Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/699546
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 JULY 2016 34 Food Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 Domaines Ott Rose 2015 Provence, France Domaines Ott Rose is the top wine from the Ott Sélection. These are wines that have been produced from some of the oldest vines and most noble varietals from select growers throughout Provence. The wines are produced using the traditional vinification methods of Domaines Ott, founded in 1912 by Alsatian engineer Marcel Ott. The winemaking team carefully selects the grape lots and produces wines they consider to be worthy and excellent value for wines from the Côtes de Provence. Fresh and fruity nose with hints of apricot, white fruit and pomegranate. It has a full-bodied, fresh and rounded taste with a warm and balanced structure that gives off hints of scrubland, spices and glace zests. It has a long, buxom, silky smooth and crunchy finish. Rachel Zammit Cutajar takes a look at a restaurant and brings a recipe, wine and delicacy of the week. Write to us with your comments on restaurants or submit your own recipes to rzammitcutajar@mediatoday.com.mt I'VE been to a fair few steakhouses in my time as Gourmet Today's resident steak aficionado. It is probably my favourite part of the job, finding out where the best cuts of meat are to be found. That I have a large map of Malta dotted with pins marking the best steak houses is purely rumour. If I did have a steak map (which I will neither confirm nor deny), I would drop a large flashing red pin in central Naxx- ar. Now, I know what you're thinking – this little town is hardly the epicentre of the island's culinary renaissance. Which is what makes Brass & Knuckle such a great find. Owned by Mark Zammit, who also runs Zammeats – importers and distributors of our favourite goodies including fine cheeses, cold cuts and meat – Brass & Knuckle has, in the short while it's been open, seriously wowed everyone who has visited. And for good reason. The interior is a cross between indus- trial warehouse chic and open kitchen flair – local design firm Archi+ have done a magnificent job on the place. Walk in and you will be met with two large re- frigerated displays, one for cheeses and cold cuts, and the other for an array of cuts that is sure to make any carnivore drool. Behind those are a trio of aging cabinets hung with larger cuts, letting time and careful environmental controls work their magic. This restaurant has combined the idea of a traditional eatery with the more modern concept of giving diners the chance to really get hands-on with their meals. You can make a selection from the menu or you can browse the display, stocked with a huge array of options at wholesale price, and pick which breed, cut and weight your dinner will be. For a low flat fee, the chef will then prepare your selection to your liking. It's great to be involved in your meal beyond just pointing at the menu and hoping for the best. My guest and myself were given the opportunity to observe the finer details of the cuts on offer, such as marbling, colour and size, before making our choices. In the name of a balanced review, my guest chose her main course off the menu, while I picked my favourite cut – Black Angus ribeye. We each had a soup to start – French onion and spicy gazpacho. Both proved to be a perfect, not-too-filling start to the meal and the gazpacho in particular had a lovely bal- ance of flavours. Moving on to the mains, the duck leg confit, sitting on a bed of couscous and vegetables, had a Middle-Eastern-cui- sine-meets-classic-French-gastronomy vibe to it. The ribeye was, undoubtedly, the showstopper. Tender, with that beautiful grill line grid that makes my heart sing, and just the right amount of charring at the very edges. Sublime. Also exceedingly delicious were the truffled fries, which have probably ru- ined plain old regular fries for me for- ever. Dessert was a sticky toffee pudding to share. Conversation tapered then stopped entirely as both of us savoured the decadently sweet morsel, served with ice cream and a small puddle of toffee sauce. It might be too soon to tell but I think maybe Valletta's monopoly on up-and- coming restaurants could be loosening a bit. And if Brass & Knuckle is anything to go by, foodies are in for a treat – qual- ity dining that doesn't break the bank but effortlessly meets our standards. In the mean time, a repeat visit is definitely in order. BRASS & KNUCKLE ORATORY STREET, NAXXAR TEL: 27222722 WEB: WWW.BRASSANDKNUCKLE.COM FACEBOOK: BRASSANDKNUCKLE Resto of the week WINE OF THE WEEK The hunt for the perfect steak ends here PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD At Gourmet Today we are fond of our steaks and make it our business to seek out the best spots to enjoy quality meats. RACHEL AGIUS heads down to the recently opened Brass & Knuckle to sample some of their choicest cuts