Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/860911
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 AUGUST 2017 34 Food PIZZA has always been a go-to meal when we are looking for a little indulgence. With so many pizzerias on the island – some bet- ter than others – it has become in- creasingly difficult to pick a place that is worthy of those extra calo- ries. A quick visit to TripAdvisor, and you know for sure that Mandrag- gio is going to be worth your while. A number of glowing reviews grace their page along with a huge variety of images of what they are serving. What they are offering is not just pizza but a taste of Puglia, includ- ing pasta dishes as well as fish and meat dishes. And what it is that links all of these together? They only use the freshest, seasonal in- gredients, just like they would in the southern Italian region and the pasta they serve is either home- made or pasta di Gragnano. Lin- guine with vongole, nero di sepia, spaghetti ricci, zuppa di cozze and homemade tiramisu are just some of the dishes you can expect at Mandraggio. Owner Giuseppe Matarrelli, himself from Taranto in Puglia, is a nutritionist and believes that good food, that is also good for your body, has to be made from scratch. This is why they make their own pasta and pizza dough as well as baking their own bread, in- cluding the Puglia specialty pucce salentine. Like their food the wine list is also places importance on the Puglia region, with some wines like Primitivo di Manduria, wines from Leporano and Negramaro del Salento among others. The service here is as friendly as you could expect with the owners and waiting staff treating you like part of the family, helping you with your choices and offering recom- mendations. Sit inside or out, take your children or your girlfriend, have lunch or dinner, eat in or take away, whatever you fancy, Man- draggio will not disappoint. Don't expect fine dining here, what you can expect are generous portions of something your Ital- ian grandmother would make, if you had one. And just like visiting grandma, you will feel obliged to return time and time again. Resto of the week More usually seen in Orvieto, the Grechetto grape is often blended with other grapes to provide structure and nuttiness. This wine is produced in Umbria from 100% Grechetto to make this Colli Martani DOC - and it is a great example, coming from Arnaldo Caprai, considered to be one of the top Grechetto producers. This is a complex wine despite being unoaked; lots of fruit aromas and flavours combine with minerality. On the nose the minerality is evident as the smell of wet pebbles but the citrus and more exotic fruit aromas dominate. There are citrus, nectarine and peach flavours on the palate with a hint of almond. Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 2016 Colli Martani Grechetto Grecante Arnaldo Caprai, Umbria WINE OF THE WEEK Puglia comes to the Mandraggio Mandraggio Misrah Mattia Preti Valletta Tel: 79024143 Facebook: mandraggio