Some years ago the Italians/Sicilians living in Malta had a well educated and charming young man, who spoke a coherent English, helping them to settle. This 'go-between' had emailed me and invited me to go to L'Orso, which had just opened near the Vivaldi hotel. And there is where I met chef Salvo Pavone and his wife.
At once, L'Orso struck me as being far too big an area to make it viable. Goodness knows what it was costing in rent and how can one possibly fill that huge restaurant in a place like Paceville which is full of restaurants, good, bad or indifferent? I told him so.
The food was excellent but the ambience felt rather desolate.
Salvo had told me he had brought a container with everything they had in it including chairs, tables etc. For in Messina he had had another restaurant, the original L'Orso, as well as an Irish pub.
There is no doubt a good reason why so many Italians and Sicilians are relocating to Malta and other countries -Portugal for example. Some say it is the high vat/tax they have to pay on earnings in Italy. But I will not go into that.
The meal was very good and Salvo's wife makes a special dessert and had led me into the kitchen to show me how she puts it together. She had baptized it Coppa del'Orso. It is indeed delicious.
At the time I had written about this meal at the old L'Orso in my Diary and that was the end of that.
Within two years Salvo was messaging me on Facebook. He told me he had relocated and would I go and try out the new place which is near the sea - in fact in the area of the Cavalieri hotel and very near Gululu, Manakis and Two Buoys. Believe it or not it took me another two years to finally find an evening when I did not arrive already exhausted and when I did not have to hurry back.
The new premises of L'Orso are welcoming and attractive with the sea and bobbing boats within touching distance. Although you don't realise it from outside, unless you read the notice next to the menu, L'Orso has a wonderful terrace, deck if you like, simply but elegantly furnished. I have no idea what happens on those rare stormy nights when the wind is howling and there are lashings of rain. Sitting outside would not be possible. There are tables inside so patrons would be able to sit on one of these where it is cosy.
I chose to go on a Friday since Salvo Pavone, the chef, has a Sicilian menu on Fridays.
An extensive tasting menu will unbalance your bank account by Euros 35, excluding drinks if you go on a Friday. Believe me, it is worth unbalancing for this is a fine dining establishment.
What a relief not to find the usual clichés for starters - no melon and parma ham or tomato and mozzarella on a stick or whatever fancy name it is given. Certainly no salad containing enough greenery to feed a whole warren of rabbits and little else. And no pizza in any shape or form.
The bruscetta to keep us happy before the food started to arrive was freshly made with an inbuilt guarantee that you would not lose a tooth. Soft but not too soft.
The contents of the bread basket were home-made we were assured and did not come out of supermarket wrapping.
The Sicilian menu on Friday nights has an innovative take but is firmly rooted in the traditional flavours and techniques of that island's cooking.
The presentation is Armani as opposed say, to Versace Jeans. It was evident from the start that apart from the chef, Salvo Pavone, there is plenty of talent in the kitchen. The cooking and presentation were consistingly good and attractive. Refined and light. Here are some of the delights to tempt you: carpaccio di pesce spada marinato con pesche; acciughe all'inquate. (Now how often do you get anchovies on a menu or indeed at the fishmonger's?). There were polpette di tonno e melanzana, baccalà in pastella (salted codfish in batter). Again the only time I eat baccalà is in Portugal. Here, when you can find it, it is mostly skin and bone.
I loved the carpaccio di pesce spada marinato con pesche and calamari ripieni. Those were the starters - some twelve of them. These were followed by risotto alla pescatora, spaccatelle al pesce spada e melanzane followed by a grigliata mista di pesce.
There was dessert and coffee.
On days other than Friday there are antipasti which include parmegiana, carpaccio di polpe - razor thin and utterly delicious, beef tartar etc. There is pasta, for, which Italian/Sicilian restaurant doesn't serve pasta, a national dish. Again no clichés here either. No pasta with ragu. We have had enough of that during our student days.
There is a choice of five pasta dishes: spaghetti, ravioli, fettuccelle and home made bigoli. The latter are a form of thick spaghetti originating from the Veneto region.
Then there is fish and meat including local rabbit.
Puddings are just one indulgence too many if you've already pigged your way through the Sicilian menu or the normal menu but many will be unable to resist their divine coppa or a cannolo scomposto - so much easier to eat than a normal cannolo which is best eaten in the bath on your own, or the renowned cassata siciliana.
Throughout the meal no dish misfired. It is solid nosh, without being heavy, a restaurant for those who enjoy their food in a tranquil ambience served by gracious Italian/Sicilian waiters many of whom speak decent English.
And if you can't park - and this area is notorious for its lack of parking spaces - Salvo will pay for your parking ticket at Portomaso parking.
I managed to squeeze my little car into a parking space almost in front of L'Orso. But that's my special relationship with St Anthony that did it. You will have to ask how the parking business works. Resorting to St Anthony doesn't always work.
L'Orso is relaxing and a blissful treat.
I have no hesitation in saying it was fabulous.
Salvo Pavone and his team have nothing left to prove as far as I am concerned.
[email protected]