When the highly acclaimed restaurant Giuseppi's was in Mellieha, it had been on my 'must go' list for a number of years. However I never got round to going. It seemed so far away by Maltese standards.
But as good luck would have it I received an invitation from Michael Diacono and his nephew Chris, to attend one of Giuseppi's Wednesday sessions during which members of the media are invited. The fact that this restaurant is now at the Salina Resort makes all the difference.
Chef patron, Michael Diacono needs no introduction. He is also associated with Rubino in Valletta and Mezzodi Valletta and an acknowledged star chef. As one of the extensive Diacono family, he too, is a foodie di natura and to the core.
His mother Rita had 11 children and is a living legend in Malta. Just thinking of all those meals she must have prepared over the years already fills me with admiration.
The evening I went to Giuseppi's I was accompanied by Professor Jane Somerville who was here for her consulting sessions at Mater Dei, so good company was assured.
We arrived at Giuseppi's on a very windy evening and I was immediately taken down memory lane. On climbing the few steps to the verandah I recalled the old French colonial wooden houses in Mauritius which too, have wonderful verandahs, with rattan tables and chairs.
All those years ago there were at least two of these houses which had been turned into restaurants. There must be many more by now.
On stepping inside we were warmly greeted by Chris and offered a welcome drink - a lemon and rose cooler - as we pondered the menu. I could see that there were going to be several Ahh moments that evening when Lebanese food was going to be served. I do not clasp closely to my bosom the cuisine of any country in particular, not even my own. I love food generally and almost every meal to me is an adventure.
I really need to be locked up for a month on minestra and water for the sake of my health. I've abandoned any hope of rescuing my waistline years ago.
As we stepped into Giuseppi's it was love at first sight. This restaurant is elegant without being formal with understated colour palettes. Effortless. It is a mixture of aesthetics and functionality. I am not into restaurants where there is too much hushed opulence and gleaming, burnished prissy chic. Giuseppi's is certainly not one of them.
We could see Michael, working in the open kitchen. When he came to greet us I wondered how he manages to keep so clean while doing all that cooking.
We started off with three traditional Lebanese dips: Hummus, Babaganoush and Muhammara accompanied by Manoushi bread, so popular as snack food in Lebanon.
The wine served throughout the evening - white, rosé and red - was Domaine des Tourelles, a Lebanese winery set up by a Frenchman in 1868 .
We thought the red was particularly good. The young lady serving it - shall I call her sommelier? - certainly knew what she was serving and answered our questions.
The dips were followed by Beef Arayes - pita bread stuffed with spiced beef and accompanied by lebneh - the soft, cream cheese made from strained yoghurt.
The grilled seabass which followed came with tahini and preserved lemon sauce, toasted pine nuts, fresh tomatoes and coriander and raisins - a myriad ingredients blended harmoniously together. It made a change from the plain way in which I cook seabass.
This would have been enough but the pan-fried quail with pomegranate molasses and Za'atar, rice and lentils arrived. I have never eaten quail which tasted so good.
And finally, the Lebanese doughnuts with lemon syrup were served. I suspect the ingredients are the same as those used for zeppoli but the lemon syrup gives them a middle-eastern, exotic, taste. They are not only a delight but light.
By now the restaurant was almost full. Many there I recognised as belonging to the good-looking Diacono family. Perhaps they were celebrating a birthday?
I asked Jane, who had already been here at least three times with Maltese friends and loved it, what she thought of this Lebanese meal, even if throughout, in between exchanging news, we had discussed every dish as we were enjoying it. Here's her reply: "Excellent dinner. Very well chosen wine, particularly the outstanding Tourelles red, surprisingly strong 14 %. Outstanding courses. Quails delicious and last doughnuts with pistachio nuts and light syrup , utterly sinful and thus doubly enjoyable. Nothing heavy. All easily digested and very good value. Only grey point was noise as room filled with enthusiasts, often too loud as generous, well chosen wines with each course circulated in their warm blood."
By now the food and drink had lulled me into a mood of benign tolerance.
One of Jean-Paul Sartre's biographers, Annie Cohen-Solal has written this about his diet: "Over a period of 24 hours it included two packs of cigarettes and several pipes stuffed with black tobacco, more than a quart of alcohol - wine, beer, whisky, vodka and so on - two hundred milligrams of amphetamines, fifteen grams of aspirin, several grams of barbiturates plus coffee, tea, rich meals."
When I get the occasional guilt trip because of my love of food, I think of him, so damned ugly he was too. He died when he was 75. Not bad with a diet like that.
The last Wednesday session at Giuseppi's is taking place next Wedneday 10th April and it will be a Sicilian evening.
Apart from these special sessions, Giuseppi's have their regular menu which looks most promising.
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