TOUR DE FORKS

I try never to do more than one foodie post per week, nor talk about a restaurant I just mentioned recently, but I'm afraid it just can't be helped. You see, last night we returned to Cafe Malta over in south Austin, thanks to a very generous Christmas certificate from two of our kiddos which needed to be spent. However, this time, it was for a whole different experience! You see, twice a month, on the first and third Tuesday evenings, they set aside their usual menus and take those lucky few who managed to nab reservations on a Tour de Forks.

Cafe Malta is a Mediterranean restaurant, so on these special evenings they feature a menu from a different region each time. Thanks to the popularity of the Mediterranean diet, you are probably wondering "How many different ways can they serve veggies, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and lean protein." Well, you'd be amazed. For one thing, did you realize there are 22 different Mediterranean countries -- from Albania and Algeria to Tunisia and Turkey -- with dozens of regions in every one, each having their own special way of preparing the local bounty? Last night we were transported to Abruzzo, a region in central Italy.

As you can see, there are always two menu options -- the meaty one and the vegetarian one. John ordered meaty, of course, and I ordered the other, then we swapped bites of each course, so we got to try a bit of everything!

Aperitif

The aperitif -- made with brandy, orange liqueur, red wine, fennel, clove and soda -- was awfully pretty, but a bit too much for a non-drinker like me. Fortunately, they just happen to serve one of my favorite dry rosés, so I opted for a glass of that instead.

Firsts:

John's Grilled Lamb Appetizer

My Caramelized Onion Bruschetta

Seconds:

My Soup With Dandelion Greens -- So Bitter!

John's Pork 'n Beans Soup

Thirds:

John's Roasted Pork Shoulder Over Polenta

My Housemade Pasta With Porcini Mushroom Sauce

Finale:

Almond Cake Coated With Dark Chocolate

So. Did we moan and swoon over every single bite? Well, no (those bitter dandelion greens!). That would be unrealistic expectations.

But, did we have a grand adventure? Why yes, we did indeed!