Malta
The Prominent sign read: "Maltese Food" in big white letters under the "Blondino's Restaurant" awning. "Blondino's" was not exactly an inviting name, but it was just around the corner from our hotel and the pull of local flavor led us in. A small storefront seating 24 people on tables of four. It appeared to be operated by a single man in a shirt and vest, until a whirring and clanking announced the presence of the small dumbwaiter delivering plated food from a mystery kitchen.
Blondino's
We started with some very palatable Maltese red table wine (which quickly became a habit, but more on that later). Next, I ordered the rabbit, a staple among the Maltese. Stacy, ever the vegetarian, ordered a spicy penne pasta that was excruciatingly good. The rabbit came with roast potatoes and a deliciously rich tomato sauce. Maltese food is strongly Italian, being just across the sea from Sicily, with the added conveniences of homegrown tomatoes, potatoes, capers, and olives. They also have a lot of fish, some 50 varieties, being stranded out in the middle of the Mediterranean like that. Anyway, the rabbit was a cross between the proverbial chicken and pork, but tender and falling off the bones of the poor little bunny leg.
Eating in Maltese restaurants was a very pleasant undertaking. By the end of the week I had three kinds of Maltese fish, octopus, beef-olive (what's that?), pizza, pasta, and more, all with lovely Maltese wine. The best was the Maltese capers, large meaty bulbs in vinegar, perfect with Maltese cheese. Restaurants open at 7:00-ish, so our nights usually opened with a bottle of local wine and appetizers, and ended with a languorous dinner and lovely walk (or bus) back to our hotel (Oh, yeh, crime is virtually non-existent on the islands).
Maltese bus
Malta doesn't appear to honor the American tradition of the cocktail hour, so we found it difficult to find a late afternoon drink to sooth our walk-weary bodies. Siesta for restaurants is 2:00 to 7:00 and virtually everything closes between 2 and 4. On one of our first outings, we found what looked like a tourist trap along the boardwalk. We were too tired to quible, it was open, appeared to have a bar, so held out the potential for needed refreshment. Turns out that even the cafe's along the boardwalks are filled with Maltese (along with the mostly German tourists). They enjoy their island, like to drink and eat out (especially the younger set), and mix easily.
We told the greeter that we wished to have a couple of cocktails. He explained that only wine was available, so we had little choice but to capitulate. We ordered a half carafe of the local Maltese red. We didn't hold out much hope for the wine, since cheap red table wine in the States is a miserable affair that often brings on a headache before the glass is empty. We were delightfully surprised at this wine's palatability: smooth, just slightly sweet, and very easy to drink (a little too easy to drink). We also discovered Maltese cheese, a sheep cheese infused with black bits of pepper, served with some local salami, garlic mashed potatoes, crackers, capers, or other items gratis with afternoon wine.
Appetizer gratis with wine in afternoon
We did order cocktails on some later evenings, but they were generally a disappointment. Apparently, not nearly as popular as wine, harder liquor was always measured to precisely a single shot (usually by a little device screwed to the bottle). We've been spoiled by the generosity of American bartenders. A nicely filled wine glass was half the price of a cocktail and much more efficient at turning a tired afternoon into a small party for two. By the end of the week, cocktails were a dim memory.
Coffee in Malta remains a mystery. Though espresso is available in the coffee bars, when ordering "regular" coffee anywhere, what you get is instant. The first morning, before breakfast was officially served in our hotel, I was offered a coffee by the concierge. He proceeded to spoon instant coffee into my cup and pour water from a hot pot. It soon became apparent that this was the routine everywhere. Stacy claims that it is better "instant" than American, but it was all pretty awful to me. The Maltese drink this instant coffee only from a regular glass. As Jochim, our Gozo tour guide informed us, the Maltese would rather burn their fingers than drink from a proper cup.
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