Seafood platter: mussels and king prawns on top of plain rice served with a bowl of chips.

Ed eats

Dixie’s
Independence Gardens
Sliema
Tel: no reservations taken

Food: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Overall: 8/10

I first came across the word serendipity when I first read about penicillin. I had to look up the word. Penicillin was a very lucky discovery that led to a radical change in the way we treat infection, saving countless lives since.

My stroke of serendipity won’t necessarily save lives but it was an unexpectedly happy discovery, so I’ll gladly apply the term to last week’s meal.

The last time I felt as lucky was at Rising Sun bar in Marsaxlokk. Rising Sun remains one of my favourite lunchtime getaways and has consistently delivered quality food at an exceptional price. I’m not comparing the food quality here; that would be unfair to both places. What I’m comparing is the ability of a very humble outfit to serve excellent food at a remarkable price. They both excel at promising very little and delivering well above any expectations.

These places should serve as an example to the food industry across the country. They show that it is possible to contain food costs, simplify their entire process and serve great food at very democratic prices. You see the value rating at a pretty unbeatable 10/10.

The only reason I didn’t have change from €20 at Dixie’s is that I felt bad putting my hand forward to receive it and, blushing, pretended it was a tip. The bill for the meal I’m describing just tipped the €18 mark, and that’s the total for two of us. We ate decent seafood, but I’m rushing ahead of myself in enthusiasm, so I’ll backtrack a little.

I was in Balluta on a glorious Saturday afternoon. The day was just perfect, with bright sunshine that would have been lovely in June, yet with none of the annoying heat.

It was about lunchtime, so I figured I should quickly feed myself before enjoying the rest of the afternoon. I didn’t feel like being cooped up for long, so decided I’d grab a quick bite somewhere and then get on with my day.

I started by walking up towards Piccolo Padre because that’s one sure source of quick, inexpensive and satisfying food. I could even strike gold and grab a table on the balcony. What I’d failed to notice is that they’re doing some works on the place and wouldn’t be open for another week.

These places should serve as an example to the food industry across the country

I walked along the front for a few paces before I decided to dodge the strollers, joggers and pushchairs by walking through the gardens just beneath the main promenade. I figured I’d find a kiosk, grab a quick ftira and pick any available bench that faced the sea. Seated there, I’d find the shortest route the ftira could take between clingfilm wrap and my stomach. I outlined this plan to the better half and off we went in search of a kiosk.

The gardens look great and are well taken care of by, one presumes, the Sliema local council. I have no idea who is on the council but they are definitely not of my generation. When I was a child, boys my age liked football, bicycles, skateboards and our pet dog.

The local council has erected signs that prohibit all of these. This could be how they manage to keep the space looking so well manicured, yet I still can’t justify the trade-off.

Kids seemed to be enjoying the sunshine and ran around regardless, so I suppose they’re happy to play within the parameters laid out for them. I hope they grow to be more rebellious.

Soon we spotted a kiosk that had plenty of seating outside, most of which had already been occupied. There’s a row of wooden tables and benches along the side closest to the sea and I quickly dropped my stuff on the only vacant one.

The clever one of us quickly took a seat and asked me to get her anything I knew she’d eat. I feigned confidence in my ability to fulfil this most daunting of challenges, ignored the possibility that it could be a trap, resisted the temptation to ask for a more specific request and walked to the kiosk.

There were three men manning the kiosk and three rows of people waiting to be served. I paused for a while, wondering whether it was worth the wait. Then I noticed that the three men were dispatching patrons at a remarkable speed, so I joined the fray.

I only waited for about two minutes, taking the time to figure out what food they served. A warm display on the counter top showed pies and pastries. Not bad. The menu board on the left showed off a much broader spectrum.

Starting with breakfast, the menu goes through a list of sandwiches, pasta dishes, pizza and bona fide main courses. To my right was a little board with daily specialities. From this board, more as a little joke than anything, I picked the two most ambitious dishes. I hadn’t expected to see king prawns and fresh mussels at a little kiosk and I couldn’t expect anything more than mussels out of a freezer bag for €7.50.

I added a plate of chips and two bottles of cider to the mix, paid the little bill and skipped back to our table feeling quite pleased.

I took the cider with me, feeling happy to perform part of the service. The bottles were a little larger than usual, so I peeked at the back label. Being a firm proponent of the metric system, except when a pint is concerned, I was thrilled to see they contained 568ml. There’s something heart-warming about a proper pint.

Assuming I’d ordered a ftira, I wasn’t quizzed about the food so I just settled in to enjoy the view our table so graciously gave us. The view extends all the way from Balluta church, across Spinola Bay, to Dragonara Point and out into open seas. This could easily be a contender for top spot where the view is concerned.

Our food was delivered to our table so Dixie’s is only half self-service. A big bowl of mussels, six king prawns on top of plain rice and a generous bowl of chips soon decorated our table.

This looked too good for what I’d paid so I started out with the mussels. They were fresh, they were meaty and they’d been cooked in a pretty decent broth, even if it was liberally sprinkled with indeterminate flakes of onion or garlic. I ate through, happy I’d ordered chips to go with them.

Meanwhile, all was quiet on the western front. The prawns were being messily and silently dispatched, so I graciously placed half a dozen mussels on to the space vacated by the prawns. A prawn reluctantly headed my way.

Once again, my expectations were exceeded. These were much better than I’d expect of a kiosk or of the price we paid. Within the time it would have taken us to eat a ftira, we’d cleared our plates of a heap of prawns and mussels and made sure there were enough chips in our stomachs to keep them company.

If this little place can offer friendly and efficient service, a view to die for, pretty decent food, and change from €20, it is hard not to ask why we’re so routinely ripped off elsewhere. So I’m keeping my eye on the weather for the weekend already. Unless it’s pouring with rain, I know exactly where I’m having lunch.

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