TravelValue: At Home and Abroad: 2017

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Buggabi, MaltaL A Big "Sorpresa", This Little Place Was Quite The Find

La Sorpresa

Triq it-Turisti, San Pawl il-Baħar

Bugibba, Malta

Prices: $$$$

A great find! The food was delicious, the portions hearty, and the prices very reasonable. My wife and I had multi-course dinners with wine and mineral water for about €40.

The place is charmingly simple snd the service impeccable. Our server Gabriele was there when needed, but otherwise not hovering.

I thought I needed a starter and the Cheesy Bruschetta (€3.50) sounded good, so I went for it. There were four slices of fresh, soft Maltese bread with sesame seeds topped with fresh tomatoes, herbs, olive oil, and mozzarella cheese, then broiled to a toasty consistency. It was delicious and far more food than I expected or needed.

For my entree, I had the Bragioli (€13), a Maltese dish very similar to my family's recipe but in a brown wine sauce instead of marinara, coming with wonderful roasted potatoes and salad. The two large bragioli consisted of thinly sliced beef rolled around homemade Maltese sausage and topped with the delcious sauce.

My wife's steak (€14 - Fixed Price) was also tasty, but obviously an inexpensive cut (likely hanger steak) and a tad too chewy. It came with mushroom gravy, with nary a mushroom, a starter (a delicious potato celery soup - spaghetti Bolognese also an option) as well as roasted potatoes (or fries), veggies (or salad), and choice of dessert. Even though the steak was disappointing, at just €14 how can you possibly complain. She should have ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu.

I doubt you will find a better value in Bugibba or anywhere else on Malta for that matter. Other than the steak, I cannot find a single flaw with this family run restaurant. We left stuffed to the gills and happy as the larks we saw at the Malta Bird Park the following day.

CombatCritic Gives La Sorpressa 9 Bombs Out Of 10 With The Sole Deduction For The Slightly Tough Steak ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

MENU

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Title: Buggabi, MaltaL A Big "Sorpresa", This Little Place Was Quite The Find

Key Words: Ristorante Pizzeria La Sorpresa, ristorante, pizzeria, La Sorpesa, la sorpresa, Bugibba, Malta, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, Triq, Turisti, San Pawl, il-Baħar, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: OOH-RAH = "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Naples, Italy: Good Food And Fair Prices, But Lukewarm Entrees And Undercooked Pasta Left Me Bewildered

La Taverna del Buongustaio

Via Basilio Puoti 8
80134 Naples, Italy
Centro Storico
Phone number: +39 081 5512626
Prices: €€€€

A small taverna just off Via Toledo halfway between the Dante and Toledo Metro stations, Buongustaio (translated "gourmet" in one case) does not quite live up to its name, but I was pleasantly surprised by the food and value.

At €6.50 ($7.67) for a primo (pasta) or secondo (meat dish), the prices are quite reasonable and €4 for a half liter of vino della casa (house wine) ain't bad neither (how's that for lousy English?).

The small place (10-12 tables) was packed save one table for two tucked in the corner, so we grabbed it. The service was quite friendly and efficient, my top-2 priorities, and we were quickly brought our drinks (wine and water) and a basket of fresh Neapolitan bread.

My wife's Penne alla Genovese (a dish you would probably associate with Genoa, but will rarely find outside Naples), comes in a sauce with onion, mostly onion, carrots, celery, and white wine, then simmered with beef and was very tasty. Unfortunately, the kitchen served it just a tad too "al dente" (1 Bomb deduction #1), a mistake you rarely see in any Italian restaurant or home for that matter. It was too chewy, but hot and tasty nonetheless.

My Bucatini alla Siciliana, a thick, hollow spaghetti tubes baked in a tomato sauce with eggplant, mozzarella, and pieces of meatball, was also delicious, but obviously cut straight from a pan and not nearly hot enough, call it lukewarm (1 Bomb deduction #2).

For secondi, my wife had the Provola alla Piastra, a gooey slice of smoked, grilled cheese that was also delicious but nearly cold (1 Bomb deduction #3). The highlight of the meal was my Braciola al Ragù, a nice portion of thinly sliced beef rolled around herbs and pine nuts, then smothered in marinara sauce. I was perfectly heated and seasoned, much like my nonna (grandmother) and Zia (aunt) Gina used to make ... one of my favorite dishes.

Good food and fair prices, although €36 in not a €€€€ meal, this trattoria needs to pay a little closer attention-to-detail, ensuring dishes are served at the right temperature and pasta cooked "al dente", not break the dente.

CombatCritic Gives La Taverna Buongustaio 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

"Shits & Grins"

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

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Read Chris S.'s review of La Taverna del Buongustaio on Yelp

Italian

French

English

Title: Naples, Italy: Good Food And Fair Prices, But Lukewarm Entrees And Undercooked Pasta Left Me Bewildered

Key Words: La Taverna del Buongustaio, la, taverna, buongustaio, Napoli, Naples, Italy, trattoria, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, Via Toledo, pasta, review, Yelp, Zomato