I don’t force inspiration, I invite it.
What do you do when you’re feeling creatively stuck?
I go outside. Nature is the best reset. One time, I was blocked while designing a new workshop, and after a morning spent in the lemon grove, the idea of Donna Nnì came to life — not just a space, but a movement of women, land, and tradition.
Favorites & Recommendations
What’s your favorite storage solution in your space?
Old wooden crates from the market — reused and repurposed for everything from herbs to linens.
What’s your favorite meal you’ve ever made in your space?
The first time I baked bread in the wood-fired oven at Donna Nnì. The smell of the dough rising, the crackling of the wood, the warmth of the fire — it was like being transported to another time. In that moment, I felt as if my grandmother Nnì was right there beside me. It wasn’t just bread — it was memory, love, and legacy coming to life.
What’s a piece of advice you’d give someone trying to become more intentional about their creative studio time/routine?
Let your space reflect your soul. Don’t wait for it to be perfect — begin with what you have, and it will grow with you.
Quick Finishers
The silliest thing in my studio is: a tiny cabinet that looks like a lemonade vending machine, with a sign that says “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” It doesn’t serve anything — it just makes people smile.
The book I recommend to everyone: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain — raw, honest, and full of flavor, just like real life in the kitchen.
I always feel best when: there’s music in the kitchen and flour on my hands.
The studio tool I’d rescue first in an emergency is: my grandmother’s rolling pin.
Looking Forward
Anything exciting that you are working on now?
Yes! At Donna Nnì, we’re growing our first full garden season, baking with our wood-fired oven, making our own limoncello, and planning to host overnight guests soon. It’s a space where women, food, and land come together — and it’s just the beginning. Every day, I find joy in the little things — like feeding the chickens or feeling the sun on my face in the garden. This is the rhythm I want to share with others.
Thank you so much, Annalisa! We have loved having this chance to get to know you and your studios – both in Favara and at Donna Nnì! To learn more about Annalisa you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and visit her website.
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