Bugibba, Malta: A Big "Sorpresa", This Little Place Was Quite The Find

La Sorpresa

Triq it-Turisti, San Pawl il-Baħar

Bugibba, Malta

Prices: $$$$

There are three restaurants on Turisti Street in Bugibba just a stone's throw from the other - La Sorpresa, La Stalla and Ta Pawla - all with reasonably priced, three-course Set Menus, inexpensive wines, great service and excellent food.

A great find, the food at La Sorpresa 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!

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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"

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Naples, Italy: Frittole - An Imaginary Tuscan Village - I Could Not Imagine Pizza So Good

Frittole

Via Leonardo Bianchi 2
80131 Naples, Italy
Phone number: +39 081 0012440
Website: frittole.it 
Prices: € € € €

Much better than under previous management, the pizza is very good and the vino locale (local wine) is cheap and refreshing. The ambiance has improved with a nice outdoor patio as you enter and upgrades to the interior with a medieval theme, including servers with period costumes. 

The pizza is their specialty and they do it very well, eat in or take out. They also have other choices, but, honestly, I have only had the pizza which, by Neapolitan standards is above average. My favorites are the pizza salsiccia e friarielli (sausage and broccoli rabe) and salami (salame in Italian) with peperoncino, both of which I have had several times. Prices are extremely fair, with four pizzas, a bag of zeppoline (fried dough balls), and a complimentary glass of wine while waiting for our takeout coming to just €24 and as they would say in Boston ... what a bahgain!

Pizzas are made in the traditional Neapolitan way, all ingredients fresh and local, then baked in about 90 seconds in a brick oven reaching over 500 degrees Fahrenheit, being turned every 30 seconds by the pizzaiuolo (pizza maker) to ensure even cooking. 

The pizza salsiccia e friarielli is made with a special Neapolitan dough recipe (you will not find pizza dough like this anywhere else in the world), provolone cheese, friarielli (broccoli rabe sauteéd in olive oil and garlic), then topped with sliced or crumbled sweet Italian sausage (peperoncino optional) and some extra virgin olive oil (EVO). 

The pizza salame piccante is made with the same dough, then basted with fresh tomato sauce (made only with San Marzano tomatoes, grown only in the fields of Agro Sarnese-Nocerino and just below Mount Vesuvius), then topped with fior di latte (fresh, locally made mozzarella) or mozzarella di bufala (mozzarella made only in the Naples area from the milk of the Italian Water Buffalo), thin slices of local salami, EVO, and peperonicino (also optional).

Quatro Stagione

Pizza Napolitano is different than pizza found anywhere else in Italy. The baked pizza dough is very thin, but holds-up well when cut into "American-style" slices (Italians normally eat pizza with a knife and fork, not with the hands) as Italian pizza is never served cut, only whole. The crust is thick, but very light and you will find an occasional small burnt spot or seven on the pizza bottom from the scorching hot oven. Frittole prepares their pizzas in the traditional Neapolitan way and the pizzaiuolo can be seen making and baking your pizza through the door into the dining room.

Salame Picante

Their house wine is wonderful and I normally buy it by the bottle for meals at my mother-in-law's home just down the street. The wine is a deep red, slightly fizzy and mildly sweet, served chilled as many local/house wines are because they are not made with added sulfates. A bottle (.75 to 1.0 liter - depending on who bottled it) normally only costs a couple Euros. My only gripe and the reason for my one BOMB deduction is the owner's hesitance to sell bottles of wine for take-out unless you return with the bottles in-hand. I am not sure why, maybe there is a shortage of bottles because they serve it in decanters, but I seem to get an attitude every time I show-up bottle-less.

Ham and Mushroom (White - No Sauce)

One of these days, maybe before we leave this time, I am going to try some of their pasta and meat dishes. If they are as good as their pizzas, I should be quite a happy camper.

CombatCrtic Gives Frittole 9 Out Of 10 Bombs ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Read Chris S.'s review of Frittole on Yelp

Title: Naples, Italy: Frittole - An Imaginary Tuscan Village - I Could Not Imagine Pizza So Good

Key Words: Frittole, ristorante, pizza, pizzeria, pasta, Pompeii, Napoli, Naples, Italy, Rione Alto, rione, alto, medieval, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp

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

Naples, Italy: Good, Local Cuisine, But No "Burning" Desire To Return To La Brace ("The Embers")

Ristorante La Brace

Via Gabriele Jannelli 652
80131 Naples
Italy
Phone number: +39 081 5451074
Prices: €€€€

Pizza is an art form as well as a religious experience in Napoli (Naples, Italy), the home of the first pizzeria (Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba - 1830) and where pizza Margherita (named after Queen Margherita of Savoy - circa 1889) was invented at Pizzeria Brandi, both still in existence today. La Brace, "the embers" in Italian, did a decent job on mine, not the best pizza salsiccia e friarielli (sausage and broccoli rabe sauteed in olive oil and garlic) I have had, but far from the worst. Pizzerias, after all, do not exist for long in Naples unless they tend to get it right.

This was the first time we have eaten here, odd because my mother-in-law's home is less than a block away. The service was good although our server got carried away, along with numerous other patrons, as the Naples football club (S.S.C. Napoli) tied their northern rivals from Florence. We started with fritto misto (fried mix), consisting of the Naples standards including arancini (rice balls), potato croquettes, and algae dough balls (zeppoline di alghe). The non-seafood variety of fritto misto, which is what we had, normally costs less than $5 for reference sake.

My wife had rice with olive oil and parmigiano, a difficult dish to screw-up, because she had a bit of stomach flu that day and wanted something light. She, who (to put it mildly) is not well known for her culinary abilities, could not even mess-up this simple concoction if she tried. Of the two guests accompanying us, one had strips of steak (bistecca tagliata) with rucola and parmigiano as well as a side of french fries and the other had the thinest slices of sautéed chicken breasts I have ever seen along with some sautéed mushrooms. The steak looked very appetizing and plentiful, but the fries did not arrive until after I reminded the server of the order. The chicken consisted of less than three ounces of sliced breast, being overwhelmed by the decent sized order of mushrooms.

I ordered a bottle of vino locale (local wine - normally $3 - $5), which is usually a house wine made by the restaurant or one of their friends, but what we got was a cabernet sauvignon from Benevento about 45 miles away. I am not sure what the price of the wine was, but the bill (il conto) came to €61.50 (about $64) not including tip, a bit high for fritto misto ($5), a pizza ($8), steak and fries ($13), chicken and mushrooms ($7), rice ($5), a slice of cheesecake ($4) and a bottle of wine ($10 - all prices estimated and on the high side). Throw in $2.50 each for coperto/servizio (cover charge and service) and it would only come to about $62, about $2 less than what we paid (not including tip).

Anyway, a $70 price tag for dinner for four ain't all that bad no matter where you are, either in Europe or stateside.

CombatCritic Gives Ristorante And Pizzeria La Brace 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Read Chris S.'s review of La Brace on Yelp

Title: Naples, Italy: Good, Local Cuisine, But No "Burning" Desire To Return To La Brace ("The Embers")

Key Words: Ristorante La Brace, ristorante, la, brace, Rione, alto, Napoli, Naples, Italy, 80131, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: G2G = "Good To Go"

Lincoln, NE: Classic Faux Pas, But Decent Italian And Reasonable Prices

Vincenzo’s Ristorante  

808 P Street, Suite 100

Lincoln, NE 68508

Phone number: (402) 435-3889

Website: vincenzos-ne.com

Prices: $$$$

First of all, if you are going to try to use Italian words on your menu, make sure they are the right words and are spelled correctly if you want to be credible. It is "Antipasti", plural of antipasto (Italian for appetizer), not "Aperitivo" (which is an alcoholic, pre-meal beverage intended to stimulate the appetite). Enough said.

We tried to make a reservation, but at first nobody answered the phone, then we were told they only take reservations for parties of five or more. Keith Urban was having a concert that night and parking was a nightmare, but we managed to find a handicapped spot right in front of the restaurant (I am 80% disabled by the VA if you are wondering).

Fairly empty at 5;15pm on a Saturday, the place quickly filled up. John, our server, was indifferent, yet friendly and efficient, but with poor timing. He seemed overeager to take our order, not giving us much time to peruse the menu. 

We ordered the Garlic Cheese Bread ($4.95) to start. He asked if we would like some marinara with the bread, not mentioning the $1 upcharge that I later found on the check, so I said "of course". The loaf of bread was hot, soft, and garlicky, but I found little if any cheese.

My wife ordered the Cavatappi Formaggio Al Forno ($13.95), spiral, tube shaped pasta and chicken (or shrimp) in a white cheddar cream sauce baked with breadcrumbs and Provel cheese. The breadcrumbs and Provel cheese were difficult to find and it barely appeared to be "al forno" (baked in the oven), but it was creamy, tasty, and rich. Not bad for Lincoln, Nebraska.

I wondered why the "veal parmigiana" ($12.95) was in a different section of the menu than the other veal dishes ($17.95), asking the server. He told me that the only difference was that it was "breaded" and "baked, not sautèed", so I decided to try the parmigiana. Well, I found out why there was a $5 difference. More soon.

We received our salads shortly after finishing the garlic no-cheese bread and they were decent. My wife had the house salad and I the Caesar ($1 extra), although they went a bit overboard with the anchovies in my opinion. Then came the classic server faux pas, my pet peeve, our entrees arrived before I was halfway done with my salad. Oh, John, get a grip. Normally, I would have sent the entrees back until I was done with my salad, but I let it slide.

As I was saying, I was curious why the parmigiana was $5 less than the other dishes and found out when it arrived. Coming in a casserole dish, the "veal" was obviously a processed patty, likely from Sisco or another restaurant supplier, smothered in marinara sauce, covered with cheese, and baked. For some reason, the sauce was somewhat watery at the bottom of the casserole, like pasta that has not been strained properly, but for $12.95 (including a side of pasta and salad) I could not complain too much or be surprised by the processed veal. It actually was not that bad, but was not the "veal parmigiana" that was listed on the menu.

For Lincoln, Nebraska, I would have to say that Vincenzo's was not great, but not bad. The decor was pleasant, the service good (except for the faux pas), and the prices very reasonable for an "upscale" restaurant (according to reviews - by Nebraska standards).

CombatCritic Gives Vincenzo's Ristorante 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Vincenzo's Ristorante

Title: Lincoln, NE: Classic Faux Pas, But Decent Italian And Reasonable Prices

Key Words: Vincenzo's Ristorante, Vincenzo, ristorante, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, Lincoln, Nebraska, pasta, veal, aperitivo, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: G2G = "Good To Go"