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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 12 MARCH 2017 34 Food ON a chilly winter's night, after a long day at work, nothing is more satisfying than eating a delicious meal, sipping on a glass of slightly chilled wine and unwinding. No place is better to do that than Red- White, in Rabat. Located in the beautiful cellar of Palazzo Castelletti, RedWhite offers patrons an intimate dining experi- ence, especially perfect for those in search of a great plate of pasta in a slightly more laid back atmosphere. From the very first minute, my guest and I were taken care of, made to feel like we were their only din- ers. Greeted with friendly smiles and warm fresh bread, we perused through the vast menu. Never have we ever struggled so much to come to a decision. Beef carpaccio, deep fried calamari, brie, mozzarella di bufala, mini burgers… and these were the starters alone. We pon- dered whether it would be socially acceptable to order one of every- thing but decided against it a few minutes later. Ordering our mains was an even greater challenge. What felt like hours later, we final- ly came to a decision and let me tell you, we could not have made better choices. I suspect, however, that I'd be saying the exact same thing re- gardless of what we had ordered. A short while later we were pre- sented with our starters. For my guest, buffalo wrapped in Parma ham, baked and served with roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh, crunchy rocket. Just the right amount of rosemary oil was carefully drizzled over the dish, transforming a simple yet greatly loved meal into a deli- cacy. For myself, the mini beef slid- ers, with smoked cheese, honey and Jack Daniels BBQ sauce and a deliciously tangy slaw. Despite the fact that I'm 23 and an adult in the eyes of society, I always fall for mini foods. Don't let the size of the burg- ers fool you however, they're jam- packed with flavour and I guarantee you'll be counting down the days till you can return just to order them again. I could have called it a night based just on our first courses but we were only just getting started… and boy, were we in for a treat. The wait- ress brought over our mains with a smile (and a second bottle of wine). To keep things fresh, my guest and I decided to order each other's main courses. For her, I ordered the gnocchi sea food. For me, she ordered the melanzane parmigiana. If I'm being honest, never in a mil- lion years would I have ordered it for myself. Being quite a keen lover of meat (and pizza), I couldn't help but feel like my chance to guiltlessly indulge in a delicious veal tagliata had been wasted. However, I was put in my place. The intricate dish was a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Layer upon layer of soft, warm aubergine, delicately inter- woven into contrasting layers of fresh, crunchy bell pepper, creating a fusion of flavour and texture. Also intriguing was the way in which the dish was presented. In an effort to break the mould of the traditional lasagne-like format of the melan- zane parmigiana, it was instead constructed to resemble a stack of pancakes. Definitely different from what you would usually expect. When combined, every single ele- ment of the dish was effortlessly perfect. As I said, I'm no vegetarian but would dare even the most avid steak-eater to try this one out and prove me wrong. My guest's dish was just as de- lightful. Being a sucker for both gnocchi and seafood, RedWhite re- ally hit the nail on the head with this one. With child-like eagerness, my guest dug into what she described as an "explosion of flavour". Per- fectly pan-fried prawns, mussels, clams and bisque were tossed to- gether with classic Italian gnocchi, making my guest smile from ear to ear. Though you wouldn't normally associate gnocchi with seafood, the two complemented each other like milk and cookies. As the saying goes, "plates don't lie" and ours were polished clean. We were not done yet however. My head was saying no but my heart was screaming yes so as we've often been instructed to do in life, I lis- tened to my heart. Without hesita- tion, my guest and I opted for the Ferrero Roche cake and the blue- berry and marshmallow mousse. The former is to die for and I very rarely make such claims. Delectable and rich, it's the perfect dessert for chocolate lovers, of whom I know there are many out there. For those who would rather go for more of a guilt-free dessert (it's not guilt- free at all but berries count as one of your five a day, right?) the blue- berry and marshmallow mousse is perfect. Well-balanced, sweet but not too sweet, delicately layered and served in a glass, making it that much more fun to eat as you scav- enge for that last berry hidden un- der the fluffy marshmallow pillow. It's with a heavy heart I tell you that with one final sip of our es- pressos, it was all over. Walking out into the cold harsh wind, I came to the realisation that meals like these bring people together and allow them to disconnect from the outside world, if even for a couple of hours, indulge and engage in conversation. RedWhite not only provided us with the perfect at- mosphere to do just that, but also greatly exceeded our expectations on the food front. Though the res- taurant is designed to be more laid- back in nature, clearly the chef does not adopt the same mind-set when it comes to the preparation of food. Each and every dish incorporates some sort of innovative element, some sort of twist, taking your all- time favourites and elevating them to a level you never knew existed. For this reason, amongst countless others, I have no doubt people will always be knocking on RedWhite's door (myself included). Resto of the week WINE OF THE WEEK Nipozzano 2013 is a brilliant, clear scarlet red. The nose is complex and intense with prevalent red fruit scents of bitter cherry, plum, and raspberry followed by spiced and toasted notes of pepper, nutmeg and coffee. In the mouth the wine is warm, soft and significantly fresh. Nipozzano 2013 is elegant and enveloping, with fine tannins that are well balanced in the wine's structure and a long and persistent fruity finish. The Wine Advocate 91 points - "The 2013 Chianti Rufina Riserva Nipozzano is a soft and supple red wine that proudly displays its winemaking pedigree. There are no rough edges here. Instead, this wine offers a seamless link of red cherry, spice and toasted nut aromas. The mouthfeel is on the lean side, but the wine is immediately approachable and easy to pair with any kind of grilled meat dish." James Suckling 91 points - "Very tight and refined with a linear structure and precision. Medium body, fine tannins and plenty of berry, tea leaf and lemon rind flavors. Pretty and focused. Delicious as always. " Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva 2013 Dining in style in a laid-back atmosphere at RedWhite RedWhite 62, Palazzo Castelletti, St Paul's Street, Rabat Tel: 21452562 Web: www. palazzocastelletti.com Facebook: redwhitelounge Palazzo Castelletti is the ultimate for fine dining. However it's not every day that you want to get dolled up and splash out on such a lavish meal. For that Palazzo Castelletti's got you covered. RedWhite is San Andrea's more laid back sister, who will make you feel at home whilst keeping the standard of food impeccably high. AMY MICALLEF DECESARE tries it out.